WEATHER RECORDS: AUGUST, 1931.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 43, Issue 3, 21 September 1931, Page 228

WEATHER RECORDS: AUGUST, 1931.

Dominion Meteorological Office.

There were several brief periods of stormy weather during August, but on the whole there was a considerable improvement in conditions over those of the. two preceding winter months. Temperatures were again below normal over the greater part of the Dominion. Cold, frosty nights were frequent, but, on the other hand, many mild, spring-like days were experienced, and, as a result, there was a moderate growth of pasture.

Rainfall. — The total rain for the month was below the average over the greater portion of the North Island, a slight excess only being recorded in parts of the Taranaki District. In the South Island, Marlborough and North Canterbury experienced less than the normal, while the remaining districts nearly all had above-normal aggregates, the excess in many cases being considerable.

The storms recorded during the month were in very few cases responsible for any particularly heavy rains, except at a few isolated places, chiefly in western districts, the falls generally being more of a showery nature.

Pressure Systems. During the first four days of the month a very intense and extensive westerly depression was situated over and to the east of New Zealand, and stormy west to south - west winds prevailed, which, in some districts, developed almost hurricane force at times. They were accompanied by occasional heavy showers and, in places, hail. Snow also fell during this period on much of the high country, and on the 4th there was quite a heavy fall of snow in central Hawke’s Bay.

From the sth to the nth, except for some scattered showers, the weather was mainly fine under the influence of an anticyclone which moved gradually across the Dominion. On the nth, however, barometers commenced to fall with the approach of a steep westerly depression, and on the 12th a widespread north-west gale blew and heavy rain fell in the western districts. The nor’wester was an extremely fierce one in Canterbury.

The next important disturbance was again one of the westerly type, but it developed a centre in its southern portion, the latter crossing the southern districts during the night of the 16th. Beneficial rain set in with the southerly change on the night of the 16th in Canterbury and Otago, and continued, throughout the 17th. Although the falls were not heavy, they relieved the situation in these districts where the land was showing the detrimental effect of the continued dry weather and strong westerly winds.

Another depression, but of moderate intensity, which crossed over the country between the 23rd and 26th, brought rain of a scattered, nature. Some heavy falls, however, occurred in Westland about this time, but very little fell in Canterbury and practically none in Hawke’s Bay.

During the last three days of the month the weather was affected by an extensive double-centred cyclone. The first centre passed in the south on the night of the 29th, while the following one moved up the west coast and eventually crossed the northern districts during the night of the 31st. Unsettled, dull, misty weather was associated with this depression, and rain fell at times in nearly all parts of the Dominion.

In addition to the depressions already mentioned, there were three occasions when cyclones moved down from the north-east and passed to the east of East Cape. Their nearest approach to the latter point occurred on the 15th, 22nd, and 28th respectively, and their effects were confined chiefly to the East Cape and Gisborne areas. About these dates strong southerly winds blew in those districts, but the accompanying rains

were only light and scattered along the east coast of the North Island, where relatively dry conditions persisted throughout the month.

No. Station. Total Fall. Number of Wet Days. Maximum Fall. Average August Rainfall . Jorth Island Inches.. Inches. Inches. I Kaitaia .. ■ -22 w 0-58 5’33 ■ 2 Russell . . . . .. 2-87 12 0-64 5'00 3 Whangarei .. .. 3’7 Z 16 o-68 6-66 4 Auckland . . 3-30 17 0-51 . .4-26 . 5 Hamilton 2-95 14 o-57 4-28 6 Rotorua . . . . 3 • 52 II 0-63 ‘ 4-97 7 Kawhia . . . . . . 3-58 16 o-88 4-71 8 New Plymouth . . 4-84 18 0 • 84 5-37 9 Riversdale, Inglewood ■ 9 • 12 18 .1-35 8'75 IO Whangamomona . . 5'87 10 1-25 5-96 ii Eltham . . . . .. 4’83 W o'8o 4-98 12 Tairua . . . . 3-31 14 0-90 6-05 13 Tauranga . . 4’29 14 Maraehako Station, Opotiki 3-74 14 i- 19 5 • 52 15 Gisborne 1-18 ' 10 0-42 4'39 16 Taupo 3-04 13 0 • 82 4-10 17 Napier . . .. 0-49 8 0-15 3-54 18 Hastings I • 11 9 0-50 3-27 19 Taihape . . 2-36 15 036 2 • 80 20 Masterton 2-05 ■ 1.3 0 • 83 3-48 21 Patea . . ■ . . 3-70 17 o-88 3-66 22 Wanganui 2-92 TO -0-88 2-78 23 Foxton . . . . 2-65 13 o-54 2-90 24 Wellington ... . . 5 2-, 23 outh Island 18 • 29 3-82 25 Westport ii-86 21 2 • 19 7-70 26 Grey mouth 9’74 17 1-74 7-38 27 Hokitika . . . . 10-91 19 2 • 18 9-29 28 Ross .. . . 11-87 14 • 3-io to-66 29 Arthur’s Pass .. .. 7'44 5 3'32 12-32 30 Okuru . . . . ... 16-39 z 4 3’20 11-14 31 Collingwood 8-91 15 i-81 . 7-01 32 Nelson . . .. ... 3'43 12 1-04 3’03 33 Spring Creek .. 1-63 9 0-38 2 • 76 34 Tophouse 6-32 15 i-35 4-58 35 Hanmer Springs . . 2-92 •13 o-97 3-°9 36 Highfield, Waiau i'i5 5 0’66 2-46 37 Gore Bav 0-50-6 0-21 2-71 38 Christchurch 1-5° 13 °-44 1-83 39 Timaru . . 1 ■ 80 10 0-38 1-42 40 Lambrook Station, Fairlie . . 1-36 8 0 • 40 1-.52 4i Benmore Station, Clearburn 1-71 8 0 • 46 i - 57 42 Oamaru . . .. .. 2-67 13 0 ■ 78 • 1-71 43 Queenstown ... ‘43 11 1 • 03 1 -96 44 Clyde .. 1-14 ■ 8 . o-59 0 • 80 45 Dunedin . . ' . . 4-63 22 0-04 3-10 46 Wendon . . .. 3-24 15 0 • 64 2 -06 47 Gore 2-25 • 48 Invercargill . . ... 3-52 19 o-55 . 3-28 49 Puysegur Point . . 4’79 22 o-73 7’33 50 Half-moon Bay . . ■4-18 18 o-66 4 • 73 —B. V. Pemberton, Acting Director, Meteorological Office, 7th September, 1931. Director, Meteorological Office, Wellington, Wellington,

RAINFALL FOR AUGUST, 1931, AT REPRESENTATIVE STATIONS.