WEATHER RECORDS : SEPTEMBER, 1931.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 43, Issue 4, 20 October 1931, Page 304

WEATHER RECORDS : SEPTEMBER, 1931.

Dominion Meteorological Office.

September proved a' most unsettled month, and hopes that the winter type of weather had departed with August were not fulfilled. Temperatures were decidedly cold, particularly during the first half of the month, and once again they were less than the normal throughout the greater part of the Dominion. In some districts, indeed, it was the coldest September experienced since records have been kept. This was the case in Wellington, where the difference below normal was 3-3° F., while at Christchurch, it was as much as 4-1° F. A marked feature of the month was the predominance of southerly winds. Although usually they were only moderate in force, those on the sth, 6th, and on the 9th were severe. ■ Rainfall. Rainfall was above normal over the North Island, except in the northern portion of the Auckland Peninsula and on the west side of Mount Egmdnt. Above-average totals were also experienced along most of the east coast of the South Island, but all the western half, Otago, and the high country had a deficiency, a few places in Westland having less than half the usual amount, while Arthur’s Pass recorded only 19 per cent, of its average. Pressure Systems. Of the low-pressure systems the greater number were of cyclonic form, and when a westerly depression crossed the Dominion it was invariably, followed by a secondary centre developing off the west coast. ... The changes in wind and weather were consequently very rapid, and days when generally fine conditions prevailed were few and far between. Most of the anticyclones moved in northern latitudes, but an irregular one crossed the Dominion between .the 17th and 21st, and during this period fine sunny weather was. general, although cool southerlies prevailed over the North Island. ' ; i The depressions were too numerous to describe in detail, but a few of the most .intense may be mentioned. On the sth a vigorous cyclone which -had moved with unusual rapidity over the North Tasman Sea was centred west of the Auckland Peninsula. It crossed the North Island, during the night, and by the morning of the 6th was located off East Cape. On these two days very unpleasant conditions prevailed, and on the night of the sth a particularly violent, southerly was experienced. Rain fell' almost generally, and there was a heavy fall of snow on much of the central area of the North Island. It is considered that the fall in the Rotorua and Taupo districts was the heaviest. experienced in the past fourteen years. In some places the snow covered the ground to a depth of 3 ft. The east coast districts of the South Island also received snow at this time, but, except in the hill country, the falls were slight. . / .. , 7 The 7th was a fine day,": while an anticyclone was passing to the north of New Zealand. ■ ■ Pressure; however, fell again next day, a and by nighttime an intense .westerly, depression had advanced on to the Dominion with a rapidity almost equal to that of the cyclone, which had recently preceded it. By the morning of the 9th the depression had moved to the east of the Dominion, but a slight secondary centre had developed west of Cape Maria van Diemen. The latter brought some heavy rain to the Auckland, Bay of- Plenty, and Gisborne districts. On the night of the 10th the secondary centre crossed the Auckland Peninsula, and the wind, which on the 9th had become southerly in and south of Cook Strait, blew strongly everywhere from that quarter, with extremely cold temperatures.. During the night of the 15th a cyclone developed off : the .Canterbury coast, and this district received a drenching south-westerly, rain which, continued until the afternoon .of the following day. Strong south-westerly winds prevailed-generally on the 16th, but by the 17th they had decreased nearly everywhere in force.

After the fine spell already referred to between the 17th and 21st conditions changed for the worse again, and with the'exception of brief fine intervals on the 24th and 27th the weather continued unsettled in most districts until the close of the month.

No. Station. Total Fall. Number of Wet Days. Maximum Fall. Average September .Rainfall. North Island. Inches. Inches. Inches. I . JKaitaia . ..' • 2-40 18 0-56 5-25 2 Russell . . . .2’43 13 o-66 4’19 3 Whangarei ■ .. 2-64 16 o-go 4'96 4 Auckland .. . . ; 5-12 23 1-09 3’68 5 Hamilton . . ’ . . 5-51 20 1-18 4’4i 6 Rotorua . . . . 5’79 1.5 1'37 5’i7 7 . Kawhia . . 8-03 19 1-41 4-58 8 New Plymouth 5’23 18 0-89 • • 5’40 9 Riversdale, Inglewood 8’7'5 19 i-37 9'77 IO Whangamomona . . 9-05 16 1-72 7’32 11 Eltham . . . . 5’00 19 1-06 4’55 12 Tairua . , r. .. 5’7° 18 1’54 4’75 13 Tauranga .. .. 4-48 18 1-i 1 4’43 *4 Maraehako Station, Opotiki 5'88 14 r 74 4-26 1.5 Gisborne 3’93 13 i’55 2’95 16 Taupo .. .. .. 4-06 w 0-84 ’ 3’94 17 Napier . . 3-64 19 1-17 • 2-17 18 Hastings . . . . 3’32 19 1-30 2’57 19 Taihape . . . . . . 5’°5 21 0'97 3-16 20 Masterton . . . . 3-27 17 0’73 3’05 21 Patea . . . . . . 5-60 18 i-94 3-64 22 Wanganui . . . . . 3'52 12 1-20 2’93 23 Foxton . . 3'44 *4 o-93 2’47 24 Wellington . . 3’79 21 0-62 3-ii South Island. 25 Westport . . . . 8’23 17 i-88 8-30 26 Greymouth 4 .. 6-40 - *■ 17 1-25 8-15 27 ■ ’Hokitika . . . . 4’5° 14 1-05 -9’33 28 Ross . . . . . . 5’53 II 1'55 13-23 29 Arthur’s Pass 3-00 6 1-00 “ 15-91 30 Okuru, South Westland . . 11-89 12 . 5’44 12-60 31 Collingwood 8-i8 14 2-22 9’77 32 Nelson . . . . ■ ? 2’45 11 0-84 3-76 33 Spring Creek, Blenheim 2-41 9 O-85 2'77 34 Tophouse . . . . ■4’47 14 ' 1-83 5-95 35 Hanmer Springs . . . . 5’55 16 ■ 2’44 4-10 36 Highfield, Waiau • . . 3-68 12 0-90 3-03 37 Gore Bay 2-94 13 1-09 3-oi 3« Christchurch ...... . 2-16 9 0-79 I- 73 ■ 39 Timaru . . ....... .. 2-o6 10 0-96 ■ i-93 4° Lambrook Station, Fairlie . . i-66 8 0-83 2-19 ■ 4i Benmore Station, Clearburn 1-65 ■ 8 o-95 ’2-14 42 Oamaru ... .. . ... . 1-29 8 °'44 1-65 43 Queenstown 2-99 8 i-ii . 2-55 44 Clyde 1-02 4 0’49 1-04 45 Dunedin . . 2-88 13 i-34 2-76 46 Wendon 1-30 8 0-44 2-56 47 Gore .. 2-84 48 Invercargill ... ' . . 3-16 13 T-I 3-28 49 Puysegur Point , . . . . . . 4’i8 . . 18 0-77 6-6o 50 Half-moon Bay . . 4-06 ' 15 . 0-83 5'45

RAINFALL FOR SEPTEMBER, 1931, AT REPRESENTATIVE STATIONS.