STORM NOTES.

Dozerdust, Volume 2, Issue 5, 22 January 1944, Page 2

STORM NOTES.

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THE following summary of the storm is from the pen of Kbn McGaul,' of Infantry Detachment, who has made a study of weather condition in Now Caledonia® In a oation with him on the Sunday night, he predicted a H hefty blow-up " «* & it came., EDo .' ■ . NOR two weeks priofc to the storm, ■ strong easterly winds prevailed in the southern portion of New Caledohia. These wore connected with the abnormally high pressure over the North Island of N,2», early this month. The , N.Z. Herald, covering the weather » report for the Now Year week-end, showed that pressures were as high r as as 30.40“ for ths week-end in Auckland* Such conditions would ha era a considerable off on tills Island,: n DURING last week end the wind abated somewhat and the weather became fine and hot# At that t imc high a clouds was observed to the northwest and gradually overspread the sky# Whenever -such clouds appear in large quantities the presence of a cyclone may be suspected© So on Sunday it " u »/ became' obvious that a -stormy change. . would ensue within a day or two I ;'# ’ The groat heat. on Sunday afternoon ’ followed by the stormy sunset that ■ ev-ning (tonfirmed this opinion# lion-', day morning broke dull and threat- . \ owing, with a light north-west wind. \ By this time the high cl&ud had thickened considerably- and covered the sky, showing that the storm centre was moving towards the Island ox* that it was de opening* Rain on Monday night; . wind freshened from the ‘north-cast; tempera warm.At \ 9«p<m. the rain stopped and th wind \ rose to half gale force. Around l»pm. rain started again and was continuous until Tuesday evening#Buring Monday night the gale changed gradually to cast direct# Around 7#a e m tf the rain became a torrential downpour wdth the wind casing slightly and shitlng to ■ southwest. The storm centra fed probably moved from north-west of the eland, to north-east - in an easterly direction. In the next fc.. hours, the wind direction changed to the so uthj shewing that the storm Centro wao located directly 4 to the cast. At the same time the wind increased in force to a strong g&lCj, then tc a whole gale and then to a owan force ( over 56 miles per hour). During much of Tuesday , the average speed was 60 miles per hour. ( Cent, next wook) NOT A TO . ISSUE,