1474
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 56

New Zealand Rainfall for May, 1905—continued.

SOUTH ISLAND—continued.

(H.) SOUTH ASPECT—CAPE SAUNDERS TO POYSEGUr POINT.

Eweburn Nursery, Ranfurly .. | A. W. Roberts .. | .. | 0·70 | 4 | 0·40 on 16th
Kokonga .. | R. W. Glendinning | .. | 0·75 | 5 | 0·36 on 16th
Caversham .. | G. M. Burlinson | .. | 2·14 | 7 | 1·40 on 31st
Gladbrook St’n, Middlemarch | A. Mackenzie .. | .. | .. | .. | ..
Tarras .. | T. MoWhirter .. | .. | 0·81 | 3 | 0·48 on 11th
Queenstown .. | A. H. Hiddlestone | .. | 1·66 | 3 | 0·93 on 10th
Galloway, Alexandra South .. | A. Gunn.. | .. | 0·24 | 4 | 0·13 on 12th
Clyde .. | J. S. Dickie .. | .. | 0·62 | 3 | 0·22 on 17th
Roxburgh .. | Dr. J. R. Gilmour | .. | 0·62 | 5 | 0·215 on 8th
Balclutha .. | J. W. Brame .. | .. | 1·84 | 6 | 0·69 on 11th
Tapanui Nursery .. | R. G. Robinson.. | .. | 1·94 | 5 | 0·74 on 18th
Waikawa Valley .. | J. H. Buckingham | .. | 4·98 | 18 | 1·86 on 11th
Toi Toi Estate, Waimahaka .. | W. R. Baird .. | .. | 3·445 | 12 | 1·39 on 11th
Centre Hill Station, Mossburn.. | R. Gray .. | .. | 2·43 | 10 | 0·84 on 12th
Dipton .. | R. D. MacLachlan | .. | 2·39 | 6 | 1·33 on 11th
Birchwood, Nightcaps .. | Mrs. R. McKenzie | .. | 4·30 | 15 | 1·91 on 11th
Nightcaps .. | James Ritchie .. | .. | 3·485 | 8 | 1·785 on 11th
Otautau .. | N. A. McLaren .. | .. | .. | .. | ..
Te Tua .. | H. A. Archdall .. | .. | 3·52 | 15 | 1·17 on 11th

(I.) ISLANDS.

Chatham Islands(a) .. | A. Shand .. | .. | 4·32 | 15 | 2·40 on 19th
Stewart Island .. | W. Traill .. | .. | 3·51 | 21 | 0·83 on 11th

Late return—
April .. .. .. .. .. | 0·82 | 15 | 0·16 on 28th

A. HAMILTON, Director.

METEOROLOGICAL REPORT FOR MAY, 1905.

With regard to the general character of its weather, May is the last month of autumn in New Zealand, and the past month was, on the whole, very mild and seasonable. Conditions were, however, widely different in the North and South Islands, the number of rainy days and the amount of the fall being greater in the North than in the South. The finer weather of the South was most favourable to threshing and chaff-cutting, potato-digging, and early sowing; while in the North the temperature was about the average, and the genial rains and warm soil promoted a vigorous growth of grass, which dispelled the worst fears of a severe winter for stock.

With the exception of occasional showers in the north and east the month opened fine, and continued so, with bright, warm, and sunny days, cool nights, and foggy mornings, until the 10th, when the air became more humid throughout the colony. After this it was generally wet in the south until over the middle of the month, when it cleared up, and continued fine until the end. Atmospheric conditions were very showery in the north at the middle of the month, and continued very wet, some places having as many as sixteen dull and rainy days in succession. On the east coast of the North Island the rains were especially heavy, and a flood in the Hawke’s Bay District was in some places as high as the record flood of 1897. The barometer was very steady in these parts, and the wind almost persistently south-east. The meteorological conditions answerable for the downpour were the meeting of cyclonic and anticyclonic winds in the neighbourhood of Hawke’s Bay. While an extensive high pressure (the anticyclone) passed slowly over the South Island, two or more centres of low pressure passed north of the Bay of Plenty. The winds move around the centres of high and low pressure in contrary directions in this country—with the hands of a watch around the low and in the opposite way around the high: warm and moist north and north-east winds rising off the sea thus encountered south and south-east descending winds, which, lowering the temperature of the former, caused a rapid condensation of their vapour. It is interesting to note that a similar condition of affairs accounted for the gale and heavy rains about Cook Strait in October last. Fortunately, on this occasion the barometric gradients were low, and so “the edge of the cyclone” produced only heavy rain. The daily weather reports for this period, 17th to 25th May inclusive, show means of barometric pressure—Thames, 29·95 in.; Napier, 30·03 in.; and Kaikoura, 30·20 in. Our returns give temperature means—Tauranga, 53°; Meeanee, 53°·9; and Kaikoura, 46°·4. Typical rainfalls in Hawke’s Bay have totals at Tutira Lake, 16·98 in.; Napier, 11·11 in.; and Meeanee, 11·41 in., for the nine days. For the better estimation of a flood more observations of the rainfall are wanted further inland, for rain is usually heavier for some distance from the sea-shore, and increases up to a height of 2,000 ft. It is generally believed that forests increase precipitation; but, however this may be, they certainly delay the flow of water to the rivers, making them run more regularly. Now so much of the back country is being cleared, floods may be expected at times, and will carry silt downwards to lower levels, where stronger banks and bridges will be necessary. The Rangitikei River was in flood on the 18th and 23rd. Inland in the North the roads were much broken up and rendered in places almost impassable to wheel traffic. About Ruatangata Nursery, owing to the humidity, more slugs and insect pests were noticed than in the past. Swarms of small flies, coming with easterly winds, were seen in Taranaki. The rainfall was below the average in Taranaki, and some butter-factories began to work every second day only at the beginning of May, a month earlier than last year. During the calm weather land and sea breezes were marked, blowing off the sea in the day and from the land at night and morning. On the land so widely burnt-off in the dry summer the newly sown grass made a wonderful start. As an evidence of the mildness of the season, wattles were flowering and willows and shrubs were budding at Waihi. On the 31st a low barometer and heavy rains indicated the approach of wintry weather.

D. C. BATES, F.R.Met.S.

Meteorological Office, Colonial Museum, Wellington, 13th June, 1905.