1472
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 31

Government Meteorological Observatory.

METEOROLOGICAL Observations at Kelburn, Wellington, for the Month of January, 1930. Observations taken at 9 a.m.

Altitude of Observatory, 415 ft.

Mean earth temperature at 1 ft., 63°; and at 3 ft., 61·6°. Number of rain days, 19.

DIRECTION OF WIND.

NOTE.—An unseasonable month. Temperature and sunshine were both considerably below the average, while cloudiness was much above normal. Total bright sunshine, 194·3 hours, 42 per cent. of the possible, and one sunless day. The rainfall at Karori Reservoir, near Kelburn, was 94 per cent. above the mean of previous years. Hail fell on the 5th and 9th; lightning was seen on the 15th, 22nd, and 28th, and thunder was heard on the 13th, 15th, 28th, and 30th. Mean dew-point, 52·9°; and mean vapour pressure 0·400 in.

SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY, 1930.

January was a most unseasonable month. Unsettled weather prevailed with only a few short breaks. Cloudiness and the number of wet days were much above the average, while sunshine was considerably below it. Temperatures fell below the normal for January by an unusually large amount. Rainfall was almost everywhere in large excess. The only exceptions to this rule were in parts of North Auckland, the Bay of Plenty, and Southland. The month was, in fact, the wettest January since that of 1923, which was the wettest so far recorded. At Auckland, Timaru, Geraldine, and a few other places record falls for January were experienced.

The abundant rainfall has ensured prolific growth of grass and vegetation generally. Crops are in good state, the damage done by the rain being less severe than might have been expected. There has been some tendency in Canterbury for wheat stalks to break off near the roots, the effect chiefly of an earlier dry spell. Some crops, too, will be difficult to harvest through having been beaten down. Grass, though plentiful, is rather soft. Dairy cattle are doing well, but lambs are not fattening properly. Haymaking has been everywhere retarded or prevented. Farmers converting fodder into ensilage have been more fortunate. Fruit crops are good for the most part, but with stone fruit this is not the case. A dry spell in February will be of much benefit.

Though weather of the westerly type has again been less predominant than in ordinary years, the two spells experienced were quite sufficiently vigorous samples. The first occurred during the first week of the month. The principal depression of this series was a deep V-depression which crossed New Zealand on the 4th. On that day there were widespread northerly gales. Very heavy and general rain fell on the 3rd and 4th. In the Thames Valley there was some flooding, and the Mangamahoe Dam in Taranaki was damaged by a cloud-burst. On the 5th, though there was less rain, there were some severe hailstorms in Canterbury, Marlborough, and Wellington.

The second westerly spell lasted from the 19th to the 22nd. Northerly or north-westerly gales were particularly severe. At Wellington the twenty-four hours ending at 9 a.m. on the 21st was one of the windiest ever experienced. In Canterbury, also, the high winds caused some damage. Very heavy rain fell on the ranges of the South Island during this