July 3.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2105

Government Meteorological Observatory.

METEOROLOGICAL Observations at Kelburn, Wellington, for the Month of April, 1930. Observations taken at 9 a.m. Altitude of Observatory, 415 ft.

Mean earth temperature at 1 ft., 56·1°; and at 3 ft., 59·5°. Number of rain days, 6.

DIRECTION OF WIND.

NOTE.—The greater part of April was dry and sunny. It was only on the last three days of the month that these conditions changed to dull and wet weather. The month’s rainfall at Karori Reservoir, near Kelburn, was 12 per cent. above the April average. Total bright sunshine, 182·6 hours, 55 per cent. of the possible, and two sunless days. Frosts were recorded in low-lying areas during the nights of the 23rd and 26th, but none were actually recorded at Kelburn. Fog was in evidence on six mornings. Mean dew-point, 48·9°; and mean vapour pressure, 0·345 in.

SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL, 1930.

April was remarkable for the high proportion of dry and sunny weather and the relative absence of storms. There was a prevalence of anticyclonic conditions, with southerly winds. Consequently, although the amount of sunshine was above normal, temperature was slightly below, and frosts were rather numerous, especially in the South Island.

The rain which fell did not occur in general heavy falls but was rather erratically distributed. Much of it came in the last three days of the month and was too late, in most districts, to produce much growth of pasture. Taranaki and the Manawatu districts fared well, but in parts of the remainder of the country, and especially Canterbury and Otago, March and April both having been on the whole cool and dry, there is likely to be some shortage of feed during the winter. The total rainfall was above normal in North Auckland, about East Cape, over the low-lying parts of Taranaki and Wellington, most of Marlborough, and about Nelson. In other parts it was almost everywhere below average, and in the South Island especially the deficits were large.

Throughout the month storms were almost continually developing in subtropical waters to the north of the Tasman Sea and thence eastward to beyond New Zealand. The majority of these failed to affect the Dominion directly to any great extent, though they assisted in the production of the prevailing high pressure and southerly and south-easterly winds. Though causing fine weather over most of the Dominion, the latter were responsible for unpleasant and showery weather in North Auckland and north of Napier.

There was remarkably little wind in most places during the month, and such gales as occurred were shortlived.

Snow fell on the highlands of the South Island on the 9th and 10th and the 29th and 30th, but the amounts were not large, and the mountains are unusually free from snow.

There were only three periods when rain was at all widespread. The first was from the 8th to the 11th. Between these dates all parts of the country received rain, and the total registrations were heavy at many places. The rain was due to a cyclone which appeared near Tasmania on the 5th. Pressure was high to the east of New Zealand, and the storm centre, moving slowly eastward, gradually lost intensity. It crossed the Dominion on the 8th, producing only light to moderate rains. On the 9th, however, a secondary developed west of the South Island and moved across northern Otago. The rain became more general and there were many heavy falls, especially in the South Island. Some violent thunderstorms were reported. Exceptionally heavy rain fell on the 9th in the Motueka and Moutere districts and as far inland as Tapawera.