APRIL 23. THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1057

Government Meteorological Observatory.

METEOROLOGICAL Observations at Kelburn, Wellington, for the Month of January, 1931. Observations taken at 9 a.m.

Altitude of Observatory, 415 ft.

Mean earth temperature at 1 ft., 63·4°; and at 3 ft., 61·4°. Number of rain days, 13.

DIRECTION OF WIND.

NOTE.—A cold and unsettled month, with strong north-westerly winds prevailing. Precipitation at Karori Reservoir, near Kelburn, the greater part of which fell at night, was 15 per cent. above the mean of previous years. Total bright sunshine, 251·9 hours, 55 per cent. of the possible, and one sunless day. Lightning was seen on the 12th. Mean dewpoint 51·5°; and mean vapour pressure, 0·381 in.

SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY, 1931.

General.—Conditions as regards crops and pastures underwent a considerable improvement during January owing to the increased rainfall. Even where the total precipitation was below the average and the soils were deficient in moisture, considerable relief was brought by the general rains which accompanied several of the storms. Much of the vegetation exhibited springlike features for a second time this season. On the whole the month was very stormy and wet. There was an unusual persistence of strong north-west or westerly winds, such as are usually characteristic of the late spring months. Temperatures were below normal, especially in western districts.

Rainfall.—The month was a very wet one for most of the western districts, but particularly so on the West Coast and the high country of the South Island. In Southern Westland it was perhaps the wettest January on record. Several stations received over 40 in. Less than the normal fall was experienced in the northern part of the Auckland Peninsula, the eastern side of the Coromandel Peninsula, from the eastern portion of the Bay of Plenty down the east coast of the North Island to Hawke’s Bay and the Wairarapa, in North Canterbury, and on the Canterbury Plains. Everywhere else the rainfall was in excess of the normal, and in most places markedly so.

Temperature.—Except in the northern and east coast districts of the North Island temperatures were below the previous average. Owing to the Fohn effect, or warming of the westerly winds as they crossed the ranges, eastern districts generally were, relatively, considerably warmer than western districts. At Wellington and on the west coast of the South Island the amounts by which the mean temperatures fell below the January average have seldom been exceeded. A few frosts were experienced during the month, one on the 17th at Christchurch being the severest ever recorded in January.

Storm Systems.—As would be anticipated from the foregoing remarks, weather of the westerly type prevailed throughout the greater part of the month. There were a number of rather severe depressions and most of them were accompanied by several “secondaries.” Anti-cyclones, on the other hand, passed mainly to the north of New Zealand. Consequently, though there was much fine weather with hot and dry winds in eastern districts, in those with a westerly aspect fine spells were few and of short duration. The month was generally regarded as a very unpleasant one for the time of year.