94

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 4

Government Meteorological Observatory.

METEOROLOGICAL observations at Kelburn, Wellington, for the month of November, 1930. Observations taken at 9 a.m.

Altitude of Observatory, 415 ft.

Mean earth temperature at 1 ft., 56.8°; and at 3 ft., 55.4°. Number of rain days, 11.

DIRECTION OF WIND.

NOTE.--Of November, 1888, the mean temperature was probably very nearly identical with that of the present month, but otherwise this has been the coldest November since 1884. It was also a stormy month. Rainfall and wind were considerably above normal. Total bright sunshine, 199.4 hours, 46 per cent. of the possible, and two sunless days. Frost was recorded on the grass on the morning of the 29th. Hail fell on the 15th, 20th, and 23rd; lightning was seen on the 15th, 20th, 23rd, and 24th, and thunder was heard on the 8th, 15th, 20th, and 23rd. Mean dew-point, 45.1°; and mean vapour pressure, 0.300 in.

SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER, 1930.

General.--For the third month in succession the weather in November was the coldest, for the Dominion as a whole, experienced since the taking of records commenced. It was also very stormy, westerly or south-westerly gales being of frequent occurrence. Thunder and hail storms were rather numerous also. In consequence of the adverse conditions, the season is even more backward than at the end of October. Growth of vegetation has been very poor. All crops are in a backward state, and the prospects for the hay crop, in particular, are in most districts the reverse of bright. The cutting of ensilage has commenced in parts of the Auckland Province, where the growth of feed has been fair. Stock appear to be in fair condition generally, but there have been some losses of sheep, principally in connection with shearing.

Rainfall.--The rainfall was, generally speaking, above or below average according to whether or not the district concerned normally receives most of its rainfall in westerly weather. In the eastern portions of the Wellington Province, in Hawke's Bay, and in most of Auckland there was a considerable deficit. On the north-west side of the East Cape Peninsula, between East Cape and Opotiki, some places had an excess. South of Auckland, as far inland, about, as the Waikato River, the rainfall was, in general, considerably above the average. The same is true, also, as regards Taranaki and western Wellington, the area of heavy rainfall extending beyond the main range into the western parts of the Wairarapa. In the South Island a wet month was experienced on all the west coast and in Otago. In Canterbury and Marlborough conditions varied, some parts having more and some less than the average, the drier parts tending, on the whole, to have a deficit.

Temperature.--The mean temperature was the lowest recorded for November at Waihi, Tauranga, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Wellington, Christchurch, and Waimate. At Auckland, Napier, Nelson, and Dunedin, though the month was cold, lower temperatures have been recorded. There were no days of exceptional severity, but numbers that were very cold and none that were very warm. Several frosts occurred, those of the 24th and the 28th being the heaviest. The latter did considerable damage to small crops in the Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay. There were further falls of snow on the ranges, that of the 23rd extending to fairly low levels.