New Zealand Gazette – 1931 – No. 61

Page 2329

✨ Meteorological Observations



Aug. 20.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2329

Government Meteorological Observatory.

M ETEOROLOGICAL Observations at Kelburn, Wellington, for the Month of May, 1931. Observations taken at 9 a.m.
Altitude of Observatory, 415 ft.

Date. Pressure, In Inches, at Sea-level and Standard Gravity. Temperature (° F.) from Observations at 9 a.m. Wind. Rainfall, in Points : (100 Points = 1 Inch). Hours Bright Sunshine : and Tenths. Weather (Symbols) at g a.m.
At 9 a.m. Maximum. Minimum. In Screen. Beaufort Scale. Anemo-meter. Direction.
Dry. Wet. Humidity. Dry. Dry. Minimum on Grass. Solar Radiation: Maximum.
1 .. .. 30·153 45·4 40·1 59
2 .. .. 30·482 49·4 44·0 61
3 .. .. 30·376 51·8 48·7 78
4 .. .. 30·214 51·3 49·9 90
5 .. .. 30·033 51·1 50·0 92
6 .. .. 30·159 51·4 50·1 91
7 .. .. 30·161 49·2 46·5 80
8 .. .. 30·210 46·2 40·0 53
9 .. .. 30·258 46·4 42·8 72
10 .. .. 30·322 49·0 46·9 84
11 .. .. 30·339 52·1 49·0 78
12 .. .. 30·462 53·9 50·9 80
13 .. .. 30·468 52·6 50·1 83
14 .. .. 30·458 53·9 50·6 78
15 .. .. 30·556 53·0 49·7 78
16 .. .. 30·601 54·7 50·6 73
17 .. .. 30·468 56·1 51·5 71
18 .. .. 30·273 56·0 54·8 92
19 .. .. 29·929 56·5 56·0 97
20 .. .. 29·804 55·1 51·7 78
21 .. .. 29·580 54·2 46·3 50
22 .. .. 30·381 41·3 40·8 96
23 .. .. 30·356 45·0 43·0 84
24 .. .. 30·193 51·5 47·6 74
25 .. .. 29·854 55·0 54·7 98
26 .. .. 29·996 47·5 46·0 89
27 .. .. 29·812 52·0 47·9 72
28 .. .. 29·979 43·4 39·9 71
29 .. .. 30·245 44·6 40·3 66
30 .. .. 29·851 49·8 48·3 90
31 .. .. 29·851 54·2 46·9 53
Means, &c. .. 30·188 50·8 47·6 78 55·0

Mean earth temperature at 1 ft., 52·2° ; and at 3 ft., 54·6°. Number of rain days, 16.

DIRECTION OF WIND.

Gale (force 8 or more). | Forces 4 to 7. | Calm. | N. | N.E. | E. | S.E. | S. | S.W. | W. | N.W.
.. | 20 | 1 | 5½ | 1½ | ½ | 6½ | 1½ | .. | 2½ | 12

NOTE.—A pleasant autumn month, with mean temperature 1·3 degrees below normal. Total bright sunshine, 139·1 hours, 45 per cent. of the possible, and two sunless days. Rainfall was 36 per cent. below the average. Mean dewpoint, 44·0°; and mean vapour pressure, 0·287 in.

SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MAY, 1931.

The chief characteristics of the weather for May were low rainfall and cool temperatures. But though temperatures were below normal, the departures were not so marked as in the summer months. On this occasion it was in the North that conditions were, relatively, the more severe. Fortunately, most of the rain which fell was fairly warm, so that pastures benefited considerably. Feed is rather scarce in parts of South Canterbury and Otago, but in almost all other districts supplies are ample, and stock are reported to be in good condition.

Rainfall.—The total rainfall was about equal to the average in the western districts from Westland southwards and in Stewart Island. In all other districts it was below the average. In most, indeed, it amounted only to about half the normal for May. Except in eastern and northern districts little rain fell before the 18th.

Temperatures.—In the northern and east coast portions of the North Island mean temperatures were considerably below the average, but further southwards the normal was gradually approached and finally passed. In Westland and Canterbury conditions were about average, while in Otago temperatures were well above the May normal. Frosts were fairly numerous.

Winds.—The month was a rather windy one, strong winds being experienced from both northerly and southerly directions. These were compensated for by numbers of brilliant days with light winds.

Sunshine was above the average.

Pressure Systems.—For a large part of the month the weather was controlled by anticyclones of considerable intensity, and the average pressure was very high. The principal periods of anticyclonic weather were from the 1st to the 3rd and from the 9th to the 17th.

On the 1st southerly gales were blowing in the rear of a cyclone which had crossed the Dominion during the previous night.

Between the 5th and the 9th a cyclonic depression passed between Norfolk Island and the mainland, and then moved south-eastwards. Strong southerly winds blew after the centre was to the east of the Dominion, many places experiencing gales on the 8th. The southerlies brought low temperatures, and snow fell on the ranges in the South Island. There were heavy rains in parts of the Auckland Peninsula between the 5th and the 7th.



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