APRIL 21.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 801

Government Meteorological Observatory.

METEOROLOGICAL Observations at Kelburn, Wellington, for the Month of February, 1932. Observations taken at 9 a.m.

Altitude of Observatory, 415 ft.

Mean earth temperature at 1 ft., 63·0°; and at 3 ft., 61·8°. Number of rain days, 13.

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.
.. | 10 | 1 | 4½ | ½ | 3½ | 8½ | 4 | .. | .. | 7

NOTE.—On the whole a cool and cloudy month with precipitation 151 per cent. above the average. Total bright sunshine 151·5 hours, 39 per cent. of the possible, and nine sunless days. Lightning was seen on the 1st, 5th, and 15th, and fog was in evidence on the 19th. Mean dew-point at 9 hours, 53·5°; and mean vapour pressure, 0·410 in.

SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, 1932.

General.—The weather of February was remarkable for the complete break in the drought which had prevailed in many districts during the preceding months. At the end of the first week, owing to a prolonged period of deficient rainfall, the situation was critical in parts of Hawke’s Bay, Poverty Bay, and Canterbury, and only less serious in the Wairarapa, the Manawatu, and the Marlborough districts. But the Dominion once more showed the excellence and reliability of its climate when, during the following fortnight, two spells of heavy rain occurred. In the first the area principally affected was in the eastern portion of the North Island from Cook Strait to East Cape. Where there had been drought in that area it was fully relieved, the falls being particularly heavy from Hawke’s Bay northwards. The second rainy spell was between the 17th and 22nd. On this occasion the whole country benefited, heavy falls being practically universal. The drought was now broken in Canterbury, Marlborough, and the Manawatu, and the whole aspect of the season was changed.

The rain was too late to save wheat crops, or even to fill out the grain. On the other hand, it did some damage to standing and stocked crops. Some turnip crops also had to be resown, and in places grass-seed which had germinated had already been killed by the drought. But abundance of winter feed is now assured, and there has been a vigorous growth of grass. Stock are in good condition, and milk yields have improved again.

Rainfall.—The amount of rain for the Dominion as a whole was very heavy, and must have approximated 50 per cent. above the average. In eastern districts between Oamaru and Timaru, from Wellington to East Cape, and about Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula many stations recorded more than double the average for February, and some three or four times that amount. Nevertheless, parts of the Auckland Peninsula, most of Taranaki, and parts of Southland and of the interior of Otago had less than normal.

Temperatures.—In most places temperatures were below the normal for February, but in the interior the departures were seldom marked, and some inland parts of the North Island were warmer than usual.

Sunshine.—The amount of bright sunshine was much below average. Indeed, in many places, it was the cloudiest February on record.

Pressure Systems.—At the beginning of the month there was a continuance of the series of westerly depressions which had been passing rapidly across the Dominion. On the 7th, however, a tropical cyclone developed in the neighbourhood of Fiji. Moving southwards during the next few days, it became very deep and extensive. This storm controlled the weather in New Zealand until the 15th. Rain commenced on the 7th or 8th, and from then on until the end of the period most of the North Island, except Taranaki and western Wellington, received good rains, with many heavy falls. The heaviest were