Aug. 3.

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

Government Meteorological Observatory.

METEOROLOGICAL Observations at Kelburn, Wellington, for the Month of May, 1933. 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. | In Screen. | At 9 a.m. | Humidity. | Maximum. | Minimum. | Minimum on Grass. | Solar Radiation: Maximum. | Wind. | Beaufort Scale. | Anemometer. | Direction. | Force. | Run in 24 Hours. | Rainfall, in Points (100 points = 1 Inch). | Bright Sunshine: Hours and Tenths. | Weather (Symbols) at 9 a.m. |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dry. | Wet. | Dry. | Dry. |
| 1 | 30·024 | 54·3 | 54·1 | 99 | 56·8 | 53·0 | 52·3 | 85·5 | NW | 5 | 383 | 41 | 0·0 | or |
| 2 | 30·151 | 55·4 | 51·5 | 75 | 60·0 | 46·2 | 37·2 | 106·0 | Calm | .. | 274 | .. | 7·9 | bw |
| 3 | 29·980 | 51·1 | 47·9 | 78 | 58·3 | 47·0 | 40·4 | 93·0 | N | 2 | 118 | 42 | 0·0 | o |
| 4 | 29·614 | 56·0 | 50·1 | 64 | 60·0 | 49·3 | 46·3 | 105·0 | NW | 5 | 327 | 96 | 9·4 | b |
| 5 | 29·274 | 48·2 | 47·3 | 93 | 55·4 | 46·8 | 46·3 | 103·1 | NNW | 5 | 375 | 83 | 1·8 | cpt |
| 6 | 29·498 | 45·0 | 44·0 | 92 | 56·5 | 43·0 | 42·1 | 102·4 | S | 4 | 142 | 1 | 4·8 | or |
| 7 | 29·260 | 56·4 | 52·2 | 74 | 59·1 | 44·1 | 43·6 | 108·9 | NNW | 5 | 343 | .. | 8·3 | bq |
| 8 | 29·319 | 49·0 | 43·1 | 58 | 57·6 | 39·0 | 30·1 | 108·2 | Calm | .. | 156 | 7 | 7·2 | c |
| 9 | 29·467 | 48·0 | 44·1 | 71 | 53·0 | 40·0 | 35·9 | 100·2 | SSW | 4 | 145 | 1 | 7·4 | c |
| 10 | 29·489 | 47·4 | 41·6 | 56 | 50·2 | 45·0 | 42·0 | 93·0 | S | 5 | 203 | .. | 0·5 | or |
| 11 | 29·718 | 50·2 | 43·1 | 50 | 56·0 | 44·7 | 41·0 | 104·0 | SW | 2 | 277 | 1 | 7·4 | bc |
| 12 | 29·851 | 48·0 | 44·2 | 72 | 50·8 | 39·3 | 33·8 | 98·1 | SW | 1 | 70 | .. | 8·3 | b |
| 13 | 30·058 | 50·1 | 46·2 | 73 | 59·3 | 39·5 | 30·2 | 103·4 | Calm | .. | 61 | .. | 8·3 | bf |
| 14 | 30·061 | 53·9 | 49·6 | 72 | 58·3 | 48·0 | 44·0 | 99·0 | N | 4 | 182 | .. | 1·7 | o |
| 15 | 30·142 | 58·0 | 56·0 | 88 | 62·4 | 53·2 | 51·1 | 113·0 | NW | 4 | 256 | 1 | 3·4 | o |
| 16 | 29·997 | 57·5 | 57·2 | 98 | 60·0 | 56·0 | 54·0 | 98·9 | NW | 7 | 561 | .. | 1·5 | o |
| 17 | 29·962 | 55·2 | 52·9 | 85 | 59·3 | 52·9 | 50·1 | 104·0 | NW | 6 | 439 | .. | 8·1 | bcq |
| 18 | 30·350 | 49·2 | 46·3 | 79 | 57·7 | 43·0 | 33·9 | 100·8 | Calm | .. | 196 | .. | 8·9 | bm |
| 19 | 30·360 | 51·0 | 49·0 | 86 | 53·0 | 45·2 | 36·1 | 86·1 | SE | 3 | 136 | .. | 1·0 | o |
| 20 | 30·419 | 46·0 | 43·1 | 78 | 57·8 | 36·8 | 28·2 | 101·9 | Calm | .. | 115 | .. | 8·8 | b |
| 21 | 30·370 | 48·0 | 45·5 | 82 | 53·2 | 43·1 | 33·7 | 96·1 | Calm | .. | 80 | .. | 8·3 | bw |
| 22 | 30·169 | 50·5 | 47·8 | 81 | 58·0 | 43·0 | 36·3 | 98·0 | NNE | 1 | 39 | 9 | 1·1 | o |
| 23 | 29·891 | 56·3 | 55·9 | 97 | 59·1 | 49·5 | 49·9 | 81·0 | N | 2 | 136 | 1 | 0·1 | ou |
| 24 | 29·857 | 56·7 | 56·0 | 96 | 57·0 | 54·0 | 53·0 | 73·9 | S | 1 | 135 | .. | 0·0 | o |
| 25 | 29·905 | 51·0 | 50·1 | 94 | 57·3 | 47·0 | 44·1 | 93·1 | Calm | .. | 157 | .. | 0·8 | of |
| 26 | 29·837 | 46·9 | 46·0 | 93 | 48·0 | 46·0 | 45·6 | 60·0 | SSE | 6 | 192 | 38 | 0·0 | o |
| 27 | 29·834 | 45·0 | 44·7 | 98 | 47·8 | 43·3 | 43·0 | 58·3 | SE | 6 | 479 | 17 | 0·0 | opq |
| 28 | 29·783 | 47·4 | 47·0 | 97 | 50·6 | 43·5 | 43·3 | 63·2 | SSE | 4 | 367 | 116 | 0·0 | or |
| 29 | 29·386 | 50·6 | 50·1 | 97 | 50·6 | 46·7 | 46·5 | 69·0 | SSE | 5 | 195 | 19 | 0·0 | or |
| 30 | 29·595 | 47·3 | 44·8 | 81 | 49·0 | 45·3 | 44·2 | 62·0 | NE | 1 | 184 | 11 | 0·0 | og |
| 31 | 29·896 | 44·3 | 40·5 | 69 | 55·0 | 41·0 | 35·0 | 57·0 | Calm | .. | 109 | 100 | 0·0 | o |
| Means, &c. | 29·855 | 51·1 | 48·1 | 81 | 55·7 | 45·6 | 41·7 | 91·2 | .. | 2·8 | 220 | 584 | 115·0 | .. |

Mean earth temperature at 1 ft., 51·9°; and at 3 ft., 54·9°. Number of rain days, 17.

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.
.. | 15 | 8 | 4½ | 1½ | .. | 3½ | 5 | 2½ | .. | 6

NOTE.-A cold, wet, and dismal month, with temperatures below the mean of previous years. Precipitation was 47 per cent. above the normal. Total bright sunshine, 115 hours, 38 per cent. of the possible, and nine sunless days. A thunderstorm occurred in the early hours of the morning of the 5th. Hail fell on the 5th and 11th, and lightning was seen on three days. Frost was recorded on the grass on three mornings, and fog was in evidence on six days. Mean dew-point at 9 a.m., 44·8°; and mean vapour pressure, 0·296 in.

NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR MAY, 1933.

General.—May is a month whose characteristics vary widely from year to year, but, on the whole, it is a rather stormy period in which a rapid transition from the autumn to the winter type of weather takes place. This year the month was dull and wet. The first part was cold and rather stormy, while in the last ten or eleven days almost continuously overcast weather prevailed with fairly mild temperatures and frequent rains. The cloudy skies prevented the occurrence of many frosts, so that pastures everywhere showed some growth. This will be particularly welcome in Canterbury, although it is too late in the year for substantial quantities of winter feed to be produced. The soaking of the ground will also facilitate farming operations. In portions of South Canterbury, however, the soil is still very dry. Stock are reported generally to be in good condition, particularly sheep. For cattle, the rather raw and sunless conditions were not quite so favourable. Feed is abundant almost everywhere in the North Island.

Rainfall.—The average rainfall for May was much exceeded over almost the whole of the North Island. Taranaki had at least half as much again as the average, while Hawke’s Bay and Poverty Bay had almost double. A few places in the eastern portion of the Bay of Plenty and the extreme north of the Auckland Peninsula recorded less than the average. In the South Island conditions were more variable, totals in excess of the normal predominated considerably, but about Tasman and Golden Bays, in the interior of Marlborough, in South Canterbury and North Otago, many places reported a shortage. In most of southern Otago and Southland the excesses were large.

Temperatures.—In the Auckland Province west of the main range and in the interior of Otago temperatures were somewhat above normal, but elsewhere they were below. Most of the first half of the month was cold owing to the persistent south-westerly winds. In the latter half, also, owing to the absence of sunshine, the mean temperature was on the cool side. There were no extremes, however, and conditions were mild enough to allow of some growth of vegetation. The mountains received heavy coatings of snow in the early part of the month, but much of it had disappeared by the end. Comparatively few frosts occurred.

Sunshine.—Owing to the very dull conditions prevailing from the 20th onwards there were very few places which recorded the average amount of sunshine for May. New Plymouth with a May average of 159·8 hours, for example, recorded only 99·8, while Timaru with an average of 148·9 hours recorded only 93·1. Blenheim with 157·1 hours had the highest total.

B