1838

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

[No. 48

Government Meteorological Observatory.

METEOROLOGICAL Observations at Kelburn, Wellington, for the Month of May, 1935. Observations taken at 9 a.m.

Altitude of Observatory, 415 ft.

Mean earth temperature at 1 ft., 52·8°; and at 3 ft., 56·4°. Number of rain days, 19.

DIRECTION OF WIND.

NOTE.—A rather cold month, with mean temperature 1·4° below normal. Total bright sunshine, 137·4 hours, which is 45 per cent. of the possible. There was only one day on which the sun did not shine at all. Precipitation amounted to 3·50 in., 15 per cent. below the average for May. A severe and prolonged thunderstorm was experienced on the 21st, accompanied by heavy hail and rain. A few flakes of snow fell on the 22nd. Mean dew-point at 9 a.m., 44·0°; mean vapour pressure, 0·287 in.

NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR MAY, 1935.

General.—During May there were two periods when fine and mild weather prevailed generally—namely, between the 11th and 15th and from the 25th to the 27th—but the remainder of the month was mostly cold and unsettled, with a predominance of southerly winds. Owing, however, to a particularly favourable autumn, and also to the two mild periods above referred to, there was a good growth of pasture and generally a plentiful supply of winter feed appears available; consequently stock kept in good condition, although the cold spells experienced detrimentally affected the milk-yield and there were also some small losses of sheep.

Temperatures.—Whereas in the preceding six months temperatures were above normal over the greater part of the Dominion, during May there was a definite change to wintry conditions and, except in the far North, temperatures were everywhere below normal, the largest difference being in eastern areas where they ranged between one and two degrees below.

Rainfall.—Rainfall was below the average in parts of the Auckland Province and in the east coast areas between East Cape and Otago, but over the remainder of the Dominion it was above, the excess being greatest on the west coast of the South Island and in the Wairarapa.

Sunshine.—On the other hand, sunshine was generally below normal in eastern districts and above in western, although totals did not differ from May averages. Tauranga registered 183 hours bright sunshine, Nelson 169, Blenheim 155, and New Plymouth 159 hours.

Storm Systems.—On the 1st an unusually deep depression moved on to the Dominion, its centre crossing the southern districts during the night. Pressure remained low to the eastward, however, until the 9th, while an intense anticyclone was moving very slowly across the Tasman Sea; consequently, throughout this period cold southerly winds persisted, reaching gale force in many places.

Between the 4th and 6th conditions were particularly boisterous, a southerly gale being accompanied at times by heavy hail and sleet showers. On the 5th there were heavy snowfalls on the ranges of both Islands and a considerable amount also occurred on the low country. In Taranaki as much as 2 in. fell on the flat in places where snow so early in the winter is almost unprecedented.

By the 9th the front of an anticyclone had moved on to New Zealand and then followed several days fine weather.