2346 THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. [No. 61

Government Meteorological Observatory.

METEOROLOGICAL Observations at Kelburn, Wellington, for the Month of July, 1933. Observations taken at 9 a.m.

Altitude of Observatory, 415 ft.

Mean earth temperature at 1 ft., 46.4°; and at 3 ft., 49.0°. Number of rain days, 14.

DIRECTION OF WIND.

NOTE.—A remarkably good winter month until the 23rd, when cold southerlies set in. Mean temperature 0.9° below normal. Total bright sunshine, 119.4 hours, which is 45 per cent. of the possible. There were six sunless days. Rainfall amounted to 4.32 in., being 11 per cent. below the average for July. Snow fell on the Orongorongos on the 26th and again on the 28th, and the Tararuas were a magnificent sight on the latter date. There were five frosts during the month, but none was severe. Mean dew-point at 9 a.m., 40.2°; mean vapour pressure, 0.248 in.

NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR JULY, 1933.

General.—The weather in July showed some remarkable contrasts both in character and location. In most parts of the country, however, in the period up till about the 23rd, with the exception of a cold break from the 7th to the 10th, many days were mild for the season of the year, and there was evidence of this in the early blooming of spring plants and an appreciable growth in pasture. During the remainder of the month, on the other hand, conditions were cold owing to persistent and, at times, strong southerly winds prevailing. Accounts received indicate that in most localities grass was relatively plentiful, although in some it was necessary to resort to supplementary feeding, and on the whole stock kept in good condition. In the South Island the weather was favourable to all farming pursuits, so that winter sowing of wheat and oat crops appears to have been above the average.

Temperatures.—Temperatures did not vary greatly from the average, the difference being mainly a negative one, but at a few places about Cook Strait and on the east coast of the South Island it was slightly above. Although frosts were frequent in the South Island they were not unusually severe.

Rainfall.—Rainfall over the whole of the South Island and in parts of the Taranaki Bight and central area of the North Island was below the average, while in the remainder of the North Island it was above. The largest differences above occurred in the North Auckland district where, in places, it was more than double and the highest July fall ever experienced. The greatest deficiency was experienced in the western and southern areas of the South Island.

Sunshine.—In the western and southern districts of the South Island, as might be expected from the low rainfall recorded there, the month was a fairly sunny one. Canterbury and Marlborough in the South Island had slightly less than their average amount of sunshine, but most of the North Island, with the exception of the area about Cook Strait, experienced a deficiency, although the difference was nowhere a great one. Hokitika had 170 hours, Nelson 174, and Blenheim 143 hours' sunshine.

Storm Systems.—In contrast to the preceding month, July was remarkably free from severe widespread storms, although frequent depressions passing over or in close proximity to the Dominion caused disturbed conditions in different districts according to their exposure to the winds associated with these various low-pressure systems.

The last of the series of deep westerly depressions which had affected New Zealand during the latter part of the preceding month passed eastwards on the 1st. Strong south-west winds prevailed on this day, a severe gale from that quarter blowing along the east coast of the South Island in the afternoon and evening. By the morning of the 2nd, however, the southerlies had decreased in force and a decided improvement in the weather set in.

On the 5th a cyclone, which had been moving slowly across the Tasman Sea, had reached northern New Zealand and the weather rapidly clouded over. This disturbance brought almost general rains, except in Westland, between the 6th and 8th, heavy falls and some flooding occurring at places in the northern and eastern areas of the North Island. It passed away off East Cape during the night of the 7th, but a series of slight secondaries continued to move north of New Zealand, and the easterly winds associated with these brought intermittent rains to the northern and east coast districts of the North Island until the 10th, while the remainder of the Dominion was experiencing fine weather under the influence of an anticyclone.