FEB. 27.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 355

Government Meteorological Observatory.

METEOROLOGICAL Observations at Kelburn, Wellington, for the Month of January, 1936. Observations taken at
355
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). | Bright Sunshine: Hours and Tenths. Weather (Symbols) at |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| At 9 a.m. | In Screen. | Beaufort Scale. | Direction. | Force. | Run in 24 Hours. | Points. | Hours | Weather (Symbols) |
| Dry. | Wet. | Humidity. | Maximum. | Minimum. | Minimum on Grass. | Direction. | Force. | Run in 24 Hours. | Points. | Hours | Weather (Symbols) |
| 1 | 30⋅192 | 60⋅0 | 54⋅8 | 70 | 64⋅2 | 50⋅7 | 44⋅8 | SSE | 4 | 157 | .. | 11⋅3 | bc |
| 2 | 30⋅208 | 63⋅4 | 55⋅3 | 57 | 68⋅9 | 46⋅9 | 44⋅1 | N | 2 | 181 | .. | 12⋅0 | b |
| 3 | 30⋅200 | 61⋅0 | 56⋅0 | 71 | 63⋅7 | 55⋅1 | 52⋅6 | SE | 3 | 180 | .. | 8⋅4 | o |
| 4 | 30⋅194 | 62⋅4 | 55⋅0 | 58 | 64⋅7 | 52⋅9 | 49⋅0 | SE | 2 | 166 | .. | 9⋅5 | b |
| 5 | 30⋅082 | 64⋅2 | 57⋅5 | 64 | 65⋅3 | 53⋅3 | 48⋅7 | SE | 2 | 119 | Trace | 4⋅3 | c |
| 6 | 29⋅774 | 61⋅5 | 57⋅7 | 78 | 66⋅3 | 55⋅0 | 52⋅2 | E | 1 | 71 | Trace | 2⋅6 | og |
| 7 | 29⋅876 | 63⋅2 | 54⋅8 | 55 | 69⋅0 | 54⋅2 | 52⋅1 | E | 4 | 114 | .. | 10⋅1 | b |
| 8 | 29⋅914 | 67⋅2 | 58⋅8 | 58 | 73⋅2 | 54⋅1 | 47⋅0 | E | 2 | 112 | 116 | 6⋅3 | c |
| 9 | 29⋅783 | 62⋅4 | 61⋅3 | 93 | 70⋅3 | 56⋅4 | 56⋅1 | NNW | 3 | 64 | 2 | 4⋅6 | o |
| 10 | 29⋅865 | 63⋅0 | 60⋅0 | 83 | 67⋅0 | 55⋅2 | 52⋅2 | SSE | 2 | 170 | .. | 9⋅6 | o |
| 11 | 29⋅919 | 64⋅0 | 61⋅0 | 83 | 68⋅9 | 54⋅5 | 49⋅1 | NNW | 2 | 104 | .. | 7⋅7 | o |
| 12 | 29⋅883 | 63⋅0 | 59⋅4 | 80 | 65⋅8 | 58⋅3 | 56⋅0 | NNW | 3 | 212 | .. | 0⋅4 | o |
| 13 | 29⋅766 | 64⋅7 | 61⋅6 | 83 | 71⋅3 | 59⋅4 | 58⋅2 | NNW | 2 | 205 | 59 | 0⋅0 | o |
| 14 | 29⋅641 | 57⋅9 | 57⋅8 | 99 | 58⋅7 | 56⋅1 | 55⋅8 | SSE | 2 | 129 | 65 | 0⋅0 | od |
| 15 | 29⋅599 | 58⋅7 | 56⋅7 | 92 | 67⋅1 | 55⋅7 | 55⋅7 | SSE | 3 | 237 | Trace | 7⋅8 | omdp |
| 16 | 29⋅637 | 63⋅1 | 56⋅9 | 66 | 65⋅8 | 57⋅0 | 55⋅0 | NW | 6 | 196 | 1 | 11⋅4 | bq |
| 17 | 29⋅452 | 61⋅0 | 60⋅4 | 96 | 68⋅0 | 58⋅1 | 56⋅0 | NW | 8 | 518 | 75 | 3⋅2 | od |
| 18 | 29⋅530 | 62⋅8 | 57⋅0 | 68 | 67⋅1 | 56⋅3 | 55⋅0 | NW | 3 | 442 | .. | 8⋅5 | o |
| 19 | 29⋅794 | 63⋅7 | 53⋅0 | 45 | 67⋅2 | 49⋅1 | 41⋅1 | N | 2 | 231 | .. | 14⋅1 | b |
| 20 | 30⋅084 | 66⋅6 | 59⋅3 | 63 | 70⋅6 | 55⋅4 | 48⋅0 | SSE | 1 | 138 | .. | 12⋅5 | b |
| 21 | 30⋅187 | 68⋅3 | 60⋅4 | 61 | 73⋅0 | 53⋅8 | 46⋅6 | E | 1 | 65 | .. | 13⋅0 | bz |
| 22 | 30⋅231 | 65⋅2 | 58⋅3 | 64 | 66⋅7 | 60⋅0 | 56⋅8 | E | 3 | 62 | 12 | 0⋅0 | o |
| 23 | 30⋅021 | 61⋅1 | 58⋅4 | 84 | 63⋅6 | 55⋅6 | 54⋅5 | SE | 2 | 131 | Trace | 0⋅0 | o |
| 24 | 29⋅888 | 62⋅2 | 57⋅0 | 71 | 63⋅8 | 57⋅3 | 56⋅0 | SE | 4 | 182 | Trace | 4⋅3 | c |
| 25 | 29⋅884 | 63⋅8 | 57⋅5 | 66 | 70⋅0 | 52⋅4 | 47⋅2 | SE | 2 | 147 | .. | 11⋅0 | b |
| 26 | 29⋅731 | 69⋅4 | 62⋅7 | 67 | 75⋅0 | 56⋅2 | 53⋅0 | NNW | 3 | 101 | .. | 11⋅7 | b |
| 27 | 29⋅769 | 67⋅2 | 62⋅0 | 73 | 69⋅9 | 54⋅2 | 51⋅1 | NW | 2 | 116 | .. | 11⋅6 | bc |
| 28 | 29⋅865 | 60⋅8 | 58⋅8 | 88 | 76⋅0 | 57⋅0 | 52⋅9 | SSE | 1 | 149 | .. | 8⋅9 | o |
| 29 | 29⋅837 | 67⋅0 | 62⋅3 | 76 | 71⋅3 | 59⋅7 | 57⋅3 | NW | 4 | 188 | .. | 10⋅0 | bc |
| 30 | 29⋅819 | 63⋅5 | 60⋅7 | 84 | 70⋅3 | 61⋅0 | 59⋅0 | NW | 5 | 543 | 4 | 7⋅5 | ogq |
| 31 | 29⋅821 | 67⋅8 | 62⋅2 | 72 | 72⋅0 | 60⋅0 | 58⋅9 | NW | 3 | 356 | .. | 11⋅3 | b |

Means, &c. .. 29⋅885 63⋅6 58⋅5 73 68⋅2 55⋅5 52⋅3 .. 2⋅8 186⋅6 334 233⋅6 ..

Mean earth temperature at 1 ft., 65⋅9°; and at 3 ft., 63⋅7°. Number of rain days, 8.

DIRECTION OF WIND.

Gale (force Forces
8 or more). 4 to 7. N. N.E. E. S.E. S. S.W. W. N.W. Calm.
1 6 4½ .. 5 9 3 .. .. 9½ ..

NOTE.—A good summer month, with approximate mean temperature slightly above normal. Total bright sunshine was five hours above average and 52 per cent. of the possible. Rainfall was 15 per cent. above normal, and the number of rain days was three less than the average. Except for two gales from the north-west, the month was without incident. Mean dew-point at 9 a.m., 54⋅4°; mean vapour pressure, 0⋅422 in.

NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR JANUARY, 1936.

General.—In the North Island January was a very wet month. Most places in the Auckland and Hawke's Bay Provinces, indeed, had two to three times the average rainfall. In consequence, there has been unusual growth of grass, pastures are very green, and feed abundant. Stock generally are in very good condition, and the milk yield is high. The weather was, however, too wet for satisfactory haymaking, and much cut hay was lost. The pasture is too green, also, for lambs to fatten very well. Fruit crops, especially stone fruit and tomatoes, suffered considerably from the excessive moisture.

In the South Island conditions were very different, rainfall being much below normal in most districts. On the other hand, there was very little westerly wind and consequently an absence of dry and sunny weather. Feed generally is plentiful, though in some parts fresh green pasture is lacking. Again, though stock are mostly in good condition, lambs are not fattening as well as usual. Wheat crops promise to be heavy.

In the country as a whole the season is a backward one, fruit and crops maturing as much as three weeks later than usual.

Rainfall.—The great excess of rainfall in the North Island has already been mentioned. In the South Island there was an average deficit of about 50 per cent. In Nelson and Marlborough the falls approached the average, and Oamaru and Invercargill, also, had good rains. North Canterbury and the west coast had a particularly dry month.

Temperatures.—Though the departures were nowhere very large, temperatures were generally above normal, especially in the interior and on the west coast.

Sunshine.—Sunshine was considerably above normal in the interior of the South Island at Lake Tekapo and Alexandra, and on the west coast at New Plymouth and Hokitika, but in most other places was below it. Hawke's Bay and Canterbury had unusually low values.

Pressure and Storm Systems.—For the first five days of the month an anti-cyclone covered New Zealand and the weather was fine. Between the 6th and the 8th, though pressure remained high to the east, a series of shallow depressions moved on to the Dominion. North-easterly gales and heavy rain occurred in the north, North Auckland experiencing some flooding. Good rains were recorded over most of the North Island, but in the South they were lighter.

Between the 11th and the 17th, a somewhat similar series of depressions made their appearance. General rains were again recorded. A north-easterly gale was experienced in the Auckland Province on the night of the 14th to 15th, and floods occurred in North Auckland and the Bay of Plenty. On the 17th there were northerly or north-westerly gales at many places.

The third series of depressions, which were again only shallow, arrived on the 22nd to 23rd. Once more there was flooding in North Auckland, though elsewhere the rain was generally light. Finally, on the 29th to 30th, northerly gales occurred about and south of Cook Strait in connection with a westerly disturbance, though there was little rain.

Thunderstorms were fairly frequent during the month.

EDWARD KIDSON, Director.