984
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 35

Government Meteorological Observatory.

METEOROLOGICAL Observations at Kelburn, Wellington, for the Month of April, 1936. Observations taken at 9 a.m.

Altitude of Observatory, 415 ft.

Mean earth temperature at 1 ft., 58·8°; and at 3 ft., 59·8°. Number of rain days, 12. Total rainfall, 9 per cent. below normal. Sunshine, 44 per cent. of the possible. Mean dew-point at 9 a.m., 52·5°; mean vapour pressure, 0·394 in.

DIRECTION OF WIND.

Gale (force 8 or more). Forces 4 to 7. N. N.E. E. S.E. S. S.W. W. N.W. Calm.
.. | 10 | 5 | ½ | 1 | 1½ | 1½ | 1 | .. | 11½ | 8

NOTE.—A rather warm month. There was brief thunder on the night of the 20th, a north-west gale on the 22nd, and occasional hail on the morning of the 30th.

NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR APRIL, 1936.

General.—For the first eighteen days the weather in April was warm with an absence of wind, and, except in western and southern portions of the South Island, there was very little rain. In consequence stock and vegetation thrived. At the end of the month there was abundance of feed available. During the first part pastures hardened considerably in most districts, and for the first time this year lambs began to fatten well. Cold, wet, and stormy weather after the 18th, however, caused a set-back. The milk yield was well maintained for the time of year, but is now falling off.

Rainfall.—The rainfall distribution was irregular. On the west coast of the South Island it was below normal, while in coastal areas between Kawhia and Foxton it was mainly above. In other districts there was much variation, some stations having more and some less than the average. The latter were somewhat the more numerous.

Temperatures.—Temperatures were considerably above normal in all districts, the departures being generally in the neighbourhood of 1·5° F. There were few frosts and none severe. Snow is rather unusually thick and low on the mountains for the time of year.

Sunshine.—As regards sunshine, the reports to hand indicate rather variable conditions. In the North Island, Napier with 208·2 hours had a sunny month, as also did Tauranga. At New Plymouth and Wellington there was rather less than the average. In the South Island, Marlborough totals exceeded the average, but elsewhere the month was a cloudy one. This was particularly the case in eastern districts, where there was a prevalence of low cloud, and a number of fogs were experienced.

Pressure Systems.—Until the 18th pressure was generally high over the Dominion, and although a number of shallow depressions passed they were responsible for little rain except on the west coast of the South Island. The most active one passed on the night of the 2nd. It caused fairly widespread rain, with some heavy falls in Westland, Southern Otago, and Southland.

On the 18th a depression moved down from the north and, crossing the Auckland Peninsula, developed a small but rather deep centre north of the Bay of Plenty on the 19th. Gales blew round the centre, but elsewhere the winds were not strong. This storm continued to move southwards, and when east of the South Island it was reinforced by a series of westerly depressions which advanced across the South Tasman Sea. Pressure continued to fall until the 23rd, on which day there were north-westerly gales from Cook Strait southwards, some damage being done in Canterbury. From the 19th to the 25th most places had rain every day and there were many heavy falls, especially on the 22nd and 23rd. As the last of the series of depressions passed on the 24th and 25th a cold snap occurred, and there were many hailstorms. Thunderstorms, also, were rather numerous during this period, and three small tornadoes were recorded, one at Tauranga and two in North Taranaki.