JULY 22.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1683

Government Meteorological Observatory.

METEOROLOGICAL Observations at Kelburn, Wellington, for the Month of June, 1937. Observations taken at 9 a.m.

Altitude of Observatory, 415 ft.

Mean earth temperature at 1 ft., 47·1°; and at 3 ft., 51·0°. Number of rain days, 21. Total rainfall, 23 per cent. below normal. Sunshine, 30 per cent. of the possible. Mean dew-point at 9 a.m., 39·7°; mean vapour pressure, 0·244 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.
.. | 14 | 1 | .. | .. | 6 | 10 | 1½ | ½ | 5 | 6

NOTE.—North-west gales blew for short periods on the 3rd and 4th. A thunderstorm, which lasted for about one hour and a half, was experienced on the 4th. Light hail fell on the 4th and 26th, and on the 5th snow fell in the city and suburbs. The Orongorongos and Tararuas had a coating of snow on the 5th–6th, 18th, and 25th–26th.

NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR JUNE, 1937.

General.—June was a very cold month and, in spite of the fact that over much of the country the rainfall was below normal, it was also a damp one in most districts. Except in places especially exposed to the southerlies or south-easterlies which prevailed throughout most of the month, winds were not strong. There was, consequently, little drying, and the soil is almost everywhere saturated with moisture. Work on the land has been difficult, and a smaller area than usual has been sown in wheat. After the first few days growth of pasture practically ceased and the older material has deteriorated. Hand-feeding has been resorted to to a considerable extent, but so far there is no shortage of feed. Stock are, on the whole, doing well with the exception of hoggets, for which is has been a poor season. The milk yield has fallen away rapidly. Vegetation in general does not appear to have suffered, and in many places flowering plants have done rather well.

Rainfall.—Rainfall was much above normal in the Auckland and Coromandel Peninsulas. Parts of North Auckland had double the average and some severe flooding occurred there towards the end of the month. The average was slightly exceeded also at most places in the eastern districts of the North Island from East Cape to Cape Palliser. In the South Island the only parts to have more than average were an area round the Canterbury-Marlborough border and a strip along the south coast of Otago. There were large deficits in most of Marlborough, Nelson, Westland, the interior of South Canterbury and Otago, and in the interior of the North Island. On the west coast and in the southern interior of the South Island it was a particularly fine month with few wet days.

Temperatures were everywhere below normal, the departures ranging mainly between one and three degrees. There were many severe frosts, especially in the interior of the South Island. Snow, though not especially deep, extends to rather low levels on the ranges.

Sunshine was much above normal on the west coast of the South Island and somewhat above, also, in Nelson and Blenheim and the southern portion of the South Island. At Waipoua, on the western side of the Auckland Peninsula, more than average was recorded, doubtless owing to the absence of westerly winds. Elsewhere there was much less sunshine than usual. Blenheim had 167 hours and Nelson 161.

Pressure Systems.—At the beginning of the month a cyclonic depression was located over the western Tasman Sea, while pressure was low to the east of New Zealand. This depression moved in a south-easterly direction till it reached southern New Zealand on the 4th as a deep westerly depression. Strong northerlies preceded it, there being gales in Cook Strait on the 4th. There was general rain with many heavy falls. On the 5th came a change to cold, strong southerlies, with widespread snowfalls. Hail and thunder also occurred in many places. On the 4th a small tornado did some local damage at Uruti in Taranaki.

From this time onwards pressure was continuously high over most of Australia and particularly the south-eastern portion. As a result southerly or south-easterly winds and cold weather were equally persistent over New Zealand.

From the 6th there was, for some time, little of note. From the 7th to the 10th shallow depressions were passing to the north of New Zealand, and on the 12th a westerly depression affected the southern portion of the South Island.

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