246
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 5

Government Meteorological Observatory.

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

Altitude of Observatory, 415 ft.

Mean earth temperature at 1 ft., 62·2°; and at 3 ft., 60·5°. Number of rain days, 13. Total rainfall, 51 per cent. above normal. Sunshine, 47 per cent. of the possible. Mean dew-point at 9 a.m., 50·2°; mean vapour pressure, 0·362 in.

DIRECTION OF WIND.

NOTE.—Gales were experienced on the 1st and 23rd, the former being very cold and squally. Light hail fell on the afternoon and early morning of the 17th and 18th respectively.

NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR DECEMBER, 1936.

General.—During the first half of December the weather was, for the most part, fair to fine over the Dominion with little rain, and in most of the North Island these conditions continued throughout the third week. Over the North Island during this period dry westerly or south-westerly winds predominated. Southland and parts of Otago also experienced, on the whole, dry and sunny weather. In the remainder of the South Island, however, it was more cloudy and humid. The last week to ten days was everywhere very wet. In the first part of the month much hay was gathered, particularly in the North Island, and shearing was well advanced. Towards the latter end both shearing and work on the land were held up, and in the North some cut hay was lost. There is abundance of pasture everywhere, in many places, indeed, a superfluity. Stock are reported to be in very good condition, but the feed is rather soft and in some places lambs are not fattening well. The milk yield has been well maintained. Wheat crops, till the end of the month, were in good condition, but fruit crops generally only fair. Unless dry weather sets in soon some adverse effects may be expected from the heavy rain at the end of the month. In many respects the season, so far as vegetation is concerned, is a late one.

Rainfall.—In spite of the fact that the weather was fine during the greater part of the month, the total rainfall was much above normal over the North Island. Many places in eastern and northern districts had more than double the average. In the South Island, conditions were variable and departures from normal not usually very large. The west coast and the high country generally had less, while most of the areas with low average falls had slightly more than normal.

Temperatures.—Temperatures were almost everywhere below normal though the departures were not, in general, large. In the interior they amounted in most cases to between two and three degrees. Christchurch, with a mean 3·6° F. below normal, had a very cold month. Hastings had a warm one, apparently owing to westerly Föhn winds during the first three weeks. Tauranga and Timaru, also, were slightly above the average.

Sunshine.—Sunshine was above normal in North Auckland, Tauranga having 253·9 hours, and also in Southland, where Invercargill had 202·8 hours. From North Canterbury to South Auckland it was much below. There were many overcast days and mist and fog were unusually prevalent, especially in eastern districts.

Pressure Systems.—At the beginning of the month a depression was passing away eastwards and the weather became fine as an anticyclone moved on to the Dominion. From the 5th to the 7th several rather shallow westerly depressions crossed the South Island, causing a certain amount of rain, but eastern districts and the North Island were very little affected. From the 8th to the 15th there was little storm activity, anticyclonic conditions prevailing for most of the time over New Zealand. On the 16th a deeper depression appeared west of the South Island, and after it had passed eastward was followed on the 17th and 18th by cold southerly gales. Fairly general rain was produced by this storm, but over most of the North Island it was only light.