2246 THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. [No. 66

Government Meteorological Observatory.

METEOROLOGICAL Observations at Kelburn, Wellington, for the Month of August, 1937. Observations taken at 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 | | | | |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| | | In Screen. | | | | Minimum on Grass. | Beaufort Scale. | Anemometer. | Rainfall in Points (100 Points = 1 Inch). | Bright Sunshine: Hours and Tenths. | Weather (Symbols) at 9 a.m. |
| | | At 9 a.m. | | Maximum. | Minimum. | | | | | | |
| | | Dry. | Wet. | Humid-ity. | Dry. | Dry. | | Direction. | Force. | Run in 24 Hours. | | | |
| 1 | 30.166 | 48.8 | 46.8 | 85 | 57.3 | 42.3 | 30.0 | Calm | .. | 57 | .. | 8.4 | c |
| 2 | 30.083 | 50.9 | 49.0 | 87 | 54.0 | 42.9 | 31.7 | NW | 6 | 60 | Trace | 4.0 | o |
| 3 | 29.858 | 50.9 | 46.7 | 71 | 57.2 | 48.0 | 45.3 | N | 5 | 286 | 31 | 0.8 | oip |
| 4 | 29.779 | 48.0 | 47.2 | 94 | 52.0 | 45.3 | 45.0 | SE | 1 | 179 | Trace | 0.7 | o |
| 5 | 29.782 | 48.3 | 45.4 | 79 | 52.4 | 42.0 | 36.4 | NW | 5 | 116 | 5 | 2.8 | o |
| 6 | 29.395 | 51.0 | 45.6 | 63 | 53.8 | 41.7 | 30.4 | NNW | 3 | 269 | 9 | 8.4 | b |
| 7 | 29.852 | 42.5 | 35.0 | 40 | 48.2 | 36.8 | 33.7 | S | 7 | 449 | .. | 6.1 | bqy |
| 8 | 30.089 | 48.2 | 45.0 | 76 | 56.9 | 41.0 | 38.8 | SSE | 2 | 181 | Trace | 1.7 | o |
| 9 | 30.245 | 44.4 | 43.7 | 94 | 57.2 | 40.7 | 30.9 | NW | 1 | 51 | Trace | 4.5 | opz |
| 10 | 30.396 | 46.2 | 44.7 | 88 | 51.4 | 39.8 | 30.8 | Calm | .. | 15 | .. | 2.7 | cz |
| 11 | 30.535 | 46.2 | 43.1 | 76 | 51.1 | 44.0 | 40.3 | Calm | .. | 47 | .. | 3.7 | o |
| 12 | 30.446 | 46.9 | 43.0 | 71 | 50.6 | 42.0 | 38.9 | NNW | 2 | 47 | 6 | 1.9 | o |
| 13 | 30.579 | 45.4 | 44.8 | 95 | 49.2 | 42.0 | 29.0 | SSE | 5 | 143 | 11 | 3.1 | or |
| 14 | 30.644 | 44.2 | 43.0 | 90 | 46.8 | 41.0 | 38.1 | SE | 4 | 218 | 8 | 2.6 | op |
| 15 | 30.479 | 46.5 | 44.5 | 85 | 54.0 | 40.5 | 36.3 | Calm | .. | 97 | .. | 8.3 | c |
| 16 | 30.360 | 46.5 | 44.0 | 81 | 54.7 | 38.2 | 30.4 | Calm | .. | 24 | .. | 7.8 | b |
| 17 | 30.281 | 46.6 | 44.9 | 87 | 52.1 | 40.0 | 34.0 | NNE | 2 | 79 | 5 | 1.8 | o |
| 18 | 30.375 | 46.6 | 45.0 | 88 | 57.2 | 39.8 | 29.6 | Calm | .. | 71 | .. | 8.0 | c |
| 19 | 30.278 | 48.7 | 46.5 | 84 | 54.7 | 42.1 | 37.4 | NE | 3 | 113 | .. | 4.1 | o |
| 20 | 30.139 | 51.9 | 48.4 | 76 | 55.8 | 46.5 | 42.4 | NNW | 5 | 260 | 9 | 1.3 | b |
| 21 | 30.168 | 52.2 | 49.1 | 78 | 56.0 | 44.3 | 40.1 | NW | 3 | 156 | 5 | 1.2 | o |
| 22 | 30.272 | 49.0 | 46.6 | 82 | 60.9 | 42.3 | 34.6 | Calm | .. | 75 | .. | 6.6 | owz |
| 23 | 30.319 | 47.3 | 45.2 | 84 | 59.0 | 42.1 | 31.2 | Calm | .. | 36 | .. | 1.0 | oz |
| 24 | 30.278 | 48.8 | 46.4 | 82 | 55.7 | 45.1 | 36.9 | Calm | .. | 6 | .. | 0.0 | oz |
| 25 | 30.127 | 53.6 | 49.4 | 73 | 58.9 | 47.1 | 41.8 | NE | 2 | 8 | Trace | 2.7 | ojp |
| 26 | 29.932 | 53.6 | 49.7 | 75 | 57.9 | 49.8 | 46.6 | E | 3 | 129 | 9 | 1.6 | ojp |
| 27 | 29.764 | 50.2 | 50.2 | 100 | 53.4 | 48.3 | 45.8 | S | 3 | 117 | Trace | 1.0 | omd |
| 28 | 30.118 | 47.4 | 45.6 | 86 | 51.9 | 45.7 | 44.1 | SSE | 3 | 160 | .. | 4.5 | oid |
| 29 | 30.419 | 50.0 | 44.4 | 61 | 53.2 | 41.7 | 31.7 | SSE | 3 | 107 | .. | 9.7 | b |
| 30 | 30.230 | 50.6 | 45.5 | 64 | 55.8 | 43.0 | 36.0 | E | 4 | 127 | Trace | 5.2 | o |
| 31 | 29.991 | 50.9 | 49.5 | 90 | 55.0 | 47.7 | 44.5 | SE | 3 | 139 | 24 | 0.0 | op |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Means, &c. | 30.174 | 48.5 | 45.7 | 80 | 54.3 | 43.0 | 36.9 | .. | 2.4 | 123 | 103 | 132.2 | .. |

Mean earth temperature at 1 ft., 47.2°; and at 3 ft., 48.0°. Number of rain days, 8. Total rainfall, 74 per cent. below normal. Driest August ever experienced. Sunshine, 41 per cent. of the possible. Mean dew-point at 9 a.m., 42.3°; mean vapour pressure, 0.269 in.

DIRECTION OF WIND.

NOTE.—A southerly "buster" was experienced on the 6th. It was accompanied by hail and sleet, but was only of short duration. Snow fell on the Tararuas and Orongorongos on 6th to 7th.

NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR AUGUST, 1937.

General.—August is normally regarded as the last month of winter, but that just past was mild, pleasant, and distinctly springlike in character. There was less wind than usual, and temperatures were generally above the average for the time of year. The cold of the early winter caused a shortage of pasture in many districts during the first part of the month, and it was necessary to resort to hand-feeding of stock. The dry weather accentuated this condition. In addition to pastures the wheat crops in mid-Canterbury and North Otago suffered considerably, and mild rains are badly wanted there and at some other localities. Over most of the country, however, there was fairly rapid growth of vegetation during the latter half of the month and stock have kept in fair condition. The weather was favourable for lambing, and the losses have been relatively light.

Rainfall.—The month was a particularly dry one over most of the Dominion. The greatest defects from normal rainfall occurred in the southern half of the North Island and the eastern area of the South. In some places it was the driest August ever experienced. In parts of eastern North Auckland, in the Bay of Plenty, and in the Gisborne area, however, the average was exceeded, chiefly on account of heavy rain which occurred about the 24th and the 30th of the month.

Temperature.—At a few places in North Auckland and in Hawke's Bay the mean temperature was slightly below normal, but over the remainder of the country the normal was exceeded. The departure was in the vicinity of 0.5° in the North Island, but greater in the South, and at places in the western and far southern districts it exceeded 2°. A very cold spell set in on the evening of the 6th and continued through the 7th. The 13th and 14th, also, were cold, and some severe frosts followed.

Sunshine.—There was a prevalence of cloudy weather, and the amount of bright sunshine recorded fell below the average for August, the deficiency being greatest in the eastern districts of the South Island.

Pressure Systems.—One storm system alone during the month caused generally disturbed conditions. This was a deep depression of the westerly type which passed between the 3rd and the 7th. Strong winds and fairly general rains occurred during this period, the worst effects being experienced on the night of the 6th and on the 7th, when a severe south-westerly gale blew in most districts, with hail and snow in places. By the 8th the front of an anticyclone had extended on to the Dominion, and from then until the 26th pressure remained high. On the 13th and 14th the highest pressure was over southern New Zealand, and cold south-easterly winds blew along the east coast, accompanied by showers between Cook Strait and East Cape. By the 19th the centre of the anticyclone had passed eastwards and thereafter it remained practically stationary in the vicinity of Chatham Islands until the 25th.