Nov. 24.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2429

Government Meteorological Observatory.

METEOROLOGICAL Observations at Kelburn, Wellington, for the Month of October, 1938. Observations taken at 9 a.m.

Altitude of Observatory, 415 ft.

Mean earth temperature at 1 ft., 57·7°; and at 3 ft., 55·4°. Number of rain days, 10. Total rainfall, 7 per cent. below normal. Sunshine, 53 per cent. of the possible. Mean dew-point at 9 a.m., 47·2°; mean vapour pressure, 0·325 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.

.. | 18 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | .. | .. | 13 | 1

NOTE.—North-west gales were rather frequent, occurring on six occasions. On the 9th there was a gust of eighty-seven miles per hour at 3 p.m., being a record for Wellington. Thunder was heard on the afternoon of the 23rd.

NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR OCTOBER, 1938.

General.—Though mild the weather in October until about the 20th was dry with a prevalence of westerly winds, which were often strong. Thereafter, it was more humid and good rains fell, especially in the South Island. At the end of the month, however, there was still a considerable shortage of moisture in most districts and the growth of pasture was distinctly backward. These conditions have favoured sheep, especially lambs, which have done very well. There has also been a good start of shearing in many districts. For cattle, although the animals are in good condition, the situation was less favourable and the milk yield is below average. Apart from pastures, vegetation has flourished and the spring, though late, has been a very active one.

Rainfall.—At North Island stations the rainfall was, with few exceptions, much below average. The same is true of Marlborough and much of Nelson and North Canterbury. On the west of the South Island and in the Southern Alps, though the totals were again below normal, the deficits were generally slight. On most of the Canterbury Plains and in Otago and Southland, owing mainly to one or two heavy falls, the average was exceeded. The rains in Canterbury came at an opportune time for the wheat crop, while those in Southern Otago and Southland were particularly valuable owing to the previous protracted shortage.

Temperatures.—The month, as has been said, was a mild one. Frosts were few in number and light. There were light falls of snow on the ranges in the first part of the month but none extended to very low levels or was very widespread. Mean temperatures were above normal except at a few places on the west coast. The departures were not large, averaging about one degree.

Sunshine.—The amount of bright sunshine was much above average at most places, but on parts of the west coast it was cloudy as well as cool and less than the normal sunshine was recorded. Napier had 266·9 hours, Gisborne 261·4, and Tauranga 250·9.

Pressure Systems.—During the first eight days high pressure prevailed in the north, and although several westerly depressions crossed the South Island, bringing strong winds from between north-west and south-west, there was little rain. On the 9th a depression approached which had a better northward extension and the high pressure regime to the north was broken. On this day there were some severe northerly and north-westerly gales, particularly in Wellington and Canterbury. Heavy rain was recorded over much of the South Island. Cool southerly gales followed on the 11th, and snow fell on the Banks Peninsula hills. A somewhat similar depression passed during the 15th to 17th and brought valuable rains to North Auckland, but less elsewhere than its predecessor.

During the next three days anti-cyclonic conditions and fine weather again set in. From thence onward, however, the atmosphere was more humid and the weather became less settled. From the 21st to the 24th, which included the Labour Day week-end, a rather complex series of depressions traversed the Dominion. General rain fell, with many rather heavy falls, and thunder and hail in places.

After another spell of anti-cyclonic weather, conditions were disturbed once more from the 27th to the 30th. A depression crossed the central portion of the country, causing further widespread rain. On the night of the 29th there was a sharp southerly change, and thunder and hail storms occurred in many places.

The improvement after this depression was very brief and rain was again falling in western and central districts on the 31st.

EDWARD KIDSON, Director.

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