MAY 25.

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

Government Meteorological Observatory.

METEOROLOGICAL Observations at Kelburn, Wellington, for the Month of April, 1939. Observations taken at 9 a.m.
Altitude of Observatory, 415 ft.

Mean earth temperature at 1 ft., 58·8°; and at 3 ft., 60·1°. Number of rain days, 10. Total rainfall, 19 per cent. below normal. Sunshine, 46 per cent. of the possible. Mean dewpoint at 9 a.m., 50·6°; mean vapour pressure, 0·368 in.

DIRECTION OF WIND.

NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR APRIL, 1939.

General.—The drought which had prevailed during the first three months of the year persisted with still greater intensity during the first part of April. Very fine and sunny weather with little wind prevailed until the 17th. On the 18th, however, good rains fell in the south and, extending gradually northwards, had covered the country by the 20th. The greater part of the North Island had heavy falls and the drought was definitely broken. In the South Island, though the situation was relieved, the rain was not sufficient in Nelson, Marlborough, and Canterbury to soak the ground thoroughly, and the position still gives cause for grave anxiety. In the south conditions are better, while on the west coast the rains have been sufficient to renew water-supplies. In the North Island there has been good growth of grass, and winter feed for sheep is assured. Cattle feed is short and the milk yield is likely to be low in consequence. In the South Island from Nelson to North Otago there has been little growth of grass and the prospects for the winter are very poor. Fodder crops such as turnips, swedes, &c., have been, in most cases, very meagre. Stock are, generally, reported to be in good condition, and the dry weather has led to the disappearance of many sheep parasites.

Rainfall.—The total rainfall was above average over much of the North Island but below it in central areas and most of the high country. A few places in North Auckland and Hawke’s Bay had more than double the average. In the South Island from Canterbury and Westland northwards, there was a deficit of upwards of 50 per cent., and numbers of places had less than 20 per cent. of the normal April precipitation. In Otago, and especially Southland, the shortage was much less marked, a few places in the latter district even having more than the average. The totals for the first four months of the year are, in most places, the lowest hitherto recorded.

Temperatures were everywhere above normal. The departures generally ranged between half a degree and a degree but were greater in some inland places of the South Island. There were some moderate frosts in the South Island but no severely cold weather occurred and minimum temperatures were generally high. Between the 20th and the 23rd some snow fell on the mountain tops.

Sunshine.—The total bright sunshine did not differ greatly from the average over the North Island. In the South Island, except in the extreme south, it was a very sunny month. The amount recorded in places between Nelson and Timaru has been exceeded in April on very few occasions. Nelson had 216·0, Blenheim 193·4, and Christchurch 186·6 hours.

Storm Systems.—Until the 13th, inclusive, there was extremely little storm activity. Anticyclonic weather prevailed almost continuously, with high pressure, little wind, much sunshine, and extremely little rain. On the 14th and 15th a very slight disturbance produced a rather surprising amount of rain in the South Taranaki Bight area and the northern part of the west coast of the South Island. From this time onward the anticyclone began gradually to move off the Dominion and a depression approach from the Tasman Sea. This depression consisted of a trough of low pressure lying in a N.N.W. to S.S.E. direction. It passed very slowly across the country affecting first the extreme south and gradually passing off to the north-east. Rain began in the south on the 17th, reached Wellington on the night of the 18th and North Auckland on the 20th to 21st. General rains occurred but were only light to moderate in amount from North Otago to Nelson and Marlborough.