JULY 27.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2073

Government Meteorological Observatory.

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

Mean earth temperature at 1 ft., 49·8°; and at 3 ft., 52·5°. Number of rain days, 14. Total rainfall, 21 per cent. below normal. Sunshine, 38 per cent. of the possible. Mean dew-point at 9 a.m., 45·0°; mean vapour pressure, 0·299 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.
.. | 11 | 11 | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | .. | ½ | 9½ | 6

NOTE.—A strong south-east gale blew on the 13th accompanied by frequent hail showers and thunder. Thunder, lightning, and hail were recorded also in the early morning and late afternoon of the 11th. Snow fell on the Orongorongos and the Tararua on the 13th.

NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR JUNE, 1939.

General.—The chief characteristic of the month was its mildness. Few Junes have been milder. Due to the number of well-developed westerly situations, unusual for this season, the weather in western districts differed greatly from that in eastern. The former were wet, while the latter had a lighter rainfall. However, most places had a pleasant month, for the frequent fair intervals were both mild and calm. The temperatures favoured the growth of grass and have brought on early flowers. The extra grass growth is a boon to farmers as supplies of winter feed are rather short generally. Marlborough and Canterbury had enough rain to render the ground fit for cultivation, and the rain has been beneficial to the autumn sowings. The mildness of the season seems to have encouraged plant parasites. Stock everywhere is thriving well.

Rainfall.—The precipitation was spread fairly uniformly throughout the month. Western districts and the Auckland Province had falls well above average. South of East Cape and in North Canterbury and parts of Otago there were rainfall deficits. A remarkable feature was that the showers, though fairly brief, were of considerable intensity.

Temperatures.—Mean temperatures were again above normal. In most cases the departures were considerable, amounting to two degrees or more. Although frosts were numerous in the south they were not severe. A considerable amount of hail fell but at this time of the year it did little damage. During two periods snow fell, but it did not lie long in the lower hills. In the North Island snow reached the foothills in Hawke’s Bay.

Sunshine.—The hours of bright sunshine in most places did not reach the normal figure, except in isolated parts of the East Coast.

Thunder and Lightning.—There were widespread thunderstorms. The lightning was intense and, although structural damage was slight, there was considerable interference in telephone and power circuits.

Whirlwind.—New Plymouth and Maungatapere each reported a small whirlwind.

Pressure Systems.—Under the influence of an anticyclone moving north-eastwards from the west of the South Island, the weather for the first four days was mainly fair with light winds. On the 5th a slight disturbance crossed the South Island and drizzling rain fell from Taranaki southwards and in Cook Strait. The main centre of a complex and extensive depression which had been forming in the Tasman Sea then deepened and slowly crossed Southland and Stewart Island. Northerly winds in the north reached gale force and, except for Canterbury and Otago, rain was almost general, with heavy falls in central and western areas.

On the 9th the northern extension of this disturbance crossed the Auckland Province; there it was still showery, but elsewhere a temporary improvement occurred as the centre of lowest pressure moved off to the south-east. Due to the active deepening of this centre the advance of an anticyclone was checked and numerous secondary disturbances associated with the main one crossed the country. This produced a very cold and stormy southerly spell between the 10th and 13th. Intense showers, often with hail and thunder, were widespread, and snow fell in both islands, reaching down to the foothills in Hawke’s Bay. The North Island mountains received the first mantle of the season.

As the anticyclone moved over the north of the Dominion, shallow westerly depressions passed in the south. A deeper depression influenced the whole country between the 19th and 22nd. It proceeded in a south-easterly direction, leaving the South Island near Dunedin. With it came more rain in the north, spreading gradually southwards. On the 20th the weather was particularly thick between Dunedin and East Cape. During this period further snow fell in the southern ranges.

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