JUNE 19.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1891

Government Meteorological Observatory.

METEOROLOGICAL Observations at Kelburn, Wellington, for the Month of May, 1941. Observations taken at 9 a.m.

Altitude of Observatory, 415 ft.

Mean earth temperature at 1 ft., 52·7°; and at 3 ft., 55·3°. Number of rain days, 11. Total rainfall, 15 per cent. below normal. Sunshine, 43 per cent. of the possible. There were five days when no bright sunshine was recorded. Mean dew-point at 9 a.m., 45·2°; mean vapour pressure, 10·2 mb.

NOTE.—Fog occurred on two occasions, and there were two white frosts. Northerly winds and mild weather predominated.

DIRECTION OF WIND.

NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR MAY, 1941.

General Notes.—Most districts experienced a fair share of pleasant weather during May. Conditions were normal for stock and crops. With grass still making appreciable growth there is still ample green fodder, so that calls on winter reserves have been very few. Extensive areas have been sown in wheat, and linen-flax sowings show an increase on those of last year.

Rainfall was below normal over a large proportion of the Dominion. The greatest deficiencies occurred in the Auckland Province, where rainfalls were generally under half the normal, while many stations, but more especially those with an easterly aspect, received less than quarter the normal falls. Deficiencies of more than 50 per cent. occurred also in an area including Nelson, Blenheim, and Christchurch. Eastern districts of southern Hawke’s Bay and of Wellington Provinces, as well as the Manawatu, had a surplus as a result of the exceptionally heavy rains on the 3rd and 4th. Between Masterton and Waipukurau a number of stations had twenty-four-hourly falls exceeding 6 in., Pine Grove, Weber County, having 10·25 in. on the first of these days followed by 2·55 in. on the next. There were numerous slips, bridges sustained damage, and on some farms the loss of stock was serious. Rainfall was also slightly above normal in Westland, and moderately so in Southland and Stewart Island.

Temperatures.—Day temperatures were rather mild, but many of the nights were chilly, with frosts numerous and widespread. Mean values for the month did not depart very markedly from normal, but temperatures in inland districts situated east of the main ranges of the South Island were somewhat milder than usual. The chief cold snaps of the period were centred about the 19th and 29th.

Sunshine.—Except in western and far southern districts of the South Island most stations enjoyed a longer duration of bright sunshine than the average.

Weather Sequence.—A cyclonic disturbance in the Central Tasman Sea produced, in advance, considerable fog and light drizzle, more especially in the North Island. This disturbance and another travelling faster across the southern Tasman reached New Zealand on the 3rd, the resultant depression being stationary over the North Island on the 4th but moving eastward the following two days. At first there were strong southerly winds with gales in places, intermittent rain, and some snow. There was a steady downpour on the night of the 3rd and during the 4th in northern Wellington and southern Hawke’s Bay, the Manawatu and other rivers reaching their highest flood level for several decades. Conditions were fine generally by the 6th. A disturbance gave change of strong southerlies, accompanied by some showers, on the 7th and 8th, but pressure rose rapidly and conditions improved. With the passage of westerly depressions from the 11th to 14th, west or north-west winds predominated and became strong at times, the occasional rain being confined mainly to western districts.

From the 15th onward a succession of weak disturbances brought progressively cooler temperatures and scattered showers. On the 19th snow fell over the southern portion of the South Island and in the high country elsewhere. After the last south-westerly depression on the 20th the weather cleared and winds decreased, consequently some severe frosts were registered. Thereafter an anticyclone became centred over the North Island and intensified.

The eastward advance of an extensive depression caused a freshening of northerly winds which reached gale force about Cook Strait and in Westland on the 26th, while widespread rain occurred in western districts from Taranaki southward. A series of south-westerly depressions passed during the 28th–30th, conditions being rather changeable. There were south-westerly gales on the Otago coast, and showers fell occasionally in most districts. Some snow was experienced in Otago and Southland and, although conditions were windy and changeable about Foveaux Strait, fine though cool anticyclonic conditions were being established on the last day of the month.

M. A. F. BARNETT, Director.