360
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 8
Government Meteorological Observatory.
METEOROLOGICAL Observations taken at Kelburn, Wellington, for the Month of December, 1941. Observations taken at 9 a.m.
Altitude of Observatory, 415 ft.
| Date. | Pressure in Millibars, at Sea-level and Standard Gravity. | Temperature (° F.) from Observations at 9 a.m. In Screen. | At 9 a.m. | Maximum. | Minimum. | Relative Humidity, Per Cent. | Wind. Beaufort Scale. | Anemometer. Direction. Force. Miles Run in 24 Hours. | Rainfall in Points (100 Points = 1 Inch). | Bright Sunshine : Hours and Tenths. | Weather (Symbols at 9 a.m.) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dry. | Wet. | Dry. | Wet. | Minimum on Grass. | Dry. | Direction. | Force. | Miles Run in 24 Hours. | Rainfall in Points (100 Points = 1 Inch). | Bright Sunshine : Hours and Tenths. | Weather (Symbols at 9 a.m.) |
| 1 | ... | ... | 1011·6 | 60·1 | 55·4 | 73 | 60·8 | 45·2 | 38·1 | N | 2 | 80 | 1 | 7·3 | bc |
| 2 | ... | ... | 1005·3 | 57·7 | 57·7 | 100 | 61·1 | 54·9 | 54·1 | N | 2 | 236 | 36 | 0·0 | oid |
| 3 | ... | ... | 1015·9 | 58·3 | 54·8 | 79 | 66·2 | 49·2 | 47·9 | SSE | 4 | 196 | ... | 10·9 | bc |
| 4 | ... | ... | 1019·5 | 65·6 | 58·1 | 62 | 71·7 | 49·9 | 42·8 | NE | 1 | 81 | ... | 13·0 | b |
| 5 | ... | ... | 1020·1 | 61·3 | 58·0 | 81 | 66·1 | 53·4 | 51·5 | NW | 4 | 212 | ... | 3·0 | c |
| 6 | ... | ... | 1018·5 | 63·3 | 59·2 | 77 | 70·0 | 54·8 | 51·1 | NNW | 2 | 139 | ... | 5·6 | o |
| 7 | ... | ... | 1013·2 | 62·5 | 58·9 | 80 | 67·9 | 58·0 | 57·0 | NW | 4 | 150 | 18 | 1·5 | ou |
| 8 | ... | ... | 1015·9 | 64·7 | 61·7 | 84 | 69·9 | 56·9 | 56·1 | NNW | 4 | 251 | ... | 10·4 | o |
| 9 | ... | ... | 1021·9 | 62·8 | 60·1 | 85 | 65·2 | 57·1 | 56·2 | NNW | 4 | 215 | ... | 0·0 | o |
| 10 | ... | ... | 1022·0 | 64·9 | 63·0 | 90 | 69·8 | 59·7 | 58·8 | WNW | 3 | 229 | ... | 2·6 | odp |
| 11 | ... | ... | 1024·8 | 56·7 | 54·9 | 88 | 67·0 | 54·0 | 54·4 | S | 3 | 182 | ... | 5·4 | ou |
| 12 | ... | ... | 1017·8 | 67·0 | 63·3 | 81 | 75·4 | 54·1 | 53·0 | N | 2 | 80 | ... | 3·5 | o |
| 13 | ... | ... | 1015·9 | 68·8 | 63·3 | 72 | 73·4 | 60·6 | 57·2 | NW | 4 | 129 | ... | 7·4 | b |
| 14 | ... | ... | 1021·6 | 65·2 | 63·2 | 89 | 74·9 | 55·7 | 55·6 | E | 1 | 94 | 10 | 9·4 | o |
| 15 | ... | ... | 1019·6 | 64·8 | 64·2 | 96 | 68·9 | 61·8 | 60·2 | NW | 4 | 223 | ... | 3·4 | od |
| 16 | ... | ... | 1006·0 | 64·7 | 62·8 | 90 | 65·3 | 60·7 | 60·9 | NW | 4 | 491 | 103 | 0·3 | o |
| 17 | ... | ... | 1005·0 | 45·5 | 44·8 | 94 | 59·2 | 44·2 | 43·7 | S | 3 | 186 | 30 | 0·0 | or |
| 18 | ... | ... | 999·7 | 59·1 | 55·6 | 79 | 63·2 | 44·9 | 42·0 | NW | 5 | 208 | 40 | 4·2 | c |
| 19 | ... | ... | 1001·0 | 57·6 | 51·6 | 64 | 63·5 | 46·0 | 44·3 | NNW | 3 | 205 | Trace | 9·7 | bc |
| 20 | ... | ... | 1008·1 | 60·1 | 52·5 | 56 | 65·2 | 43·9 | 36·9 | ENE | 2 | 136 | 7 | 12·8 | bc |
| 21 | ... | ... | 1002·3 | 57·8 | 57·7 | 99 | 62·1 | 47·8 | 44·8 | NNW | 6 | 190 | 2 | 0·8 | oidq |
| 22 | ... | ... | 998·8 | 59·5 | 54·0 | 68 | 60·2 | 54·2 | 52·1 | NNW | 6 | 540 | 22 | 7·7 | oq |
| 23 | ... | ... | 1001·1 | 59·6 | 54·8 | 72 | 63·0 | 52·1 | 48·7 | WNW | 3 | 381 | ... | 10·2 | bc |
| 24 | ... | ... | 1003·4 | 56·8 | 52·8 | 75 | 62·9 | 50·0 | 44·7 | SSW | 2 | 133 | ... | 5·9 | o |
| 25 | ... | ... | 1004·1 | 59·6 | 55·2 | 74 | 69·8 | 47·8 | 40·8 | NW | 2 | 112 | 48 | 11·6 | bc |
| 26 | ... | ... | 990·6 | 51·2 | 50·0 | 91 | 55·6 | 47·8 | 48·2 | S | 3 | 175 | 19 | 3·4 | or |
| 27 | ... | ... | 993·9 | 47·7 | 46·1 | 88 | 55·1 | 44·8 | 42·9 | S | 6 | 422 | 2 | 8·7 | or |
| 28 | ... | ... | 999·7 | 54·8 | 49·3 | 65 | 59·6 | 45·8 | 47·7 | S | 5 | 405 | Trace | 11·0 | b |
| 29 | ... | ... | 999·6 | 55·7 | 53·8 | 88 | 65·7 | 48·1 | 43·8 | NW | 3 | 149 | 2 | 5·6 | ou |
| 30 | ... | ... | 1004·4 | 56·8 | 55·8 | 94 | 66·8 | 53·1 | 53·0 | S | 2 | 158 | 4 | 2·0 | o |
| 31 | ... | ... | 997·5 | 55·8 | 52·9 | 81 | 64·2 | 49·0 | 48·1 | N | 3 | 174 | 6 | 3·1 | o |
| Means, &c. | ... | ... | 1009·0 | 59·5 | 56·3 | 81 | 65·5 | 51·8 | 49·6 | ... | 3·3 | 212 | 350 | 180·4 | ... |
Mean earth temperature at 1 ft., 62.6°; and at 3 ft., 60.2°. Number of rain days, 16. Total rainfall, 11 per cent. above normal. Sunshine was only 38 per cent. of the possible, being the dullest December in Wellington since sunshine records commenced in 1907. Mean dewpoint at 9 a.m., 53.6°; mean vapour pressure, 13.9 mb.
NOTE.—On the 21st a strong north-west gale was experienced with gusts up to 81 m.p.h.
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.
...
|
| 13
| 7
| 1½
| 1½
| ½
| 7
| ½
| 1
| 12
| ...
NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR DECEMBER, 1941.
General Notes.—December was a cloudy month with very unseasonable conditions during the latter portion. Pastures and crops, especially on the east coast of the South Island, received substantial benefit from the rains, but the persistence of unsettled conditions made the period very difficult for shearing and haymaking. There are still many sheep unshorn and considerable quantities of hay have been ruined. Some good ensilage crops have been harvested. Stock are well, with ample feed of moderate quality. Young turnips, rape, and chou-moullier crops are showing good progress. For fruit and vegetables the season is still very late. As yet, very few white butterflies are in evidence.
Rainfall.—Rain fell frequently throughout the month. Totals were very high about the Bay of Islands and in the Ohakune-Taihape-Wanganui area, where some stations had a new December record. Rainfall, however, was deficient in the Bay of Plenty and the East Cape regions. Over the South Island, rainfall departures from average were very variable, but there was a predominance of slight excesses. There were numerous thunderstorms, often with hail.
Temperatures.—There were some warm days in the earlier part of the month, but later on occasional very cold temperatures were experienced. On the average, however, temperatures over the North Island closely approached the normal, but in the South negative departures were rather larger, being 2° or 3° F. in Canterbury.
Sunshine.—Low sunshine totals were recorded at nearly all stations. In several cases the values were poorer than the average by the equivalent of two hours per day. For the country as a whole the month was probably the dullest December for a considerable number of years.
Weather Sequence.—During the first two days a weak disturbance over New Zealand gave a brief period of rain, but an anticyclone following intensified and covered the country. From the 5th to the 16th this high-pressure system remained centred east of New Zealand. Although fine at first conditions became warm and increasingly humid with much low cloud and, after the 9th, considerable fog or drizzle. Moderate north-easterlies prevailed, but there were short-lived southerly changes in the south.
Beneficial rain had fallen in the east of the South Island by the 16th, when a new depression introduced a south-westerly situation which persisted for several days. There were widespread passing showers, with some snow on the higher levels, but in most places there were lengthy bright intervals. Between the 18th and 21st numerous gales were experienced. On the 19th there was a local whirlwind and a particularly heavy hailstorm near Tai-Tapu.
During the 20th a disturbance advanced from the south, and after passing on to the North Island a centre associated with it deepened very considerably off the east coast. Southerly winds freshened, reaching gale force in many exposed positions, while cold, showery conditions were fairly general. The weather improved by the 26th, but a shallow disturbance then gave cloud and light drizzle. On the 31st a complex depression west of Auckland gave general rain, there being some heavy falls in the back country of Taranaki.
M. A. F. BARNETT, Director.