1410
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
[No. 103

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—continued
Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for October, 1943—continued

NOTE.—At stations where departures from normal are in parentheses the record has been maintained for less than ten years in the case of temperatures and for less than twenty years in the case of rainfall and the normals are partly interpolated.

LATE RETURNS—continued

NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR OCTOBER, 1943

General.—Although conditions were frequently unsettled during October the month was an improvement on September. Several deep depressions passed over the New Zealand region from the north-west, but there was no persistence of strong westerly winds as is commonly experienced in the spring. Instead, the east coast had more dull southerly weather than is usual. Unsuitable weather has further delayed farming programmes and the season is about a fortnight late. Towards the end of the month growth became more rapid, but pastures especially would have been much improved by more sunshine.

Rainfall.—In spite of the rather frequent occurrence of rain, totals were fairly light over extensive areas. Average values were exceeded about the Bay of Islands, near New Plymouth, and in coastal districts from Gisborne to Dunedin. About Gisborne and Wellington City totals were more than double the average, but otherwise the excesses were not appreciable. The deficiencies experienced over most of the remainder of the country were most marked in South Auckland, Western Otago, and Southland, this being the second successive month of low rainfall about Foveaux Strait.

Temperatures.—At most places it was a cool month, departures being about 1° F. in the North Island but often 2° or 3° between Wairarapa and Otago. In Westland, however, temperatures were slightly above normal. Light frosts between the 17th and 19th were sufficient to injure tender garden plants in several districts.

Sunshine.—Except in the extreme north, Taranaki, and Westland, it was a dull month, there being substantial deficiencies of bright sunshine from North Otago to Tauranga with new low records established at a few stations.

Weather Sequence.—As a depression was passing to the south-east of Castlepoint on the 1st westerlies gave showers to the north, while southerlies brought considerable drizzle and rain in eastern districts to the south. Occasional showers persisted in the east, but an improvement extended from the west as southerlies became general. After a trough on the 4th, however, southerlies freshened, and showers were heaviest east of the North Island ranges.

On the 6th a ridge of high pressure was over New Zealand with mainly fair and milder conditions. During the 8th and 9th, as a slow-moving trough advanced northward, considerable rain fell about and west of the southern ranges. This disturbance was overtaken on the 10th by another trough which gave light rain in most districts. Conditions improved the following day when an anticyclone passed over New Zealand.

A complex system of disturbances then crossed New Zealand—one depression passed south of Stewart Island on the 12th, a deep centre crossed Southland on the 13th, and finally another travelled across Taranaki and Wellington on the 14th. Northerly gales were fairly widespread on the 13th, and further strong gales occurred in Auckland, Taranaki, and other parts of the North Island on the following day, during the course of which winds backed westerly. The heaviest rain occurred in districts from New Plymouth southward. On the 14th a cold southerly change brought dull wet weather to the east coast of the South Island, and southerlies gradually extended to northern districts as a depression in South Taranaki moved in to the Bay of Plenty.

An anticyclone which was advancing on to the South Island on the 17th covered most of New Zealand on the 19th, by which time showers finally cleared in the Gisborne region and settled conditions became general. Some light frosts occurred in the North Island about this time. As this anticyclone moved east on the 22nd a depression began to approach Westland from the north-west. North-easterlies increased to gale force in some exposed positions, and the weather was cloudy with rain chiefly south of New Plymouth. On the 24th a southerly change advanced to the Wellington Province with an anticyclone moving to the east of the South Island. Winds from an easterly quarter then prevailed and gave dull weather to the windward coasts and to the central provinces.

A depression from the region of Lord Howe Island was west of the Auckland Peninsula on the 27th, and two days later it moved to the eastward. While the weather was mostly fair south of Taranaki there was considerable cloud elsewhere, with scattered drizzle and some heavy rain fell north of Auckland. As a second centre developed north of Chatham Islands winds turned south-easterly from Cook Strait northward. At the close of the month an anticyclone was extending over New Zealand and the weather improved.

M. A. F. BARNETT, Director.

RESERVE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES OF THE RESERVE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND AS AT THE CLOSE OF BUSINESS ON MONDAY, 15TH NOVEMBER, 1943

• Expressed in New Zealand currency.

Proportion of reserve (No. 7 less No. 5) to notes and other demand liabilities, 38·338 per cent.

W. R. EGGERS, Chief Accountant.