1236
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
[No. 91

NOTES ON THE WEATHER DURING SEPTEMBER, 1943

General.—September was an abnormal month with persistently unsettled conditions. Many well-developed cyclonic depressions passed over the New Zealand region, and each one gave fairly general rain. With only transient fair periods, the month has been most unpleasant, and following a poor August it has proved most severe for young stock. Lambing losses will be very high. The lack of sunshine has been detrimental to growth, which though appreciable in places, is rank. Water-logged ground has been unsuitable for tillage and spring sowings have been hindered. On the whole, the season is very backward.

Rainfall.—With minor exceptions rain has been heavy and frequent, and few wetter Septembers have been experienced in New Zealand. The most marked surpluses occurred between Oamaru and East Cape, where nearly every place exceeded double the average fall and in not a few instances treble the average. Amongst those places receiving over 10 in. may be mentioned the southern Wairarapa, Hutt Valley (the wettest month for several decades), Motueka, parts of Marlborough, and North Canterbury. In the far south totals rapidly decreased, and in Stewart Island only about half the usual rain fell.

Temperatures.—Mean temperatures were about normal over the North Island and Nelson Province, but over the remainder of the country were cooler than usual, departures increasing in Canterbury and Otago to 2° or more.

Sunshine.—For most of the country it was a very dull month with sunshine totals far below normal. Many new low records were established throughout Canterbury, in Nelson, and Wanganui. At Invercargill, however, there was a slight surplus, and from Auckland City northwards there was an excess of about one hour per day.

Weather Sequence.—At first, with a high pressure belt over the northern Tasman Sea, moderate westerlies prevailed with mostly fine weather until a change to cold southerlies advancing on the 2nd brought showers. A depression moving south from Kermadec Islands deepened and a high pressure system advanced over the southern Tasman Sea, so that south to south-east winds became squally with many gales on the 4th when snow fell in the high country of the North Island and considerable rain occurred between Kaikoura and East Cape, falls being unusually heavy in the Hutt Valley. Conditions improved rapidly in Nelson, Westland, and Southland.

On the 6th and 7th a trough was passing north-eastward over New Zealand and later a centre developed off East Cape, while another anticyclone in the south moved east of New Zealand. Southerly winds became strong again, especially about Cook Strait, and widespread rain fell in eastern and central districts. On the 9th and 10th, with an extensive shallow depression over the centre of the country and an intense anticyclone to the south-east, easterly winds continued to give periods of rain, mainly on the windward coasts. Except for rain near East Cape conditions were more generally fair on the 11th and 12th.

Ahead of a trough crossing New Zealand on the 13th and 14th northerly or north-westerly gales were experienced with rain in many places. After a change of wind to the west it improved in eastern districts, but considerable rain fell in Westland.

A deepening depression moving southward on the 16th from near Lord Howe Island gave widely unsettled conditions with north-easterly, and later north-westerly, gales in parts of the North Island. Deep centres were off Greymouth and Canterbury on the 17th, strong westerly winds with passing showers and some thunder prevailing to the north, and fresh southerlies to the south-east with drizzle and rain. This depression moved eastward on the 18th while another was forming in the north-western Tasman. The new depression was off Karamea on the 22nd, and was followed by yet another from the central Tasman. The last was extremely deep when it crossed Taranaki on the 24th and it passed south of Chatham Islands the next day. Ahead of it north-westerlies reached gale force in the North Island and behind it south-westerlies became strong. The weather continued unsettled generally and temperatures became colder until an anticyclone over New Zealand on the 27th and 28th brought settled conditions. This system as it moved to the north on the 29th, was rapidly losing intensity and cloud increased with the approach of a depression from the north-west which was centred west of Nelson on the 30th, by which time it was generally unsettled again with a cold change in the far south.

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, 11TH OCTOBER, 1943

*Expressed in New Zealand currency.

Proportion of reserve (No. 7 less No. 5) to notes and other demand liabilities, 38·028 per cent.

W. R. EGGERS, Chief Accountant

Sitting of the Native Land Court at Auckland on the 10th November, 1943

Office of the Native Land Court, Auckland, 12th October, 1943.

NOTICE is hereby given that the matters mentioned in the Schedule hereunder will be heard by the Native Land Court sitting at Auckland on Wednesday the 10th November, 1943, at 10.30 a.m., or as soon thereafter as the business of the Court will allow.

J. H. ROBERTSON, Registrar.

[Tokerau, 1943–10.]

SCHEDULE