1330
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
[No. 66

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—continued
Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for September, 1945—continued

LATE RETURNS

Akaroa (Onawe, Duvau-chelle’s Bay), Aug., 1945 | Ft. 150 | °F. 55·6 | °F. 40·8 | °F. 48·2 | (+1·8) | °F. 69·0 | 25 | °F. 32·5 | 16 | In. 5·09 | 10 | .. | In. 2·65 | 7 | 122·7
Milford Sound, Aug., 1945 | 20 | 54·2 | 39·0 | 46·6 | +4·3 | 62·4 | 25 | 31·6 | 16, 17 | 20·62 | 18 | .. | 4·00 | 17 | ..

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.

NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR SEPTEMBER, 1945

General.—Apart from the prevalence of cloudy conditions, the weather for September showed no very marked abnormalities. Rain was well spread throughout the month, but, with so little sunshine, growth was backward and did not maintain the good start made the previous month. In the more northern districts, however, there was a better response, and prospects are [very promising for the dairy season. Stock are in fair condition, with few lambing losses. The ground continues too damp for most agricultural activities.

Rainfall.—Rain was rather frequent, but the total for the whole country was about average. Most places north of New Plymouth and Hastings had rainfalls above normal, the surplus being most marked north of Auckland. The remainder of the North Island had amounts close to average, although for the Feilding area they were somewhat lighter than usual. Most of the west coast of the South Island and the region from Ashburton to Central and Northern Otago had an excess of rain, but moderate deficiencies occurred elsewhere in the South Island.

Temperatures.—Mean temperatures were very close to normal, and departures therefrom by a whole degree were experienced only in isolated cases. Frosts occurred in most parts, but were not very numerous. There were a few cold snaps, giving snow on the southern high country.

Sunshine.—On the whole, sunshine was poor, but Masterton, Blenheim, and Christchurch reached their normals. The Auckland, Taranaki, and Nelson Provinces, as well as Central Otago, were very much duller than usual.

Weather Sequence.—On the 1st a cold front was proceeding north-eastwards over New Zealand, north-westerly gales changing to moderate or fresh westerlies with occasional showers. A secondary passing up the east coast on the 2nd brought brief wintry showers. By the 3rd an anticyclone was spreading from the west over the country, with conditions improving. Frosts were widespread on the 4th. As the anticyclone was moving away to the north-east on the 5th, northerlies were bringing cloud to the west coast. A slow-moving trough advanced eastward over the Dominion. North-east gales were experienced for a period in Nelson and Westland, and moderate rain occurred in western and later in northern districts. There was a temporary improvement on the 8th before a weak trough brought a little rain, chiefly to Westland.

Pressure was very low to the far south, and west or north-west winds were strong at times on the 9th, and during the night a strong south-west wind change with rain and hail showers swept over the country. Fair periods increased gradually and, with an anticyclone centred to the north-west, conditions were settled on the 11th. Slight disturbances passing in the south gave some occasional rain on the west coast. On the 14th, when a depression was passing to the south of the South Island, rain became heavier in South Westland. The associated cold front moved up the South Island on the 15th and then retreated, while disturbances developed over the northern and central Tasman Sea. It was cloudy in western districts with occasional rain again, especially in Westland.

An anticyclone built up off south-eastern New Zealand, while a depression deepened west of Auckland, where strong north-easterlies prevailed. A belt of moderate rain spread southward to Canterbury. As the depression crossed the North Island on the 19th rain became rather heavy in central and southern portions of the Island. An anticyclone then covered the country, conditions improving generally.

As this system moved east from the South Island a complex trough with a series of depressions approached on the 21st. Rain set in about and west of the Alps, soon spread to Southland and Otago, and was fairly general by 24th. Fresh northerlies had been prevailing, while southerlies had made a slow advance from the south, reaching Cook Strait on the 24th and giving snow in the southern high country. By the 25th the main anticyclone was well south-east of New Zealand, and a trough line across South Auckland was associated with a belt of rain. To the south, easterly or south-easterly winds were strong. Conditions were better on the 26th, but on the 27th a depression from the Norfolk Islands region passed northern New Zealand, with easterly rains occurring in far northern and the Gisborne districts. A deeper depression from the central Tasman Sea passed near North Cape late on the 28th. Easterly winds gave rain in most eastern districts of the North Island, but elsewhere fair to fine weather predominated, and an improvement spread from the west. A cold front was approaching southern New Zealand late on the 30th.

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 OCTOBER, 1945

• Expressed in New Zealand currency.

Proportion of reserve (No. 7 less No. 5) to notes and other demand liabilities, 70·940 per cent.

W. R. EGGERS, Chief Accountant.