532
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
[No. 26

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—continued

Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for March, 1946—continued

LATE RETURNS

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. New rainfall normals have been adopted this month.

NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR MARCH, 1946

General.—The weather in March was often cloudy with not infrequent rain. By the middle of the month the North Island districts suffering from the drought had received one or two very beneficial rains, and pastures generally made an excellent recovery, which will help ease the winter-fodder position. However, further rains are still required if the benefits are to be lasting. The South Island, especially Otago and Southland, has experienced good harvesting conditions.

Rainfall.—In spite of the good rains mentioned, the totals received over most of Auckland and Northern Hawke’s Bay Provinces, with the Bay of Plenty excepted, did not quite reach the average for March. Over the remainder of the North Island rainfall was in excess, and along the eastern coast of Wellington Province totals were often double the average. While Nelson and Marlborough had slight excess in most parts, the rest of the South Island was drier than usual, with only about half the average amount of rain near Greymouth and in Otago and Southland.

Temperatures.—Mean temperatures were not much different from normal, but on the whole they were slightly milder, especially near Taihape and in Nelson and Southland. With the southerlies about the 3rd some snow fell on the North Island ranges.

Sunshine.—There were some cloudy humid spells which reduced sunshine totals, although North Auckland and Westland exceeded their average. In eastern districts between Gisborne and Dunedin and in the Cook Strait area the deficiencies were equivalent to about an hour a day.

Weather Sequence.—A cold front passing over central New Zealand on the 1st brought a period of rain, but further north it gave little precipitation. However, a shallow depression formed on this front in the Bay of Plenty region, so that by the 3rd good rains set in over the eastern portion of the North Island. With an anticyclone over the southern Tasman Sea southerlies were persistent, being strong at times along the east coast. The weather cleared in the west, but was often showery between Christchurch and Gisborne, until the 7th when, with the anticyclone covering most of the country, conditions were more generally settled.

On the 9th, when this anticyclone was passing to the east, north-easterlies began to freshen in the north. A tropical depression on a southward course passed well to the west of North Cape about midday on the 10th and was off south-western New Zealand twenty-four hours later. Strong north-easterlies brought heavy rain to most of the Auckland Province, and some moderate falls spread to western districts and parts of Hawke’s Bay. On the 12th a trough associated with an extensive depression in the South Tasman Sea reached south-western New Zealand, where there was heavy rain, including thunderstorms. This trough soon became diffuse, although its activity decreased but slowly as it spread northward. An anticyclone advanced across the South Tasman and intensified. The weather was mostly dull and very humid, especially in northern and western districts, and considerable rain fell over the Taranaki and Wellington Provinces on the 13th and 14th. While the remnants of the trough were over the North Island the anticyclone moved to the east of the Dominion. North-easterlies predominated, with much fog and some drizzle in northern and eastern districts, especially in the mornings.

Another weak trough reached the South Island on the 20th, and was followed by a new anticyclone. There was some scattered drizzle with the moderate southerly change, and later south-east winds gave some rain on the east coast of the North Island. As the anticyclone spread northward over the country and intensified fine weather became general. A weak cold front on the 25th brought scattered rain only to Otago and Southland. The anticyclone gradually lost intensity, but the weather continued fair. A depression passed south-western New Zealand late on the 27th and was shortly followed by a more extensive one, and by the 28th rain had become widespread over the South Island, and soon moderate rain extended to most of the North Island. On the 30th, as the depression travelled away to the south-east, showers were only isolated. During the 31st a cold front crossed the country, with a few showers in most districts.

R. G. SIMMERS, Acting-Director.

Sitting of the Native Land Court at Rotorua on 7th May, 1946

Office of the Native Land Court, Rotorua, 5th April, 1946.

NOTICE is hereby given that the matters mentioned in the Schedule hereunder will be heard by the Native Land Court sitting at Rotorua on Tuesday, the 7th May, 1946, at 10.30 a.m., or as soon thereafter as the business of the Court will allow.

C. V. FORDHAM, Registrar.

SCHEDULE