JAN. 24]

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE

65

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

LATE RETURNS

| Te Paki, Te Hapua, Nov., 1945 | 200 | 65·4 | 51·9 | 58·6 | (-0·5) | 69·0 | 26 | 41·0 | 24 | 0·72 | 3 | .. | 0·52 | 22 | 215·6 |
| Kerikeri, Nov., 1945 | 200 | 70·3 | 45·1 | 57·7 | .. | 76·0 | 30 | 38·0 | 4 | 0·75 | 1 | .. | 0·75 | 23 | 239·8 |
| Auckland, Nov., 1945 | 160 | 67·5 | 54·3 | 60·9 | +0·6 | 72·4 | 30 | 49·0 | 4 | 0·48 | 6 | -3·12 | 0·23 | 22 | 250·8 |
| Wanganui, Nov., 1945 | 72 | 65·4 | 51·8 | 58·6 | (+0·2) | 75·0 | 22 | 41·0 | 18 | 1·11 | 6 | -2·07 | 0·61 | 4 | 246·1 |
| Appleby, Nelson, Nov., 1945 | 57 | 69·1 | 49·3 | 59·2 | (+2·1) | 80·2 | 9 | 39·1 | 1 | 1·83 | 6 | -1·08 | 0·85 | 22 | .. |
| Woodbourne Aerodrome, Nov., 1945 | 89 | 70·6 | 49·2 | 59·9 | .. | 81·2 | 30 | 39·8 | 11,16 | 2·18 | 4 | .. | 1·04 | 22 | .. |
| Balmoral, Nov., 1945 | 743 | 69·9 | 47·6 | 58·8 | +3·3 | 80·5 | 29 | 33·0 | 16 | 0·27 | 5 | .. | 0·10 | 22 | .. |

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 DECEMBER, 1945

General.—The chief feature of December was its exceptional coldness. In Auckland and Hawke’s Bay Provinces drying westerly winds have diminished the value of the meagre rainfall. The continuance there of dry conditions is adversely affecting production. In other districts rain has been more frequent, but, without adequate warmth, pastures, fruit, and vegetables are backward. The hay harvested has been rather light. In the South Island most crops are fairly promising. Broken weather generally has hindered shearing and harvesting.

Rainfall.—Rainfall was deficient, except locally near Gisborne, in Auckland, and Hawke’s Bay Provinces, and many parts received less than half the average falls. The dryness is especially critical in central Hawke’s Bay. Farther south most parts of the North Island had a slight excess of rain. With the Waimea Valley area excepted, most of the South Island had surplus rain, and totals 50 to 100 per cent. above average were common throughout Canterbury and Otago.

Temperature.—Over the Dominion as a whole there has been no colder December in meteorological history. For the majority of climatological stations taken individually the mean for the month was the lowest on record, and in some cases by a margin of about 2° F. Even where records were not broken they were approached closely. The departures below normal were generally 2° F. to 5° F., but in inland Canterbury and Central Otago some were 6° F. and 7° F. The temperatures prevailing were more appropriate to November than to December, and over the holiday period from Christmas onward they were more akin to those of early October. Snow fell on the ranges on several occasions. Numerous hailstorms occurred, and a few frosts damaged vegetable growth in both islands.

Sunshine.—Although Wellington Province was slightly below average for sunshine, the rest of the North Island had a surplus. In the South Island the distribution was erratic, but Nelson, Blenheim, Christchurch, and Timaru showed moderate excesses above their normals.

Weather Sequence.—A frontal system moved north-eastward off New Zealand early on the 2nd. Ahead north-westerlies were strong, and many districts, except those east of the North Island ranges, received a period of rather heavy rain. South-westerlies soon prevailed and, except for a few showers about Foveaux Strait and South Westland, the weather became fair. An anticyclone was passing eastward across Auckland while a cold front reached southern New Zealand late on the 3rd. With the formation of a depression near the South Island rain became very heavy in the Alps, and substantial falls spread to North Otago and South Canterbury. The front quickly crossed eastward over the North Island on the 5th, with brief rain in western districts. During the 6th and 7th a change to fresh southerlies brought a general drop in temperatures, and hail occurred in many areas. A small disturbance caused some heavy rain between Christchurch and Cape Campbell. Pressure continued to rise in the south, and a depression deepening near Chatham Islands maintained the cold southerly flow. Showers were isolated, and the weather soon cleared. Frosts occurred in many inland districts on the 9th.

Conditions deteriorated on the 11th when a depression was located just south of the Dominion. The associated trough as it advanced eastward caused a period of strong north-westerlies, with brief rain in western districts. In Taranaki, however, the amounts were heavy. The weather soon improved and was generally fair on the 12th.

A depression associated with the next cold front developed off South Westland on the 13th and caused a short period of rain over most of the South Island, and later scattered rain extended to western districts of the North Island. A secondary cold front brought a more definite southerly change with a few showers in eastern districts on the 14th and 15th. A weak wedge then passed followed by a deep depression far to the south. The associated cold front was weak and gave only scattered showers on the 16th and 17th, and on the 18th the weather was mostly fair with fresh south-westerlies.

On the 19th a depression passing south-eastward off southern New Zealand gave a little rain in that region, and next day strong south-westerlies with showery conditions were fairly general. There was a rapid improvement and an anticyclone was covering New Zealand by the 22nd. Except for occasional rain in Westland and near Foveaux Strait the weather continued fair and temperatures became warmer.

After a frontal system which had been affecting southern districts on the 23rd and 24th advanced, cool south-westerlies prevailed on the 25th, with occasional showers in eastern districts. A secondary cold front advanced the next day, and cold southerlies brought showery conditions, especially on the east coast. Depressions to the east developed into a very deep system in the Chatham Island neighbourhood and maintained cold changeable southerly weather over New Zealand. It had become much brighter by the 29th as a weak wedge passed, but a new frontal system approached from the south-west. This caused extensive cloud and occasional rain, with cold southerlies or south-westerlies becoming general again, but fair intervals increased on the 31st.

M. A. F. BARNETT, Director.

Notification of Vacancy of Seat in the House of Representatives for the Electoral District of Raglan

IN compliance with the provisions of section 103 of the Electoral Act, 1927, I, Frederick William Schramm, Speaker of the House of Representatives of New Zealand, hereby notify that Robert Coulter, a member of the House of Representatives for the Electoral District of Raglan, died on the 31st day of December, 1945, during a recess of the House, and that the said seat in the House of Representatives for the said Electoral District is vacant by reason of such death.

Dated at Auckland, the 8th day of January, 1946.

F. W. SCHRAMM, Speaker.

Sale of Unclaimed Property

Police Department,
Wellington, 4th January, 1946.

IT is hereby notified that unclaimed property in the hands of the Police at the various police-stations will, if not claimed before Saturday, the 9th February, 1946, be sold thereafter by public auction.

Particulars as to the time and place of sale may be obtained from the Superintendent or Inspector of Police in charge of the District.

J. CUMMINGS, Commissioner of Police.

Price Order No. 478 (Amending Price Order No. 130) (Razor Blades)

PURSUANT to the powers conferred on it by the Control of Prices Emergency Regulations 1939,* the Price Tribunal, acting with the authority of the Minister of Industries and Commerce, doth hereby make the following amending Price Order:

1. This Order may be cited as Price Order No. 478, and shall be read together with and deemed part of Price Order No. 130† (hereinafter referred to as the principal Order).

2. This Order shall come into force on the 24th day of January, 1946.

3. The principal Order is hereby amended by inserting, after the word “blades” in clause 2, the words “manufactured in the United Kingdom.”

Dated at Wellington, this 21st day of January, 1946.

The Seal of the Price Tribunal was affixed hereto in the presence of—

H. L. Wise, Member.
Leo Munro, Associate Member.

*Statutory Regulations 1939, Serial numb. 1939/275, page 1057. † Gazette, 15th April, 1943, Vol. I, page 447.