Feb. 19] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE 205

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—continued

Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for January, 1948—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.

NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR JANUARY, 1948

General.—On the whole, January was sunny and very warm. In most districts rain fell in useful amounts for the growth of crops and pastures without hindering harvesting operations. In Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay, however, hot north-westerly winds tended to nullify the beneficial effects of the rainfall. It has been a good season for stone and small fruits, while the pip-fruit crop promises to be the best for many years. Stock is reported to be in very healthy condition.

Rainfall.—Over the greater part of the country totals were slightly below the average. Largest deficiencies were in Northern Wairarapa, where the rainfall amounted to a little less than half the average. There were slight surpluses in North Canterbury, over much of the Auckland Province, and about Wellington City, and moderate surpluses over Nelson and Marlborough.

Many thunderstorms were reported from Otago and Southland on the 7th and 9th, while those of the 10th and 17th were fairly widespread over both islands.

Temperatures.—Mean temperatures were everywhere above normal. In Canterbury and Central Otago the departure was almost 4 degrees, about 2·5 degrees in the Wellington Province and the remainder of the South Island, and 1 to 2 degrees elsewhere. In Timaru it was the warmest January since records commenced in 1909.

Sunshine.—Most sunshine totals were well above normal, the chief exceptions being Taranaki, Nelson, and a few places in the south, where slight deficiencies were recorded. The excess was greatest in South Canterbury, where Timaru also bettered its previous sunshine record.

Weather Sequence.—For the first few days the Dominion was on the fringe of an intense anticyclone centred near the Chatham Islands, and fine warm weather prevailed. With an increase in the north-easterly winds as the anticyclone moved away, scattered rain developed in the far north on the 3rd, and during the next two days gradually extended southwards over most of the Auckland Province.

On the 6th a complex disturbance was approaching from the Tasman Sea, and rain began to fall on the West Coast. One centre was passing close to Southland on the 8th, when the associated trough began to move slowly eastwards across the country. The passage of the trough took three days, during which two new depressions formed on either side of the South Island. On the 11th the main centre near Banks Peninsula deepened considerably, and after following an unusual south-westerly course ultimately filled up near Stewart Island several days later. Rain was general during this period, with heavy falls in most places except to the east of the ranges. Showers persisted in western and southern portions of the South Island, but elsewhere fair weather prevailed on the 12th. A weak anticyclone crossed the Auckland Peninsula on the 13th.

With the approach of another active disturbance from the Tasman Sea widespread rain again developed. One centre, which remained off Westland for a time before filling up, produced heavy falls over Nelson and Marlborough on the 15th and 16th. Another deep centre which formed further to the north crossed the Waitomo and Bay of Plenty districts during the 18th, while a third and even deeper centre which had formed east of Hawke’s Bay on the 17th moved south-eastwards to the Chatham Islands. Cold southerlies rose to gale force on exposed parts of the east coast, but winds decreased and the weather cleared on the 19th.

From the 20th to the 27th New Zealand was under the influence of an extensive stationary anticyclone centred over the Tasman Sea. Over the greater part of the country fine warm weather continued, but in Southland and Westland several showery periods resulted from the passage of a series of westerly troughs in the far south. When the anticyclone crossed to the east of the North Island on the 29th, a deep tropical cyclone had moved into the North Tasman Sea. Skies gradually clouded over, while light rain which developed first in the far north later became fairly widespread over both islands. An anticyclone which moved rapidly eastwards across the South Tasman Sea brought a temporary southerly change as far as the Wellington Province, and delayed the southward progress of the cyclone.

M. A. F. BARNETT, Director.

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