APRIL 22] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE 433

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—continued
Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for March, 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 MARCH, 1948

General.—March was a warm, sunny, and rather windy month. It was the fifth successive dry month in the Rangitikei-Manawatu and Wairarapa districts, where lack of feed and water for stock is causing serious concern. Over much of Canterbury, too, there is likely to be a serious shortage of winter feed. Timely rains in the middle of the month relieved the situation in Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne, but in South Auckland the flush of growth which followed caused an outbreak of facial eczema, where precautions were not taken to keep stock off the new grass.

Rainfall.—In the eastern part of the Coromandel Peninsula the rainfall was over twice the average amount, 7·30 in. being recorded at Tairua on the 13th. Totals were slightly above normal about and north of Auckland City, near New Plymouth, from Gisborne to East Cape, on the West Coast, and in Otago (excluding South Otago). Over the greater part of the country the rainfall was below average, highest deficiencies occurring in North Canterbury, Banks Peninsula, and North Wairarapa. In the latter area the total rainfall since the beginning of last November has been less than for any other period of five consecutive months since records commenced fifty years ago. Thunderstorms were widespread in Otago and Southland on the 5th, and on the West Coast on the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 29th.

Temperatures.—In the North Island, mean temperatures were two to three degrees above average. On the West Coast they differed little from the average, but over the remainder of the South Island departures were also positive and of the order of one to two degrees.

Sunshine.—The duration of sunshine was slightly below the average in western and northern portions of the North Island; other districts had a surplus, which was greatest to the east of the main ranges. Timaru had the equivalent of almost two hours a day more sunshine than the average for March.

Weather Sequence.—Temperatures were high at the beginning of the month, as an anticyclone moved off to the east. A cold front associated with a deep depression in the south brought brief rain to western districts. Backing westerly, winds were strong for a time in the South Island, but soon decreased with the arrival of an anticyclone from the Tasman Sea.

On the 5th a shallow depression moved slowly past Southland. Its cold front, like its predecessor, failed to carry rain to districts east of the North Island’s ranges, but produced some heavy thunderstorms in Otago.

There was a predominance of strong westerly winds from the 7th to the 11th, while a series of deep depressions was passing in the south. Several westerly troughs brought periods of heavy rain to western and southern districts of the South Island; elsewhere little or no rain fell. Temperatures became somewhat cooler on the 9th.

Fine weather became general over the South Island on the 12th, but a weak frontal system advancing slowly north-eastwards over the North Island intensified considerably, giving widespread rain north of the Manawatu. With the approach of a tropical cyclone the rains retreated southwards again as far as Nelson and North Canterbury. Easterlies rose to gale force, and heavy falls were experienced in exposed parts of the Auckland and Coromandel Peninsulas. After passing just east of Russell during the morning of the 16th, the cyclone crossed the Chatham Islands twenty-four hours later. Meanwhile the weather cleared rapidly over the Dominion, as an anticyclone advanced from the west. On the 19th this anticyclone had two centres, one on either side of the North Island. Within the intervening trough, rain became widespread for a time over the south-eastern part of the Auckland Province.

Cooler temperatures and a band of heavy rain followed behind the vigorous cold front of the 20th, although only a few scattered showers penetrated to Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne.

The next anticyclone made only very slow progress across the Tasman Sea, pressures remaining very low to the south of New Zealand. Showery south-westerly conditions prevailed, two secondary cold fronts crossing the country on the 22nd and 23rd.

While the centre of the anticyclone was crossing the North Island on the 25th the weather was fine generally except for fog, which developed at night in the South Island.

North-easterlies began to freshen in the north early on the 27th, when a vigorous tropical cyclone was lying midway between Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands. Travelling south-eastwards at about forty miles per hour the centre passed across South Canterbury on the morning of the 28th. Northerlies had risen to strong gale force in places, especially about Nelson and Cook Strait. Rain was widespread but, due to the rapid movement of the storm, was of relatively short duration. The rains failed to reach Hawke’s Bay or the Wairarapa.

On the 29th north-westerlies remained strong south of Taranaki, and frequent heavy showers with occasional thunder continued on the West Coast, the weather having cleared elsewhere. Next morning widespread fogs were reported from the Auckland Province, while cool southerlies were advancing northwards on to the North Island as an anticyclone extended on to Otago from the west. With the slow development of a depression in the north, south-easterly winds became strong over much of the North Island, and rain spread over the Auckland Province. Some heavy falls were reported near Auckland City on the 31st.

M. A. F. BARNETT, Director.

Public Trust Office Act, 1908, and its Amendments.—Election to administer Estates

NOTICE is hereby given that the Public Trustee has filed in the Supreme Court an election to administer in respect of the several estates of the persons deceased whose names, residences, and occupations (so far as known) are hereunder set forth :—

Public Trust Office, Wellington, 20th April, 1948. W. G. BAIRD, Public Trustee.

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