May 20] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE 597

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—continued
Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for April, 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 APRIL, 1948

General.—There was little settled weather in the early part of the month, but conditions improved considerably towards the end. Useful rains helped to relieve the drought in the Rangitikei and North Wairarapa districts; but more rain was needed, and what did occur fell too late to provide sufficient growth for winter feed. Parts of Canterbury also were adversely affected by low rainfall. Over the remainder of the country autumn growth was good and stock was reported to be in healthy condition.

Rainfall.—The rainfall was a little below average in the northern and southern parts of the Wellington Province, in southern Hawke’s Bay, near Hamilton, and from Manukau Harbour northwards; over the remainder of the North Island it was above average. The excess was not large, except in the Bay of Plenty and eastern Coromandel, where the heavy rains of the 17th brought the monthly totals up to two or three times the average.

Nelson and Marlborough had a slight excess, as had a few scattered places on the east coast well exposed to south-westerlies. Over the remainder of the South Island totals were below average, and in the southern part under half the average.

Thunderstorms were fairly numerous, especially in the Auckland Province. During one phenomenal storm which travelled eastwards along the Bay of Plenty coast-line on the night of the 17th, the rainfall amounted to 7·28 in. at Opotiki, 7 in. at Whakatane, and 8·97 in. (7 in. falling in three hours) at Tauranga. A youth was killed and six others injured by lightning at Matawai on the afternoon of the 2nd.

Temperatures.—Mean temperatures were slightly above average in the North Island, except in coastal districts south of East Cape. In Nelson, Buller, and Fjord districts departures were positive, but over the remainder of the South Island temperatures were mostly between one and two degrees below normal.

Frosts were fairly general from the 8th–10th and again from the 27th–29th. Snow fell to low levels in the south on the 25th.

Sunshine.—Departures from average of the total sunshine were small and closely followed the pattern of the temperature anomalies. The Rangitikei District, however, had an appreciable excess, which amounted to the equivalent of an hour a day.

Weather Sequence.—At the beginning of the month a shallow depression was located in the far north with its occlusion lying south of Auckland City. During the first two days the belt of heavy rain and thunderstorms associated with the occlusion moved slowly south-eastwards across the Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, and Hawke’s Bay. An anticyclone travelled eastwards off the South Island followed by a weak trough, which produced a few showers in the south on the morning of the 4th. Morning fogs were widespread in Canterbury on this and the following morning.

Westerlies prevailed, becoming strong on the 5th as a deep depression passed in the far south. The centre of an even deeper depression crossed Campbell Island at midday on the 6th. Strong south-westerlies swept over the Dominion, bringing a sharp drop in temperatures, and cold showery weather with scattered hail and thunderstorms.

With the advance of a large anticyclone from the Tasman Sea, settled weather spread from the south and west during the 8th. Showers persisted, however, in the Gisborne District and spread later to other eastern districts of the North Island.

Winds were turning north-easterly on the 14th as the anticyclone moved away to the south-east. An extensive and complex disturbance which developed over the Tasman Sea began to move very slowly towards New Zealand. A general deterioration followed, and the weather remained very unsettled until the 26th. During this period rainfall was only light and infrequent from Canterbury southwards, but most other districts had substantial falls. Of special note were the phenomenal thunderstorm rains during the night of the 17th, which caused some flooding in the Bay of Plenty District. On the 18th winds backed north-westerly in the North Island. After the centre had crossed to the east of Wellington on the night of the 20th there was a temporary change to south-westerlies, while the weather cleared east of the North Island ranges. Two days later another deep depression travelled rapidly south-eastwards across the middle of the South Island, producing gales about Cook Strait and further widespread rain. During the 25th a cold showery south-westerly current advanced rapidly north-eastwards in the rear of an active cold front. In the south there were frequent hail showers and some snow to low levels.

Winds remained strong in Otago and Southland, and showers persisted in the latter district until the 27th, but elsewhere fine weather prevailed by the 26th with the approach of an intense anticyclone from the Tasman Sea. Inland frosts occurred in both islands from the 27th to the 29th.

High barometric pressures and settled weather continued until the end of the month, apart from a brief period of showers in Southland on the morning of the 30th due to the passage of a disturbance far to the south.

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 WEDNESDAY, 5TH MAY, 1948

• Expressed in New Zealand currency.

Proportion of reserve (No. 7 less No. 5) to notes and other demand liabilities, 67·711 per cent.

W. R. EGGERS, Chief Accountant.