JUNE 24]
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
797

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—continued
Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for May, 1948—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.

NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR MAY, 1948

General.--The most notable feature of the month was the high rainfall, which affected most of the North Island, as well as Nelson and Marlborough. One storm, which developed towards the middle of the month, caused severe flood damage and loss of stock in the Gisborne District. A week later another storm moved away just in time to prevent a major flood in the Wairarapa and Manawatu districts, losses in this instance being relatively small. On the other hand, the depleted hydro-electric water reserves received very substantial gains. Farmers, too, regarded it as a favourable month, pasture growth being maintained throughout under the prevailing mild temperatures.

Rainfall.--Rainfall was well above average in the North Island, except for slight negative departures in the eastern part of the Auckland Peninsula. Over the greater part of the Island, totals were over double, and in parts over treble the average, the greatest excesses being about Gisborne and the adjacent ranges. In many places new May records were established.

It was also very wet in Nelson and Marlborough and moderately so on the West Coast and the high country. On the other hand, Southland and Otago (except the western portion) had only about half the average rainfall.

Thunderstorms were much more frequent than usual, occurring on five or more days over much of the North Island and in Westland.

Temperatures.--Mean temperatures were above average, in most cases by about one degree. Marlborough and south and central Otago were exceptions, and their values only just failed to reach the average.

Frosts were fewer and less severe than usual.

Sunshine.--In parts of Otago and Southland the duration of bright sunshine exceeded the average by a few hours; elsewhere totals were below average. The deficiency was large over Auckland, Taranaki, Nelson, and Westland, but surprisingly small over the remainder of the North Island.

Weather Sequence.--With an anticyclone to the west of New Zealand and a deep depression moving away beyond Chatham Islands, light south-westerlies and fine weather were predominant for the first three days. Brief showers occurred in Southland and Westland during the passage of a weak trough on the 2nd.

The anticyclone moved off to the north-east on the 4th with the advance of a deep depression from the west. Rain had become widespread when the centre moved rapidly past Southland on the evening of the 5th. A cold southerly change followed, but with rapidly decreasing winds the weather soon improved, except over North Auckland, where a shallow depression from the North Tasman Sea delayed the clearance until the morning of the 8th. That same day rain commenced in the south-west as a vigorous trough approached from the west. Many violent thunderstorms occurred during its passage across the North Island on the 10th. A low-pressure centre which developed over the centre of the Island moved away rapidly south-eastwards.

South-westerlies then prevailed, but winds turned to strong southerlies behind a cold front which advanced northwards during the 12th. The second depression to develop over the North Island crossed the coast between Gisborne and East Cape early on the 13th, then moved very slowly north-eastwards. Strong south-easterly gales and heavy rain continued in the eastern half of the North Island for three days, resulting in severe flooding in the Gisborne and Wairoa districts. Meanwhile, an anticyclone had brought clear frosty weather to the South Island. Showers still persisted north of Napier after the 15th, when it had cleared over the rest of the North Island.

The anticyclone was south of Chatham Islands on the 17th. With the approach of a major disturbance from the Tasman Sea, north-easterlies reached gale force for a time and rain became general. The main centre passed away to the south on the 19th, but during the next few days several secondary centres which developed to the west caused unsettled weather with frequent rain to persist over the greater part of the country. Only light falls, however, were experienced to the east of the Alps and in the south. When the last and most vigorous of the series crossed to the east of the Wellington Province on the 23rd, southerlies prevailed and rose to gale force about Cook Strait. Very heavy rain during the night of the 22nd was chiefly responsible for minor flooding in southern Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu, and Wairarapa districts.

A ridge of high pressure gave a temporary improvement on the 24th. A series of westerly troughs followed, each being accompanied by a belt of rain which affected all but east coast districts. The last of this series, while crossing the North Island on the 28th, produced widespread thunderstorms.

An anticyclone built up to the north of New Zealand, but barometers remained low to the south and south-west. It remained fair and mild on the Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay Plains, but elsewhere showery westerly conditions, interspersed with occasional periods of heavy rain, continued until the end of the month.

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, 9TH JUNE, 1948

Liabilities

£(N.Z.)123,004,026 4 2

Assets

£(N.Z.)123,004,026 4 2

• Expressed in New Zealand currency.

Proportion of reserve (No. 7 less No. 5) to notes and other demand liabilities, 69·696 per cent.

W. R. EGGERS, Chief Accountant.