CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—continued
Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for October, 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 OCTOBER, 1948
General.—Changeable westerly weather prevailed throughout October, except in the first week. There were no settled spells, and frequent rain over the greater part of the country has delayed farming operations. East of the ranges, on the other hand, growth of cereals and pastures has been checked by a combination of low rainfall and strong drying winds. In the north, early vegetables were in some cases badly affected by blight.

Rainfall.—East of the ranges from Napier southwards to Central Otago rainfall was below normal, totals being less than half in the coastal districts of Canterbury. Nelson, Marlborough, and the eastern part of the Auckland Peninsula had small deficiencies. Thus, over the greater part of the country the rainfall was above normal. Totals reached double the normal in an area south-east of Auckland City.

Temperatures.—Mean temperatures were about one degree above normal in the Auckland Province; elsewhere the month, as a whole, was slightly cooler than usual. On the Canterbury coast, however, several very warm days towards the end of the month helped to carry the mean temperature a little above normal. In Timaru and Dunedin the maximum temperature on the 28th was the highest recorded in any October since 1914.

Sunshine.—East of the ranges the duration of bright sunshine was, in general, above normal; also in Nelson and Marlborough. Only in parts of Hawke’s Bay and South Canterbury was the excess as much as twenty hours. Elsewhere, totals failed to reach the average by small amounts, except in Taranaki, where the deficiency was over thirty hours.

Weather Sequence.—A cold front which had moved rapidly northwards during the night of the 1st slowed up and became stationary over the Auckland District. Under the influence of a deep depression advancing slowly eastwards across the Tasman Sea, rain became general and persistent over the North Island, with substantial falls in the Auckland Province and some local flooding. The centre crossed Auckland on the 6th. Some light falls extended to eastern and northern districts of the South Island, but the weather was fair in Westland and, after the 2nd, in Southland also. A small anticyclone which had developed in the south crossed to the east of Canterbury on the 4th. On the 8th a vigorous cold front, associated with a deep depression in the far south, travelled north-eastward over the Dominion accompanied by a band of heavy rain. Afterwards, cool south-westerlies produced occasional showers in most districts. A ridge of high pressure gave a temporary clearance on the 11th.

Two depressions then moved rapidly south-eastwards past Southland. The trough associated with the first arrived from the west on the night of the 12th and passed away beyond East Cape thirty-six hours later. After a very brief clearance the second trough reached Southland on the morning of the 15th. A secondary cold front following a day later passed off to the north-east on the afternoon of the 17th. Pressures remained relatively high to the north, while a series of deep south-eastward-moving depressions passed in succession to the south of the Dominion. Boisterous westerly conditions continued until the end of the month. Rain was frequent and often heavy, especially in and west of the South Island ranges. Of the associated troughs those which moved across on the 19th and 23rd were particularly active, being accompanied by gales and widespread thunderstorms. During their passage some brief rain penetrated to the Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay Plains, but otherwise the weather there remained fair. Towards the end of the month day temperatures became very warm east of the ranges.

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, 10th November, 1948.
W. G. BAIRD, Public Trustee.