MAR. 17] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE 735

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—continued

Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for February, 1949—continued

LATE RETURNS

| Golden Downs, Jan.,1949 | 900 | 68·9 | 47·2 | 58·0 | —1·7 | 82·0 | 23 | 32·0 | 29 | 3·32 | 12 | —0·52 | 0·88 | 20 | .. |
| Molesworth, Dec., 1948 | 2,930 | 69·2 | 46·6 | 57·9 | (+3·3) | 84·0 | 28 | 31·5 | 23 | 0·60 | 2 | (—1·72) | 0·35 | 31 | .. |
| Molesworth, Jan., 1949 | 2,930 | 65·9 | 42·5 | 54·2 | (—2·4) | 81·2 | 22 | 31·0 | 15 | 2·84 | 7 | (+0·76) | 1·25 | 2 | .. |
| Lake Tekapo, Jan., 1949 | 2,350 | 66·3 | 42·0 | 54·2 | —3·2 | 77·3 | 16 | 29·5 | 28 | 1·54 | 9 | —0·48 | 0·50 | 26 | .. |

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 FEBRUARY, 1949

General.—Apart from heavy rains on the West Coast of the South Island, February was dry and very warm. The period from the 4th to 12th was easily the longest spell of persistently high temperatures so far experienced in Canterbury and Otago. With few exceptions farmers considered it a very favourable month. Crops and stock did well, and dairy production was maintained at a high level. Insect pests were rather troublesome in some North Island districts and white butterflies were reported to be more numerous than in recent years.

Rainfall.—Over the greater part of the North Island, also in Nelson, Marlborough (excluding the Sounds), Canterbury, and coastal Otago rainfall was below the average. The deficiency was very marked in northern Hawkes Bay and near Christchurch. Those portions of the North Island with a slight excess included Taranaki, Manawatu, Bay of Plenty, and the northern part of the Auckland Peninsula. A predominance of warm north-westerly winds ensured a very high rainfall in and west of the South Island ranges. Central Otago also had a large excess. A noteworthy three-day rainfall of 22 in. was recorded at Bruce Bay from the 9th to 11th inclusive.

Temperatures.—East of the main ranges mean temperatures were over 3° above normal, and as much as 5° in parts of Canterbury. During an exceptionally hot spell early in the month, temperatures in Christchurch rose above 90° F. on five successive days. Over the remainder of the country there was a positive departure of 1 or 2 degrees except on the West Coast where temperatures were about average.

Sunshine.—The main mountain chain made a fairly sharp division in the distribution of sunshine. To the east totals were well above average, while in Taranaki and the Manawatu district they were moderately so. Elsewhere sunshine was deficient, the Auckland Province suffering most in this respect.

Weather Sequence.—After the passage of a cold front on the 1st, the weather cleared rapidly with the approach of an anticyclone from the west. The latter moved across to the east on the 2nd, where it became stationary and slowly intensified. Under its influence northerly winds prevailed and continued without interruption over the greater part of the country for more than a week. This period was very wet in and west of the South Island ranges—in Fiordland some exceptionally heavy rains were experienced. The Auckland and Taranaki provinces had intermittent rain, with a few isolated local thunderstorms between the 4th and 7th. Over the remainder of the country the weather was fine and hot with exceptionally high temperatures in Canterbury and Otago. Some showers extended across to eastern districts of Otago during the passage of a weak disturbance in the south on the 9th.

Winds began to freshen from the north-west on the 11th, later rising to gale force about Cook Strait. A belt of rain accompanied a cold front travelling north-eastwards over the country during the 12th and 13th. Dry weather, however, continued in Canterbury, and it soon cleared elsewhere, except in the far north where the front became stationary. With the development of wave depressions on the front, rain extended gradually southwards as far as Nelson and Marlborough. Heavy falls occurred in the Manawatu, when the first depression passed south-eastwards across the district on the night of the 16th. Next night a cold front reached Southland from the south-west, while the second-wave depression crossed the northern tip of the Dominion. A temporary clearance followed. After another cold front passage on the 19th, cool southerlies prevailed and the weather improved rapidly.

On the 21st an anticyclone crossed over to the east of the Dominion. Skies became overcast and northerlies increased next day in advance of a deep depression whose centre passed over Southland on the 23rd. It produced general rain, except in Hawkes Bay, and some heavy falls about the Southern Alps. Conditions improved gradually during the 24th, and after a few further showers in the south on the 25th, fine anticyclone weather prevailed 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, 2ND MARCH, 1949

• Expressed in New Zealand currency.

Proportion of reserve (No. 7 less No. 5) to notes and other demand liabilities, 37·027 per cent.

R. W. COX, Deputy Chief Accountant.

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