2476
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
[No. 60

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—continued
Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for September, 1949—continued

LATE RETURNS

| Akaroa, March, 1949 .. | 150 | 68·3 | 49·7 | 59·0 | —0·6 | 88·3 | 17 | 38·0 | 27 | 4·18 | 14 | (+0·36) | 1·28 | 22 | 213·8 |
| Akaroa, April, 1949 .. | 150 | 59·9 | 45·5 | 52·7 | —3·1 | 73·0 | 1 | 37·6 | 13 | 3·61 | 13 | (—0·36) | 0·96 | 12 | 128·1 |
| Akaroa, May, 1949 .. | 150 | 55·1 | 44·9 | 50·0 | —0·4 | 68·0 | 27 | 36·0 | 15 | 2·29 | 15 | (—4·78) | 0·65 | 11 | 86·3 |
| Akaroa, June, 1949 .. | 150 | 50·2 | 39·2 | 44·7 | —1·4 | 58·0 | 4 | 30·0 | 5 | 6·51 | 15 | (+1·10) | 1·96 | 23 | 63·9 |
| Akaroa, July, 1949 .. | 150 | 52·2 | 40·3 | 46·2 | +1·2 | 66·2 | 20 | 32·2 | 1 | 2·99 | 12 | (+2·93) | 0·70 | 2 | 109·4 |
| Akaroa, August, 1949 .. | 150 | 53·5 | 38·6 | 46·0 | —0·4 | 64·8 | 23 | 31·0 | 31 | 1·53 | 13 | (—3·07) | 0·28 | 5 | 144·6 |
| Lake Tekapo, Aug., 1949 | 2,350 | 49·0 | 19·8 | 34·4 | —2·8 | 60·2 | 30 | 11·2 | 7 | 1·90 | 5 | —0·08 | 0·50 | 5, 20 | .. |
| East Gore, Aug., 1949 .. | 245 | 51·9 | 33·8 | 42·8 | +0·3 | 63·0 | 22 | 25·0 | 2 | 2·35 | 19 | +0·17 | 0·72 | 4 | .. |

NOTE.—At stations where departures from normal are in parentheses, the temperature record has been maintained for less than ten years, the rainfall record for less than twenty years, and the normals are partly interpolated.

NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR SEPTEMBER, 1949

General.—On the whole September was dry and sunny. There was much settled weather until the last week when cold, stormy conditions developed in the south and widespread snow was responsible for the death of many young lambs.

Growth of crops and pastures in eastern districts has been retarded by lack of rain and strong, drying winds, but conditions in the west and in the main dairying districts have been favourable. Frosts towards the end of the month caused severe damage in stone-fruit orchards and to early vegetables.

Rainfall.—For the country as a whole the rainfall was below half the normal. There was a slight excess in the area from Tolaga Bay to East Cape and at a few scattered places in the Rotorua - Bay of Plenty and Southland Districts. The total at Hastings managed to exceed the normal with the help of a local thunderstorm on the 8th. In South Canterbury and Marlborough it was exceptionally dry—the driest of any September since the turn of the century.

During a local thunderstorm on the afternoon of the 11th, lightning destroyed the chimney of a house in a Dunedin suburb. On the 17th hailstones as large as pigeons’ eggs were reported from Ruawai, North Auckland, where much damage was caused to plants and fruit trees. Hail was fairly general during the last few days of the month.

Temperatures.—Mean temperatures in inland districts were mostly above normal by small amounts; on the coast they were slightly below normal. During the last quarter, snow fell on several occasions in Southland and South Otago, and in the high country of both islands. When the weather cleared towards the end of the month, some exceptionally severe frosts were registered—at Taihape and Christchurch new records were established.

Sunshine.—The duration of bright sunshine was well above average, apart from slight deficiencies in the provinces of Auckland, Taranaki, and Southland. The sunshine at Westport, Ashburton, and Methven exceeded any other September totals on record.

Weather Sequence.—Following the passage of a cold front on the 2nd an anticyclone advanced on to New Zealand where it intensified considerably. Although the main centre crossed the North Island on the 4th, barometers remained consistently high for over a week as other high-pressure centres moved across from the west. Light winds and fine weather prevailed throughout the period except during the passage of two shallow troughs. With the first of these rain fell for a time in western districts south of Taranaki on the 5th; the second gave a similar rainfall distribution on the 7th, but on the next day it also produced brief downpours in eastern districts between Banks Peninsula and East Cape.

The extensive high-pressure system finally moved off to the east on the 10th and northerlies prevailed for a time. During the next two days an active trough moved leisurely eastwards across the country accompanied by fairly general rain. Although the weather improved in the south and west with the arrival of a ridge of high pressure, rain continued intermittently in eastern parts of the Auckland Province as a depression passed in the north. As the latter moved away, there was a brief general clearance before skies again clouded over ahead of a complex disturbance which was then developing in the Tasman Sea. On the 16th rain extended southwards over the North Island, and later to the northern and western districts of the South Island. After the low-pressure centre had crossed South Auckland on the 19th, cold southerlies became general. With decreasing winds on the 20th the weather gradually cleared from the west and south.

A depression which formed near Tasmania on the 21st deepened rapidly. When the associated cold front reached Southland on the morning of the 23rd, the centre had passed beyond Campbell Island. Wintry south-westerly winds forced the cold front northwards and brought widespread snow to Southland and South Otago, and hail and rain showers to other districts exposed to the south-west. Barometers remained very low to the south—even dropping as far as 953 millibars—(28·15 in.) at Campbell Island—and cold, stormy conditions continued over southern New Zealand for almost a week. On the other hand Canterbury, Marlborough, and other districts sheltered from south-westerlies had fair weather during this period. General rain occurred on the north when a small but active depression moved across Northland on the 27th.

An anticyclone which had been stationary for some time over south-eastern Australia began to move out across the Tasman Sea on the 29th. As it approached New Zealand the weather gradually cleared and severe frosts were recorded over most of the country.

(N.Z.M.O. 107.)
M. A. F. BARNETT, Director.

Sitting of the Maori Land Court at Wanganui on the 14th November, 1949

Maori Land Court, Wanganui, 13th October, 1949.

NOTICE is hereby given that the applications mentioned in the Schedule hereunder written will be heard by the Maori Land Court sitting at Wanganui on the 14th November, 1949, or as soon thereafter as the business of the Court will allow.

L. J. BROOKER, Registrar.

[Aotea, 1949/50—15.]

SCHEDULE