206
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
[No. 12

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—continued
Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for January, 1950—continued

LATE RETURNS

| Pahiatua, Dec., 1949 .. | 384 | 67·5 | 50·9 | 59·2 | -0·8 | 78·2 | 22 | 39·2 | 5 | 4·52 | 20 | +0·61 | 0·73 | 23 | .. |
| Golden Downs, Dec., 1949 | 900 | 65·7 | 44·2 | 55·0 | -2·8 | 74·9 | 13 | 36·0 | 12 | 4·93 | 12 | (+1·21) | 0·85 | 25 | .. |
| Haast, Dec., 1949 .. | 15 | 61·0 | 47·0 | 54·0 | .. | 69·0 | 31 | 39·0 | 9 | 16·59 | 21 | .. | 2·42 | 16 | 172·0 |
| Waipiata, Dec., 1949 .. | 1,550 | 64·8 | 44·8 | 54·8 | -1·5 | 78·5 | 22 | 35·8 | 11 | 1·76 | 10 | -0·58 | 0·55 | 29 | 181·7 |

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 JANUARY, 1950

General.—The majority of depressions in the New Zealand area passed well to the south. Rain was frequent in the west and south of the South Island, but in the North Island the weather was dry and very sunny. Dairy production, which had been at a high level in the north, declined sharply towards the end of the month. There was much good harvesting weather and very satisfactory yields were reported. The rain which fell towards the end of the month was especially welcome, and did much to assist pastures and to reduce the risk of forest fires.

Rainfalls.—In Westland, Otago, and Southland rainfall was close to or slightly above average. There was a slight excess also in a small area east of the Wairarapa and near Gisborne. Conditions were very dry over the remainder of the North Island, especially over the Auckland Province which, as a whole, had only about a fifth of the average rainfall.

Temperatures.—Mean temperatures were about 1° F. above average in the south, and in a few scattered parts of the North Island; elsewhere the temperature anomaly was insignificant.

Sunshine.—For the North Island as a whole it was the sunniest January for at least forty years. The Auckland and Taranaki Provinces were especially well favoured, the excess being equivalent to over two hours a day. At Ruakura, Hamilton, the record total of 315·3 hours was 91·3 hours above the average. Blenheim set a new record and Nelson, too, had a large excess. In Otago and Southland totals were not quite up to the average.

Weather Sequence.—During the first few days of the month five depressions crossed the Tasman and passed to the south of New Zealand. The associated frontal systems moved across the country from the west producing frequent rain in Westland and to a lesser extent in Otago and Southland. Rain became fairly general for a time on the 4th.

On the 6th an anticyclone in the North Tasman Sea extended on to the North Island where the weather continued fine and warm. It remained unsettled in the south and some heavy rain occurred in Westland over several days while an active front progressed slowly up the island. Rain spread to the east coast on the 8th when the front became stationary over North Canterbury, later to move southwards again and gradually dissipate.

While the cold front from the south-west was crossing the South Island on the 10th, a wave depression developed over Canterbury producing general rain south of Christchurch. Continuing northwards the front crossed the North Island on the 11th.

Following the passage of yet another depression in the south on the 12th, a cold front travelled slowly northwards over the country. With the approach of an anticyclone from the Tasman Sea temperatures became appreciably cooler and the weather gradually improved from the west and south.

A weak front produced brief rain on the Otago and Southland coasts on the 15th, and about the Kaikouras on the 16th. Pressures rose rapidly behind it and a large high-pressure cell developed east of the South Island. A spell of fine, anticyclonic weather followed, except in the Gisborne district where south-easterly winds and dull showery weather set in on the 14th and continued for over a week. On the 21st the anticyclone moved far away to the east of the South Island, while a disturbance from the north travelled slowly southwards past East Cape. Light falls of rain extended to eastern, central, and southern portions of the North Island and to Nelson and Marlborough.

North-westerlies prevailed on the 23rd and rain developed in Westland with the approach of a disturbance, the centre of which moved eastwards across Campbell Island on the morning of the 25th. The associated front produced brief rain in most places except in eastern districts from Canterbury to East Cape. Winds turned temporarily to the south-west and rose to gale force in the south.

Further rain in moderate amounts fell during the passage of a dying tropical cyclone which, after leaving a trail of damage in New South Wales, moved rapidly across the Tasman Sea to pass over Southland on the night of the 27th. Winds backed to cool southerlies on the 29th and next day the weather cleared generally.

M. A. F. BARNETT, Director.

(N.Z.M.O. 107.)

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