MAY 25]
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
709
CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—continued
Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for April, 1950—continued
| Station. | Height of Station above M.S.L. | Air Temperatures in Degrees (Fahrenheit). | Means of | Absolute Maximum and Minimum. | Rainfall in Inches. | Total Fall. | No. of Rain Days. | Difference from Normal. | Maximum Fall. | Bright Sun-shine. |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | | Mean A Max. | Mean B Min. | Difference from Normal. | Maximum. Date. | Minimum. Date. | In. | | | Amount. | Date. | Hrs. |
| Cromwell | 720 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Ophir | 1,000 | 61·9 | 30·9 | 46·4 | -3·4 | 73·8 | 10 | 23·0 | 4,13 | 0·28 | 3 | -1·38 | 0·15 | 5 | ... |
| Earnscleugh | 500 | 63·4 | 34·1 | 48·8 | ... | 73·8 | 10 | 24·8 | 4 | 0·16 | 4 | ... | 0·08 | 6 | ... |
| Waipiata | 1,550 | 58·2 | 37·6 | 47·9 | -2·0 | 73·4 | 10 | 29·2 | 6 | 0·82 | 5 | -0·84 | 0·32 | 1 | 190·9 |
| Alexandra | 520 | 63·4 | 35·8 | 49·6 | -1·9 | 74·0 | 10 | 28·6 | 4 | 0·18 | 5 | -1·35 | 0·10 | 6 | 197·9 |
| Mid Dome | 1,252 | 58·0 | 38·0 | 48·0 | ... | 70·0 | 9 | 29·5 | 4 | 2·43 | 12 | ... | 0·64 | 15 | ... |
| Manorburn Dam | 2,448 | 57·3 | 30·6 | 44·0 | -1·4 | 79·5 | 3 | 24·5 | 4 | 0·29 | 5 | -1·76 | 0·08 | 2,16 | ... |
| Taieri | 80 | 59·9 | 38·9 | 49·4 | -1·9 | 79·8 | 10 | 30·5 | 21 | 0·74 | 13 | (-1·65) | 0·13 | 27 | 149·6 |
| Musselburgh, Dunedin | 5 | 57·8 | 44·5 | 51·2 | ..1·5 | 76·0 | 10 | 35·8 | 6 | 1·68 | 10 | -1·01 | 0·68 | 5 | 151·0 |
| East Gore | 245 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Gore | 240 | 59·4 | 40·1 | 49·8 | -1·5 | 70·0 | 10 | 32·0 | 25 | 1·34 | 16 | ... | 0·36 | 5 | 136·4 |
| Otatutau | 180 | 57·4 | 40·5 | 49·0 | ... | 66·2 | 9 | 31·8 | 25 | 1·68 | 13 | ... | 0·29 | 15 | ... |
| Invercargill | 32 | 57·0 | 42·0 | 49·5 | -1·0 | 68·0 | 19 | 32·0 | 11 | 3·17 | 20 | -0·89 | 0·56 | 4 | 117·2 |
| Invercargill South | 8 | 56·1 | 42·6 | 49·4 | -1·6 | 68·0 | 19 | 34·0 | 25 | 2·92 | 20 | (-1·25) | 0·45 | 4 | ... |
LATE RETURNS
| Dargaville (March, 1950) | 3 | 77·2 | 48·8 | 63·0 | (-0·7) | 80·9 | 30, 31 | 38·0 | 15, 16 | 0·67 | 5 | ... | 0·40 | 11 | ... |
| Waihi (March, 1950) | 354 | 72·2 | 52·0 | 62·1 | +0·3 | 78·8 | 8 | 38·9 | 21 | 0·97 | 9 | -6·28 | 0·23 | 14 | 214·2 |
| Golden Downs (March, 1950) | 900 | 68·3 | 44·9 | 56·6 | -0·2 | 77·0 | 1 | 28·3 | 13 | 0·23 | 6 | (-2·47) | 0·08 | 14 | ... |
| Adair (March, 1950) | 200 | 63·1 | 47·8 | 55·4 | ... | 79·6 | 6 | 33·0 | 13 | 2·47 | 15 | ... | 0·65 | 2 | ... |
| Cromwell (March, 1950) | 720 | 69·4 | 46·0 | 57·7 | ... | 82·1 | 5 | 26·9 | 13 | 0·76 | 9 | ... | 0·29 | 17 | ... |
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 APRIL, 1950
General.—April was a cool month and, in many respects, rather abnormal. Winds from between east and south replaced the usual westerlies with the result that the weather was sunny in the west and south, but dull and wet in the north and east. After prolonged drought in Northland and parts of Hawke’s Bay, the plentiful rainfall has been of great benefit to pastures. Central Otago, however, is badly in need of rain.
Rainfall.—Rainfall exceeded the average in the Auckland Province (except about and south of the Waikato) and in Hawke’s Bay. Parts of this area had over twice as much rain as usual. There was a slight excess over the greater part of Marlborough, North Canterbury, and the east coast of the Wellington Province. In Central Otago there was only 20 per cent. of the usual rainfall but elsewhere any deficiencies were small.
Temperatures.—Mean temperatures were close to normal over the Auckland Province; elsewhere they were below normal. The departure was about 1° F. in the North Island, but exceeding 2° F. over a good part of the South Island. In spite of the over-all coldness there were few frosts in eastern districts because of the prevailing cloudiness. The fall of snow which covered most of the South Island on the 6th was exceptionally early in the season.
Sunshine.—There were large anomalies in the distribution of bright sunshine. The highest total was recorded at Hokitika which enjoyed over 2 hours a day more sunshine than usual. Westland, Otago, and South Canterbury all had an excess, as did the Auckland Province, except the Gisborne District. The deficit in Hawke’s Bay and the Wairarapa amounted to some 50 hours.
Weather Sequence.—At the start an extensive belt of high pressure lay across the Dominion with a weak trough over Southland. The latter produced some scattered rain in the South and later in eastern districts as it moved northwards, but otherwise the weather for the first few days was mainly fair. Some light rain in the Gisborne district was due to a semi-stationary cyclone centred far away towards the Kermadec Islands.
There was a rapid deterioration on the 5th, when an active depression crossed the central provinces from the north-west as a cold front moved up from the south. With a change to southerly winds, temperatures fell sharply causing a widespread fall of snow in the South Island. Although showers persisted on the east coast of the North Island, the weather rapidly cleared elsewhere with the approach of an anticyclone from the South Tasman Sea. When this anticyclone moved east of New Zealand on the 9th, the next anticyclone was far to the west over the Australian Bight. The latter did not cross the Tasman Sea until the 18th. The complex low-pressure system which covered the New Zealand area in the intervening period was responsible for very disturbed weather conditions over the whole country. With the advance of the main trough, a broad band of rain which reached Westland on the 9th spread slowly eastwards across the country.
One wave depression formed off Canterbury on the 12th and moved away to the south-west, but another which formed to the north-west of the North Island on the following day deepened considerably and moved south-eastwards across Northland and the Bay of Plenty on the 14th. It caused widespread heavy rain over the Auckland and Hawke’s Bay Provinces.
A general improvement followed the passage of a secondary cold front on the 16th. The anticyclone from the west moved across to the east of the South Island on the 19th, as another began to advance across the South Tasman Sea. A shallow trough separating them brought some light rain to Southland but otherwise the weather was mainly cloudy with local morning fogs in many places.
Rain began to fall intermittently in Northland on the 21st, when a tropical cyclone passed New Caledonia on its way towards New Zealand. As it drew nearer, rain spread over the whole of the North Island where south-easterly winds rose to gale force in exposed places. Rain extended later to eastern districts of the South Island. Early on the 24th the cyclone moved rapidly past the Bay of Islands, crossed East Cape, and carried on towards the south-east. During this period heavy rainfalls were recorded in the Northland and Gisborne districts but only minor flooding occurred.
Except for showers in eastern districts between Cook Strait and East Cape the weather cleared generally on the 25th. A small depression which threatened a further deterioration dissipated over the North Tasman Sea. Meanwhile a ridge of high pressure had intensified considerably over the Dominion, and a spell of settled weather lasted until the end of the month. Skies remained rather cloudy, however, in eastern districts where a few brief showers also occurred. Most of the showers were associated with the passage of a weak cold front which moved up from the South on the 29th.
M. A. F. BARNETT, Director.
(N.Z.M.O. 107.)
Sitting of the Maori Land Court at Tokaanu on 30th May, 1950
Office of the Maori Land Court, Wanganui, 16th May, 1950.
NOTICE is hereby given that the application mentioned in the Schedule hereunder written will be heard by the Maori Land Court sitting at Tokaanu on the 30th May, 1950, or as soon thereafter as the business of the Court will allow.
L. J. BROOKER, Registrar.
(Aotea, 1950/51-3.)
No. Applicant. Name of Land. Nature of Application.
173 Commissioner of Works ... Taurewa 4 West D 1 (part) ... To ascertain amount of compensation payable to the Maori owners for land taken under the Public Works Act, 1928, for a Maori school.