880
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
[No. 47
CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE-continued
Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for May, 1951-continued
| Station | Height of Station above M.S.L. | Ft. | Means of | Mean of A Max. | B Min. | Difference From Normal. | Absolute Maximum and Minimum. | Air Temperatures in Degrees (Fahrenheit). | Total Fall. | No. of Rain Days. | Difference From Normal. | Maximum Fall. | Amount. | Date. | Hours. |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Winchmore | ... | 626 | 53.0 | 33.2 | 43.1 | ... | 64.6 | 28 | 25.1 | 25 | 0.96 | 8 | ... | 0.42 | 21 | ...
| Haast | ... | 15 | 57.2 | 40.5 | 48.8 | ... | 63.6 | 9 | 31.2 | 17 | 7.90 | 12 | ... | 2.37 | 28 | 161.4
| Ashburton | ... | 323 | 54.2 | 33.9 | 44.0 | -1.9 | 67.2 | 28 | 26.6 | 26 | 0.88 | 5 | -1.61 | 0.40 | 20 | 148.7
| Fairlie | ... | 1,004 | 54.1 | 27.5 | 40.8 | -2.6 | 63.0 | 28 | 13.0 | 25 | 0.35 | 6 | (-1.68) | 0.18 | 28 | ...
| Lake Tekapo | ... | 2,400 | 49.7 | 27.3 | 38.5 | ... | 59.8 | 18 | 18.2 | 25 | 0.95 | 4 | ... | 0.69 | 28 | 158.3
| Timaru | ... | 56 | 54.7 | 35.1 | 44.9 | -1.8 | 62.6 | 18 | 28.0 | 26, 28 | 0.26 | 5 | -1.25 | 0.10 | 21 | 162.6
| Adair | ... | 200 | 53.2 | 37.1 | 45.2 | ... | 62.7 | 28 | 30.2 | 23 | 0.23 | 11 | ... | 0.05 | 30 | ...
| Tara Hills | ... | 1,600 | 49.9 | 27.1 | 38.5 | ... | 61.9 | 18 | 15.0 | 24 | 0.80 | 6 | ... | 0.61 | 28 | ...
| Milford Sound | ... | 20 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...
| Waimate | ... | 200 | 56.5 | 36.0 | 46.2 | -1.3 | 65.0 | 18 | 30.0 | 26 | 0.49 | 4 | -1.23 | 0.20 | 30 | 167.3
| Queenstown | ... | 1,100 | 50.9 | 33.6 | 42.2 | -1.9 | 63.4 | 15 | 24.8 | 24 | 3.52 | 10 | +0.86 | 1.87 | 28 | 121.6
| Cromwell | ... | 720 | 50.6 | 29.6 | 40.1 | ... | 63.0 | 18 | 19.0 | 25 | 1.60 | 7 | ... | 1.30 | 28 | ...
| Ophir | ... | 1,000 | 51.7 | 26.4 | 39.0 | -1.9 | 65.3 | 15 | 13.2 | 25 | 1.57 | 7 | +0.48 | 0.98 | 28 | ...
| Earnscleugh | ... | 500 | 51.7 | 28.2 | 40.0 | ... | 65.1 | 15 | 19.5 | 25, 26 | 1.62 | 6 | ... | 0.95 | 28 | ...
| Waipiata | ... | 1,550 | 48.9 | 30.8 | 39.8 | -2.6 | 58.0 | 15 | 22.5 | 25 | 0.66 | 7 | -0.68 | 0.23 | 19 | 158.0
| Alexandra | ... | 520 | 51.8 | 29.1 | 40.4 | -2.5 | 64.4 | 15 | 20.8 | 25 | 1.89 | 10 | +0.96 | 1.04 | 28 | 161.6
| Roxburgh Hydro | ... | 350 | 51.6 | 35.1 | 43.4 | ... | 59.7 | 18 | 29.1 | 24 | 2.10 | 11 | ... | 0.71 | 28 | ...
| Mid Dome | ... | 1,252 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ...
| Moa Flat, West Otago | 1,345 | 48.8 | 34.1 | 41.4 | ... | 58.1 | 15 | 27.3 | 24 | 1.57 | 12 | ... | 0.36 | 17, 20 | ...
| Manorburn Dam | 2,448 | 45.7 | 25.7 | 35.7 | -2.6 | 58.0 | 9 | 11.0 | 25 | 1.79 | 8 | -0.04 | 1.18 | 28 | ...
| Taieri | ... | 80 | 54.6 | 32.9 | 43.8 | (-2.1) | 68.1 | 15 | 24.6 | 30 | 2.22 | 12 | (-0.08) | 0.55 | 20 | 136.2
| Musselburgh, Dunedin | 5 | 54.2 | 39.5 | 46.8 | (-0.5) | 66.0 | 28 | 34.0 | 25 | 2.90 | 16 | +0.30 | 0.89 | 30 | 144.2
| East Gore | ... | 245 | 54.1 | 33.2 | 43.6 | -1.1 | 64.0 | 15 | 25.0 | 24, 25 | 3.00 | 14 | +0.12 | 0.63 | 17 | ...
| Gore | ... | 240 | 54.5 | 32.5 | 43.5 | -2.0 | 65.0 | 15 | 24.5 | 25 | 2.72 | 14 | ... | 0.67 | 16 | 135.5
| Otatau | ... | 180 | 53.5 | 32.8 | 43.2 | ... | 63.7 | 15 | 21.2 | 25 | 3.42 | 12 | ... | 1.08 | 16 | ...
| Pebbly Hills | ... | 150 | 52.8 | 33.0 | 42.9 | ... | 62.0 | 7 | 24.0 | 25 | 4.14 | 13 | ... | 1.00 | 16 | ...
| Invercargill | ... | 32 | 55.5 | 33.5 | 44.5 | -1.2 | 65.0 | 7 | 23.0 | 25 | 3.85 | 18 | -0.35 | 1.32 | 16 | 128.0
| Invercargill South | ... | 8 | 54.2 | 35.4 | 44.8 | -1.4 | 64.7 | 7 | 25.3 | 25 | 3.99 | 17 | (-0.32) | 1.45 | 16 | ...

LATE RETURNS
| Te Aroha (April, 1951) | 46 | 69.1 | 51.1 | 60.1 | +1.3 | 77.0 | 7 | 35.0 | 30 | 5.98 | 25 | +1.32 | 0.97 | 3 | ...
| Wallaceville (April, 1951) | 195 | 65.0 | 48.0 | 56.5 | (+2.3) | 73.9 | 7 | 32.6 | 27 | 3.81 | 20 | +0.07 | 1.08 | 7 | 121.9
| Cromwell (April, 1951) | 720 | 60.4 | 42.3 | 51.4 | ... | 70.9 | 3 | 26.5 | 30 | 1.93 | 13 | ... | 0.57 | 8 | ...

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 MAY, 1951

General.-It was a cold month, but mainly sunny and rather dry. However, near Christchurch and Gisborne there was a continuance of the unsettled weather which has been predominant there for several months past.

In central districts of Canterbury, farmers have been unable to sow their autumn wheat, but elsewhere in the province low rainfall in the past month allowed some progress to be made with the delayed agricultural programme. Taken on the whole, it has been a poor autumn for sheep, but dairy-farmers, especially in the North Island have reported very high production for the season. Following a succession of frosts at the beginning of the month, pastures showed little or no growth even in the North Island.

Rainfall.-Over most of the country rainfall was below average. There was a slight to moderate excess in a few districts including Central and South Otago, mid-Canterbury, coastal Nelson, Coromandel, and scattered places between Cape Palliser and East Cape. Some parts of South Canterbury recorded the lowest May rainfall for over fifty years.

Temperatures.-Mean temperatures were below normal. In the North Island the anomaly was generally less than 1° F. in coastal districts, and 1° F.-2° F. inland. In the South Island the corresponding figures were about 1° F. greater.

Though most districts recorded some colder days after the 20th, frosts were more frequent in the first half of the month.

Sunshine.-For the greater part of the country it was a very sunny month. The excess was better than an hour a day in Otago, Westland, Taranaki, and South Auckland. However, in eastern districts between Banks Peninsula and East Cape, and about Wellington, sunshine was below the average. Napier has not experienced a duller May since records began in 1907. Gisborne's low total also set a new record.

Weather Sequence.-At the beginning of the month a vigorous depression was moving away towards the east with the approach of a large anticyclone from the Tasman Sea. The latter steadily intensified as it advanced slowly eastwards, the centre passing across the Dominion on the 5th. Under its influence the South Island enjoyed a spell of clear, frosty weather until the 12th, with the exception of a few brief coastal showers in the south on the 2nd. In the North Island, however, cold southerly winds and dull wet weather persisted for the first few days. Though skies cleared over most of the Island on the 4th, rain continued intermittently on the east coast. On the 5th the winds developed a more pronounced easterly component and showery conditions extended to eastern districts of Northland and Coromandel.

By the 12th the centre of the anticyclone had moved off to a position near the Chatham Islands, and milder north-easterly winds predominated. During the day rain spread northwards over the Auckland Province with the approach of a depression from the North Tasman Sea. Skies gradually became overcast throughout the Dominion and rain became widespread though intermittent.

On the 15th the northern depression was absorbed within the trough associated with a deep depression far to the south. This trough moved rapidly eastwards across the country during that night. It was accompanied by heavy rain-squalls and a change to showery westerly weather. After the passage of a secondary cold front during the 17th, winds turned south-westerly.

Pressures remained low to the south-east while another large anticyclone advanced very slowly across the South Tasman Sea. Showery weather continued for some days and temperatures became very cold. Light snow occurred in the south and some heavy falls in the ranges. Due to the development of a secondary depression east of the South Island on the 20th, south-westerlies rose to gale force for a time between Dunedin and Castlepoint.

Skies cleared in western districts on the 22nd. The centre of the southern anticyclone passed far south of Stewart Island on the 24th, while a ridge extending northwards from this centre crossed New Zealand from the west bringing a general, though brief, improvement in the weather.

Winds began to turn northerly on the 25th and rain commenced in Westland and in the far north. By next morning skies had become overcast and a belt of rain advanced eastwards across the country during the day. An extensive and complex disturbance then covered the whole South Tasman Sea and for the next few days north-westerly winds and unsettled showery weather predominated, though few showers extended as far as east coast districts in the shelter of the main ranges.

On the 29th the main centre of the southern depression passed away to the south, but a new depression developed cast of Cook Strait. Winds backed south-westerly, and later southerly, temperatures again becoming very cold. Dull, showery weather also developed in eastern districts and persisted until the end of the month. However, in Westland, Nelson, and inland Marlborough skies cleared on the 31st.

M. A. F. BARNETT, Director.

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