CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE--continued
Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for December 1952--continued

LATE RETURNS

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. Rainfall normals have been revised and now refer to the standard period 1921-1950. Where observations are not available for the whole period, or where the site of the raingauge has been changed, the normals are partly interpolated.

NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR DECEMBER 1952
General.--The unsettled weather of the preceding month continued on through the first half of December. Conditions then improved greatly in the south and west, and in the final quarter the whole country enjoyed a spell of warm settled weather. In the North Island shearing was seriously delayed and it was a bad season for lambs. Due to lack of sunshine many farmers were unable to cut hay and converted the grass into silage instead. Blight seriously affected many vegetable crops.
Further south conditions were much more favourable especially in Otago and Southland. Fruitgrowers in Central Otago were expecting a good harvest.
Rainfall.--Rainfall was above average over the North Island, and in Nelson, Marlborough, and Canterbury. Over much of this area the excess was slight, but east of the main North Island ranges and in northern Marlborough there was more than double the average December rainfall. The only areas with a 50-per-cent deficiency were south-eastern Otago and central Westland.
There was considerable thunderstorm activity during the month, especially in the first half, and reports of local flooding and hail damage were received from several districts including Otago and Hawke's Bay.
Temperatures.--Mean temperatures were close to the average in eastern and northern districts of the North Island, but elsewhere were appreciably above average, especially in the south where the departure was 2° F. to 3° F.
Sunshine.--The highest sunshine totals were recorded in Westland--a most unusual distribution of sunshine for December. It was also sunnier than usual in Southland and on the east coast south of Timaru. Elsewhere there was a marked deficiency of sunshine, especially in Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, and east of the main North Island ranges. Gisborne's record low figure was equivalent to three hours a day below average.
Weather Sequence.--At the beginning of the month a depression was centred north-east of Auckland with a trough extending south-westwards across the Dominion to a small low-pressure centre off Westland. A weakening ridge lay to the south. The northern depression moved away to the east while the other advanced slowly north-eastwards to reach Northland on the 4th. During this period the weather was dull and unsettled with moderate rainfall over most of the country and numerous thunderstorms, but only light falls in the south and west. There was a temporary clearance in the South Island during the 4th.
After crossing Northland the depression turned south-eastwards causing heavy rain and strong easterly winds for a time in the Auckland Province. It passed away beyond the Chatham Islands on the 7th. By that time rain had again become general with the arrival of a vigorous depression whose centre crossed Southland during the afternoon of the 7th. Unsettled showery weather continued for the next three days and there was much thunderstorm activity, chiefly in the North Island. A secondary depression crossed the middle districts from the west during the 9th.
An anticyclone gave fine weather on the llth and 12th. Northerly winds then became strong in exposed places ahead of the trough associated with a deep depression which passed close to Southland during the 14th. At that time the trough, accompanied by a broad band of rain, was proceeding eastwards across the North Island. A change to cool southerlies occurred about twenty-four hours later. The weather began to clear from the west and south with the advance of an intense anticyclone which later crossed the South Island on the night of the 16th; but the development of a depression east of the North Island caused rain to continue intermittently between Cook Strait and East Cape. Elsewhere the weather became fine and warm.
The advance of an anticyclone across the South Tasman Sea and to the south of New Zealand brought cloud and drizzle to the south-eastern part of the South Island on the 19th, while easterlies began to increase in the north with the approach of a tropical cyclone. Rain spread rapidly southwards as far as Marlborough and Nelson on the 20th, with heavy falls and easterly gales affecting much of the Auckland province. The centre passed west of Northland, then moved south-eastwards to cross the Wellington province, greatly reduced in intensity, during the 22nd.
A small anticyclone over the Tasman Sea developed considerably and later became established over the Dominion, bringing a very welcome spell of warm, settled weather which lasted from the 24th to the 29th. A weak trough to the south caused a few scattered showers in Southland and Fiordland on the 26th and 27th, but on the 30th another trough moving slowly north-eastwards over the South Island was accompanied by rain and a change to moderate southerlies. By the end of the month the southerly change had just passed Cook Strait.
(N.Z. Met. 5 Misc. Pub. 107.)
M. A. F. BARNETT, Director.