1082 THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE [No. 41

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—continued

Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for May 1954—continued

| Station | Height of Station Above M.S.L. | Air Temperatures in Degrees (Fahrenheit) | | | | | Rainfall in Inches | | | | Bright Sunshine |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| | | Means of | | Mean of A and B | Difference From Normal | Absolute Maximum and Minimum | | | Total Fall | No. of Rain Days | Difference From Normal | Maximum Fall | | |
| | | A Max. | B Min. | | | Maximum | Date | Minimum | Date | | | | Amount | Date | |
| | Ft. | °F. | °F. | °F. | °F. | °F. | | °F. | | In. | | In. | In. | | Hrs |
| Ashley Forest | 460 | 56.9 | 42.0 | 49.4 | (+2.3) | 68.0 | 30 | 36.0 | 2, 3 | 1.70 | 8 | (-1.65) | 0.50 | 18 | .. |
| Darfield | 640 | 58.1 | 37.6 | 47.8 | +1.4 | 65.6 | 30 | 28.4 | 2 | 1.46 | 8 | -1.55 | 0.50 | 18 | .. |
| Harewood | 94 | 57.2 | 38.6 | 47.9 | .. | 62.7 | 31 | 30.0 | 2 | 1.43 | 7 | .. | 0.63 | 19 | 143.4 |
| Christchurch | 22 | 58.4 | 40.2 | 49.3 | +1.7 | 64.6 | 31 | 32.7 | 27, 28 | 1.72 | 10 | -1.13 | 0.80 | 19 | .. |
| Wigram | 74 | 57.7 | 39.3 | 48.5 | (+0.9) | 64.6 | 31 | 31.7 | 27, 28 | 1.85 | 8 | (-0.81) | 0.83 | 19 | .. |
| Akaroa | 150 | 57.9 | 45.0 | 51.4 | +1.6 | 65.0 | 31 | 41.0 | 17, 18 | 5.05 | 11 | (+0.72) | 2.25 | 19 | 110.5 |
| Lincoln | 36 | 57.6 | 37.4 | 47.5 | +1.0 | 63.8 | 26 | 29.4 | 28 | 1.70 | 11 | -0.68 | 0.64 | 19 | 144.7 |
| Highbank | 1,102 | 57.4 | 41.2 | 49.3 | .. | 65.9 | 25 | 34.7 | 2 | 1.52 | 8 | .. | 0.43 | 19 | 162.4 |
| The Hermitage | 2,510 | 52.0 | 33.7 | 42.8 | +1.6 | 61.0 | 14, 25 | 26.0 | 1 | 4.05 | 9 | -9.41 | 1.10 | 6 | 101.1 |
| Winchmore | 525 | 56.5 | 36.8 | 46.6 | +1.3 | 66.8 | 31 | 25.5 | 2 | 1.36 | 8 | (-0.67) | 0.52 | 18 | .. |
| Haast | 15 | 58.0 | 44.7 | 51.4 | (+1.9) | 62.4 | 17 | 39.5 | 26 | 5.64 | 14 | (-5.24) | 1.08 | 7 | 117.3 |
| Ashburton | 323 | 58.7 | 37.9 | 48.3 | +1.6 | 68.4 | 31 | 28.0 | 2 | 1.56 | 7 | -0.99 | 0.65 | 18 | 145.1 |
| Fairlie | 1,004 | 57.5 | 32.2 | 44.8 | +1.3 | 68.0 | 31 | 18.0 | 2 | 1.18 | 10 | -0.77 | 0.22 | 4 | .. |
| Timaru | 56 | 57.6 | 40.7 | 49.2 | +2.4 | 65.1 | 31 | 32.4 | 2 | 1.94 | 10 | -0.41 | 0.47 | 18 | 123.6 |
| Adair | 200 | 56.8 | 41.7 | 49.2 | (+1.9) | 67.1 | 31 | 30.4 | 24 | 1.67 | 9 | (+0.08) | 0.49 | 19 | .. |
| Tara Hills, Omarama | 1,600 | 53.5 | 33.0 | 43.2 | (+2.2) | 62.8 | 31 | 21.1 | 2 | 1.63 | 9 | (+0.14) | 0.37 | 10 | 131.9 |
| Milford Sound | 20 | 54.9 | 41.7 | 48.3 | +2.0 | 61.4 | 11 | 34.2 | 1 | 3.84 | 17 | -17.73 | 1.22 | 31 | .. |
| Waimate | 200 | 60.0 | 41.2 | 50.6 | +2.9 | 69.8 | 31 | 31.4 | 2 | 4.09 | 12 | +2.38 | 0.89 | 6 | 124.8 |
| Naseby | 2,300 | 52.5 | 32.8 | 42.6 | .. | 60.0 | 31 | 23.8 | 1 | 0.83 | 8 | .. | 0.36 | 20 | .. |
| Frankton Airfield | 1,144 | 53.9 | 35.8 | 44.8 | .. | 62.1 | 18 | 27.6 | 1 | 0.78 | 9 | .. | 0.25 | 21 | .. |
| Queenstown | 1,100 | 54.0 | 38.7 | 46.4 | +2.1 | 63.8 | 17 | 32.9 | 1 | 0.92 | 9 | -1.80 | 0.34 | 20 | 93.1 |
| Cromwell | 720 | 53.7 | 34.3 | 44.0 | (+0.2) | 61.5 | 31 | 23.6 | 2 | 1.06 | 11 | (-0.15) | 0.30 | 19 | .. |
| Ophir | 1,000 | 55.5 | 29.9 | 42.9 | +1.8 | 64.7 | 17 | 17.0 | 2 | 0.87 | 6 | +0.19 | 0.33 | 20 | .. |
| Earnscleugh | 500 | 55.3 | 32.8 | 44.0 | (+1.8) | 64.0 | 17 | 21.5 | 2 | 0.77 | 6 | (-0.12) | 0.27 | 20 | .. |
| Waipiata | 1,550 | 53.2 | 35.8 | 44.5 | +1.9 | 60.8 | 17 | 25.2 | 16 | 1.03 | 10 | -0.18 | 0.36 | 20 | 114.2 |
| Alexandra | 520 | 55.6 | 34.4 | 45.0 | +2.1 | 65.1 | 17 | 23.5 | 2 | 0.82 | 9 | -0.09 | 0.31 | 20 | 120.1 |
| Mid Dome | 1,252 | 56.1 | 37.7 | 46.9 | .. | 64.7 | 17 | 29.2 | 2 | 1.68 | 11 | .. | 0.67 | 20 | .. |
| Moa Flat, West Otago | 1,345 | 52.9 | 38.4 | 45.6 | .. | 61.8 | 17 | 32.0 | 1, 2 | 1.67 | 14 | (-0.51) | 0.59 | 20 | .. |
| Manorburn Dam | 2,448 | 50.4 | 32.4 | 41.4 | +2.9 | 58.0 | 17 | 23.0 | 1 | 0.86 | 9 | -0.76 | 0.26 | 20 | .. |
| Roxburgh Hydro | 350 | 56.8 | 40.5 | 48.6 | .. | 65.2 | 17 | 28.1 | 2 | 0.72 | 8 | (-0.68) | 0.33 | 20 | .. |
| Taieri | 80 | 57.9 | 40.1 | 49.0 | (+3.1) | 66.8 | 17, 31 | 27.9 | 2 | 1.68 | 12 | (-0.41) | 0.57 | 19 | 108.5 |
| Musselburgh, Dunedin | 5 | 56.9 | 44.7 | 50.8 | (+3.2) | 63.0 | 15 | 38.0 | 12, 16 | 3.04 | 13 | +0.65 | 1.28 | 19 | 115.7 |
| East Gore | 245 | 56.6 | 40.0 | 48.3 | +3.5 | 64.0 | 15 | 29.0 | 2 | 2.08 | 13 | -0.51 | 0.55 | 20 | .. |
| Gore | 240 | 57.2 | 39.8 | 48.5 | (+3.4) | 64.0 | 15, 31 | 30.0 | 2 | 1.85 | 12 | (-0.74) | 0.43 | 20 | 95.6 |
| Otautau | 180 | 56.5 | 40.6 | 48.6 | (+3.4) | 63.9 | 9 | 28.0 | 1 | 1.11 | 8 | (-2.47) | 0.55 | 20 | .. |
| Pebbly Hills | 150 | 56.7 | 41.2 | 49.0 | .. | 63.0 | 2, 9 | 27.0 | 2 | 2.60 | 16 | (-0.63) | 0.54 | 20 | .. |
| Invercargill South | 8 | 56.5 | 43.0 | 49.8 | +3.3 | 64.8 | 10 | 30.7 | 2 | 1.71 | 15 | (-2.10) | 0.42 | 20 | .. |
| Invercargill Airfield | 0 | 55.8 | 40.6 | 48.2 | (+2.9) | 63.0 | 9 | 27.0 | 2 | 1.75 | 16 | (-1.99) | 0.42 | 20 | 86.7 |

LATE RETURN

| Levin, April, 1954 | 100 | 62.3 | 47.5 | 54.9 | -1.1 | 70.4 | 10 | 32.5 | 25 | 1.05 | 10 | (-2.34) | 0.50 | 11 | .. |

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 1921-50. Where observations are not available for the whole period, or where the site of the rain-gauge has been changed, the normals are partly interpolated.

NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR MAY 1954

General.—May was a mild month and, for most of the country, also rather dry. The combination proved beneficial to pastures, and growth was reported as being particularly good for May.

A vigorous storm which moved south-south-eastwards over the North Island gave four days of almost continuous rain over the Auckland Province from the 17th onwards and caused serious flooding in some districts. The Hauraki Plains suffered most damage, and at Paeroa it was one of the worst floods on record. As the centre passed Auckland on the 19th pressure fell to a new low record of 972.8 millibars.

Stock were reported to be doing well except in the areas affected by flooding, where a serious local shortage of feed for dairy cattle developed.

Rainfall.—The month was appreciably drier than usual for the greater part of the country. Rainfall was less than half the normal value over Hawke's Bay, Wellington, North Canterbury, and most of Southland. There was a moderate surplus over most of Nelson and Marlborough, in coastal districts of North Otago, and from Waikato and the Bay of Plenty northwards.

The total of 21.14 in. was the highest monthly rainfall at Te Aroha in over fifty years of recordings. Of this amount 18 in. fell between 9 a.m. on the 17th and 9 a.m. on the 20th. Several stations a little to the north of Te Aroha also received more than 20 in. of rain for the month.

On the 22nd several violent thunderstorms were reported from the central provinces, while a local whirlwind wrecked some farm buildings at Bell Block, New Plymouth.

Temperatures.—Temperatures were appreciably above normal for the whole country. The departure exceeded 2° F. from Timaru southwards and also over most of Westland and Wellington Provinces. For Gore and Invercargill it was the warmest May since 1938. In a few places, including Wellington City and Invercargill, May was just as warm as April.

Sunshine.—Sunshine was appreciably below normal in Taranaki and Westland, with a deficiency exceeding 20 hours. In most other districts there was little variation from the normal, but Wairarapa and some coastal districts of Canterbury and Otago were favoured with a moderate surplus.

Weather sequence.—For the first two days of the month the weather was mainly fair or fine under the influence of an anticyclone centred to the south-east of the South Island. There was a general deterioration on the 3rd with the approach of a depression across the Tasman Sea. The weather remained unsettled for several days as this disturbance moved across northern districts of the South Island and another depression close behind passed over Southland. With the departure of the second depression to the south-east on the 7th the weather cleared in eastern districts, and for the next two days it was generally fine again, with an anticyclone to the east.

A depression which had formed near Noumea moved southward into the North Tasman Sea, bringing widespread rain north of Dunedin during the 10th and 11th. Some considerable falls were reported from Nelson and Marlborough Provinces. Conditions improved on the 12th as the depression weakened and moved away to the north-east, but there was still some light rain in Auckland Province. For the next three days an anticyclone moved eastwards across the country, and fair or fine weather prevailed once again.

Rain began to fall in Northland on the 16th with the approach of a deepening depression from the north-west. Moving slowly south-south-eastwards this depression continued to deepen. When the centre passed Auckland on the 19th, barometers reached a new record low level in the city. Meanwhile rain became heavy and more or less continuous over the Auckland Province, and serious flooding occurred over the Hauraki Plains; high winds also caused some damage. Rain had spread throughout the country by the 18th, and conditions remained very unsettled due to the arrival of another complex disturbance from the west. Thunderstorms occurred about the central provinces early on the 22nd, a particularly violent one being reported from Nelson.

With a change to south-westerly winds on the 23rd there was a rapid improvement. An intense anticyclone near Tasmania then extended over New Zealand, and during its slow eastward movement in the last quarter there was a spell of fine, settled weather, apart from a few showers, mainly on the western and southern coasts of the South Island.

M. A. F. BARNETT, Director.
(N.Z. Met. S. Misc. Pub. 107)