30 Sept.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE 1529

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—continued
Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for August 1954—continued

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 AUGUST 1954

General.—Like the previous month, August was a month of dull, unsettled weather. In most parts of the North Island lambing commenced under reasonably favourable conditions, but in the South Island some farmers reported considerable losses, mainly due to snow.

Heavy rain in the Manawatu-Rangitikei-Wanganui area caused extensive surface flooding on the 26th and 27th.

During the passage of a deep depression across Taranaki and Hawke’s Bay on the 14th and 15th, strong gales occurred in most parts of the country north of Timaru, causing some damage. In the Nelson-Buller-Westland area it was reported that hundreds of trees were blown down.

Rainfall.—Over the North Island rainfall was generally somewhat above normal. Most of Canterbury and inland North Otago received at least twice as much rain as usual, but elsewhere in the South Island rainfall was mainly close to the normal value. The only areas with an appreciable deficiency were the Bay of Plenty and parts of Westland, Otago, and Southland.

Temperatures.—Mean temperatures were close to normal over the whole country, though there was much variation from day to day. Severe frosts occurred in the North Island on the 9th and 10th; in parts of the Auckland Province they were the most severe recorded for over twenty years.

Snow fell in the high country of Canterbury and in Central Otago on the 14th and 15th; in the Mackenzie country this was reported to be the heaviest fall for some years. A heavy snowfall also occurred in the Southern Alps on the 27th, and another on the ranges and high country of the North Island as far north as the Gisborne district on the 31st.

Sunshine.—Sunshine was appreciably below normal over almost all the country north of Westport and Ashburton. The deficiency exceeded an hour a day in the cities of Auckland and Wellington; in fact for Auckland the total of 110 hours was the lowest August total in forty-five years of record.

Most east coast districts from Ashburton southward were favoured with an appreciable surplus, while Invercargill received an hour a day more than its usual sunshine.

Weather Sequence.—For the first eight days of the month there was a continuation of the south-easterly conditions which had commenced on 30 July. There was heavy rain at times in Northland, Gisborne, and Hawke’s Bay, and persistent showery weather in eastern districts generally; while south-easterly gales caused some damage in Taranaki on the 2nd and 3rd. Barometers remained high to the south, and a depression which had been centred near North Cape moved south-eastward past East Cape on the 1st and away to the east. Another depression which formed near Lord Howe Island followed a more northward path from west of North Cape on the 4th to Raoul Island on the 8th. At the same time an anticyclone extending on to Southland and Otago from the South Tasman Sea gradually moved on to the whole country.

By the 9th the anticyclone covered New Zealand, and fine frosty weather prevailed generally. However, on the following day a spell of twelve days of fine weather on the West Coast was broken with the approach of a trough of low pressure associated with a deep depression far to the south. With the passage of the trough over the country on the 11th and 12th rain became general, except in eastern districts. A deep depression which had formed over the North Tasman Sea then moved down the west coast of the North Island and across Taranaki and Hawke’s Bay on the 14th and 15th. Gales affected most of the country, with considerable damage near Auckland City and in Nelson and Westland Provinces. Rain became heavy, except in the far south and on the West Coast; and snow was reported from the Southern Alps, the Canterbury high country, and Central Otago. Conditions improved on the 16th as the depression moved away, but showers persisted in most districts.

From the 17th to the 22nd westerly conditions prevailed, with deep depressions far to the south and associated troughs of low pressure crossing the country from south-west to north-east. There was considerable rain in western districts from New Plymouth southward, and scattered light falls at times elsewhere. On the 23rd and 24th rain became general again with the formation of a shallow depression in a trough as it moved over the central districts. There was a clearance in eastern districts on the 25th, but the development of another shallow depression west of Taranaki brought heavy rain to the Wanganui-Rangitikei-Manawatu area, with extensive surface flooding on the 26th and 27th. On the following two days the weather was still showery at times in western districts as an anticyclone passed over Northland. Considerable rain accompanied the passage of a trough of low pressure over the country on the 30th and 31st. With the formation of a secondary depression east of the South Island a cold southerly airstream covered the country at the end of the month, and a clearance occurred on the West Coast.

R. G. SIMMERS, Acting Director.

(N.Z. Met. S. Misc. Pub. 107.)