CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE--continued
Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for April 1955--continued

*Observations for 22 days only.

LATE RETURNS

| Station | Date | Height of Station Above M.S.L. | Means of A Max. | B Min. | Mean of A and B | Difference From Normal | Absolute Maximum and Minimum | Air Temperatures in Degrees (Fahrenheit) | Total Fall In. | No. of Rain Days | Difference From Normal | Maximum Fall | Bright Sun-shine |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dannevirke | Sept. 1954 | 685 | 57·6 | 41·8 | 49·7 | . | 66·0 | 7 | 29·9 | 22 | 1·34 | 12 | (-1·88) | 0·39 | 21 | . |
| Dannevirke | Oct. 1954 | 685 | 61·8 | 41·5 | 51·6 | . | 71·9 | 23 | 26·0 | 16 | 1·91 | 7 | (-2·00) | 0·75 | 13 | . |
| Dannevirke | Nov. 1954 | 685 | 67·9 | 51·3 | 59·6 | . | 76·8 | 16 | 37·2 | 4 | 3·07 | 13 | (-0·44) | 0·99 | 18 | . |
| Dannevirke | Dec. 1954 | 685 | 67·8 | 51·4 | 59·6 | . | 77·5 | 9 | 40·1 | 2 | 5·66 | 16 | (+2·52) | 0·87 | 20 | . |
| Wallaceville | Mar. 1955 | 195 | 69·1 | 50·8 | 60·0 | (+2·6) | 80·8 | 10 | 32·3 | 19 | 1·99 | 9 | (-0·86) | 1·01 | 14 | 152·2 |
| Gore | Mar. 1955 | 240 | 66·5 | 45·3 | 55·9 | (+0·5) | 83·0 | 9 | 34·0 | 20 | 2·06 | 13 | (-1·05) | 0·83 | 8 | 151·7 |

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 APRIL 1955

General.--It was the warmest April since 1938 and one of the warmest on record. For the first two weeks the weather was mainly settled, and by mid-month there was a serious shortage of feed in some areas, especially where the March rainfall had been inadequate as in Waikato, King Country, and parts of Canterbury. Good rains in the second half of the month restored most North Island pastures, but conditions remained too dry in Canterbury. In many parts of the country the combination of warm weather and sufficient rain proved beneficial to growth.

Heavy rain in Hawke's Bay on the 22nd and 23rd caused disruption to rail and road transport, and the Kopuawhara River overflowed its banks.

A local whirlwind near Waitara in North Taranaki on the 27th damaged three houses, uprooted trees, and smashed telegraph poles.

The last three days brought a sudden change to wintry conditions, with strong south-westerly gales over most of the South Island and the first snow since November cn the mountains of the North Island.

Rainfall.--Rainfall was appreciably below normal over almost the whole of the South Island and also over Northland. In Canterbury and North and Central Otago rainfall was less than a third of the normal value; some stations received only a quarter of an inch.

There was a surplus in eastern districts of the North Island from Castlepoint to Whakatane and also over the central plateau from Taihape to Rotorua. In Gisborne and Hawke's Bay rainfall was more than double the normal value, and about three-quarters of the monthly total fell between the 21st and the 24th; several stations recorded 9 to 12 inches of rain over this 4-day period.

Temperatures.--Temperatures were above normal over the whole country, and departures were mainly 2 to 3 degrees. For most districts the weather had been warmer than usual over each of the six months from November to April.

Sunshine.--Sunshine was mainly about normal. Marlborough and inland Canterbury were favoured with a surplus of about 30 hours, while there was a deficiency of 20 hours in parts of the Auckland Province, Hawke's Bay, and Westland.

Weather Sequence.--On the 1st and 2nd an anticyclone covered the North Island, and the weather was fair apart from rain in western and far southern districts of the South Island accompanying the passage of a slow-moving trough. During the next two days a depression passed close to Southland, and the associated trough of low pressure brought some more general and welcome rain which did not, however, reach eastern districts from Oamaru to East Cape.

From the 5th to the 15th two anticyclones passed slowly across New Zealand, with particularly high pressures from the 10th to the 12th. Over the North Island, Nelson, Marlborough, and inland Canterbury the weather remained fair to fine for the whole 11-day period. Over the remainder of the South Island the weather was mainly settled, but light rain fell in western and southern districts on the 7th and 8th, and there were a few showers on the south and east coasts on the 14th.

On the 16th and 17th nearly all parts of the country received some rain during the passage of a trough of low pressure associated with a depression which crossed the southern half of the South Island. The weather cleared temporarily in the south, but light rain persisted over the Auckland Province on the 18th and spread slowly southward over the remainder of the North Island with the passage of another trough during the next three days. A depression formed in the trough near Auckland City and moved across the Bay of Plenty. Southeasterly winds developed over the North Island and rain became heavy in eastern districts on the 22nd and 23rd, especially in Gisborne and Hawke's Bay. As the depression moved away on the 24th some rain still persisted from Wairarapa to Gisborne, but on Anzac Day the weather was temporarily fine over the whole country.

Conditions deteriorated again on the 26th and 27th with the slow eastward passage of another trough of low pressure and the presence of two depressions tc the south. Rain soon became general, and on the 28th and 29th a southerly change swept over the country, bringing wintry weather. Strong gales affected many districts, especially from Invercargill to Christchurch, interfering with coastal shipping and air transport. Only Westland and inland areas of the South Island escaped most of the showery weather. With rising pressures on the 30th the weather improved but a few showers were still reported in eastern districts.

R. G. SIMMERS, Acting Director.

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