22 MARCH

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE

405

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—continued

Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for February 1956—continued

| Station | Height of Station Above M.S.L. | Air Temperatures in Degrees (Fahrenheit) ||||||| Rainfall in Inches |||| Bright Sun-shine |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | | Means of | | Mean of A and B | Difference From Normal | Absolute Maximum and Minimum |||| Total Fall | No. of Rain Days | Differ-ence From Normal | Maximum Fall || Hrs. |
| | Ft. | A Max. | B Min. | °F. | °F. | Maxi-mum | Date | Mini-mum | Date | In. | | In. | Amount | Date | |
| Darfield | 640 | 74·1 | 50·9 | 62·5 | +2·5 | 92·8 | 25 | 39·2 | 19 | 1·04 | 7 | -1·49 | 0·57 | 6 | .. |
| Harewood | 94 | 72·0 | 52·1 | 62·0 | .. | 93·8 | 13 | 41·4 | 23 | 0·96 | 4 | .. | 0·64 | 6 | 173 |
| Christchurch | 22 | 72·3 | 51·9 | 62·1 | +1·3 | 94·7 | 13 | 41·8 | 7 | 1·38 | 5 | -0·42 | 0·97 | 6 | .. |
| Wigram | 74 | 72·3 | 52·2 | 62·2 | +1·5 | 93·7 | 13 | 42·0 | 23 | 1·02 | 4 | -0·65 | 0·68 | 6 | .. |
| Akaroa | 150 | 72·5 | 53·7 | 63·1 | +1·2 | 93·0 | 13 | 46·0 | 7 | 1·14 | 8 | -1·33 | 0·34 | 6 | 173 |
| Lincoln | 36 | 72·8 | 50·7 | 61·8 | +2·1 | 93·0 | 13 | 38·0 | 23 | 1·19 | 5 | -0·56 | 0·83 | 6 | 184 |
| Highbank | 1,102 | 70·8 | 50·9 | 60·8 | .. | 89·4 | 25 | 40·1 | 7 | 1·97 | 12 | .. | 0·90 | 6 | 181 |
| The Hermitage | 2,510 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Winchmore | 525 | 71·5 | 49·4 | 60·4 | +0·8 | 91·8 | 25 | 34·9 | 15 | 1·03 | 6 | -1·25 | 0·38 | 6 | .. |
| Haast | 15 | 68·2 | 50·3 | 59·2 | +0·8 | 79·8 | 29 | 39·1 | 5 | 5·36 | 7 | -8·24 | 1·87 | 12 | 211 |
| Ashburton | 323 | 74·8 | 51·4 | 63·1 | +2·1 | 94·2 | 25 | 40·8 | 19 | 0·80 | 7 | -1·89 | 0·29 | 16 | 167 |
| Fairlie | 1,004 | 71·9 | 46·7 | 59·3 | +0·7 | 91·0 | 25 | 37·5 | 19 | 1·00 | 9 | -1·92 | 0·39 | 16 | .. |
| Timaru | 56 | 72·0 | 51·7 | 61·8 | +1·6 | 95·2 | 13 | 43·0 | 19 | 1·00 | 9 | -1·22 | 0·26 | 19 | 166 |
| Adair | 200 | 70·0 | 50·1 | 60·6 | +2·6 | 91·8 | 13 | 44·3 | 7 | 0·57 | 5 | -1·75 | 0·20 | 4 | .. |
| Tara Hills, Omarama | 1,600 | 74·2 | 46·2 | 60·2 | +0·5 | 86·9 | 24 | 36·8 | 24 | 0·18 | 3 | -1·51 | 0·16 | 16 | 190 |
| Milford Sound | 20 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Waimate | 200 | 71·0 | 50·9 | 61·0 | +0·9 | 92·2 | 13 | 43·0 | 19 | 1·50 | 8 | -0·82 | 0·50 | 19 | 151 |
| Naseby | 2,300 | 69·2 | 41·7 | 55·4 | .. | 82·5 | 24, 25 | 32·9 | 18 | 0·80 | 7 | .. | 0·32 | 19 | .. |
| Frankton Airfield | 1,144 | 75·7 | 48·2 | 62·0 | .. | 86·1 | 23 | 39·4 | 23 | 0·26 | 4 | .. | 0·14 | 6 | .. |
| Queenstown | 1,100 | 74·5 | 50·9 | 62·7 | +3·1 | 86·3 | 24 | 43·0 | 5 | 0·42 | 4 | -1·99 | 0·24 | 26 | 245 |
| Cromwell | 720 | 76·8 | 52·4 | 64·6 | +3·0 | 89·0 | 24 | 42·3 | 23 | 0·12 | 3 | -1·56 | 0·07 | 6 | .. |
| Ophir | 1,000 | 74·6 | 46·2 | 60·4 | +0·6 | 86·5 | 24 | 35·3 | 14 | 0·18 | 2 | -1·75 | 0·11 | 19 | .. |
| Earnscleugh | 500 | 74·3 | 48·5 | 61·4 | +0·7 | 89·2 | 24 | 38·8 | 5, 18 | 0·22 | 3 | -1·03 | 0·11 | 19 | .. |
| Waipiata | 1,550 | 69·2 | 45·0 | 57·1 | -0·7 | 83·0 | 24 | 36·0 | 18 | 0·48 | 4 | -1·52 | 0·36 | 19 | 218 |
| Alexandra | 520 | 75·0 | 50·8 | 62·9 | +1·5 | 89·5 | 24 | 42·0 | 5 | 0·24 | 5 | -1·23 | 0·16 | 19 | 203 |
| Manorburn Dam† | 2,448 | 64·3 | 41·2 | 52·8 | -0·8 | 79·2 | 24 | 32·0 | 5 | 0·23 | 4 | -1·53 | 0·11 | 6 | .. |
| Roxburgh Hydro | 350 | 74·6 | 50·2 | 62·4 | .. | 93·1 | 24 | 42·0 | 2 | 0·37 | 4 | -1·36 | 0·24 | 26 | .. |
| Mid Dome | 1,252 | 69·8 | 46·2 | 58·0 | .. | 85·2 | 24 | 37·1 | 5 | 0·85 | 7 | .. | 0·53 | 26 | .. |
| Moa Flat, West Otago | 1,345 | 65·6 | 44·6 | 55·1 | .. | 83·2 | 24 | 38·6 | 7, 21 | 1·35 | 9 | -1·60 | 0·55 | 26 | .. |
| Mossburn | 961 | 67·7 | 46·1 | 56·9 | .. | 79·3 | 24 | 35·0 | 2 | 0·81 | 9 | .. | 0·63 | 26 | .. |
| Taieri | 80 | 68·7 | 47·7 | 58·2 | +0·5 | 84·9 | 24 | 36·6 | 18 | 0·80 | 11 | -1·51 | 0·24 | 19 | 184 |
| Musselburgh, Dunedin | 5 | 67·2 | 50·7 | 59·0 | +0·5 | 82·1 | 12 | 44·5 | 7 | 1·05 | 12 | -1·90 | 0·31 | 19 | 182 |
| Tapanui | 550 | 66·3 | 46·9 | 56·6 | .. | 80·9 | 12 | 38·7 | 22 | 1·54 | 12 | .. | 0·59 | 26 | .. |
| East Gore | 245 | 68·6 | 46·8 | 57·7 | -0·2 | 87·0 | 24 | 35·0 | 21 | 2·17 | 12 | -0·64 | 0·61 | 6 | .. |
| Gore | 240 | 68·9 | 47·4 | 58·2 | -0·1 | 86·5 | 24 | 35·0 | 21 | 1·89 | 13 | -0·92 | 0·64 | 6 | 179 |
| Otautau | 180 | 66·8 | 47·6 | 57·2 | +0·8 | 83·9 | 24 | 36·0 | 18 | 2·15 | 8 | -0·86 | 0·71 | 6 | .. |
| Pebbly Hills | 150 | 67·8 | 46·7 | 57·2 | .. | 85·6 | 24 | 34·5 | 21 | 3·10 | 16 | -0·38 | 0·95 | 6 | .. |
| Invercargill South | 8 | 64·9 | 50·0 | 57·4 | +0·2 | 76·5 | 24 | 40·4 | 21 | 5·26 | 13 | +1·83 | 1·19 | 5 | .. |
| Invercargill Airfield | 0 | 64·1 | 47·6 | 55·8 | -0·4 | 75·7 | 25 | 34·3 | 21 | 4·79 | 14 | +1·44 | 1·16 | 5 | 168 |

†Observations for 25 days.

LATE RETURNS

NOTE.—At stations where departures from normal have an asterisk, 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 FEBRUARY 1956

General: February was a warm and rather cloudy month. The low rainfall over most of the South Island was not enough to give much relief to Canterbury and Otago, where farmers are much concerned over feed prospects for the coming winter. In the North Island conditions were generally very favourable for farming.

On the 6th a local whirlwind uprooted several large trees near Rakaia, Canterbury. On the same day hailstones as large as golf balls caused some damage in part of Christchurch. A strong westerly gale buffeted the Invercargill—Bluff area on the 13th.

Rainfall: Rainfall was more than 25 per cent below normal over almost the whole of the South Island, also in southern districts of the Wellington Province and in parts of the Auckland Province. Most inland areas of the South Island received less than half their usual rainfall, and Central Otago received less than one quarter.

Temperatures: Mean temperatures were above normal over the whole country, mainly by 1 to 2°F. Highest departures of more than 2°F. were recorded on the west coast of both islands and in the Rotorua–Taupo district. Temperatures were mainly 2 to 5°F. lower than in January so that, by comparison, February appeared to be rather cool.

Sunshine: Sunshine was below normal over the North Island and also in Nelson, Marlborough, and Canterbury. Departures were mainly 20 to 40 hours. Westland, however, was favoured with sunnier weather than usual, by about 40 hours.

Weather Sequence: On the 1st the weather was fine under the influence of a ridge of high pressure extending eastward from an anticyclone over the South Tasman Sea. A tropical cyclone east of New Caledonia moved southward. During its approach on the 2nd and 3rd Northland, Coromandel, and the Bay of Plenty experienced strong easterly winds and increasingly heavy rain. As the centre moved down the east coast of the Auckland Province on the following day there were some heavy falls in the Bay of Plenty.

On the same day a trough of low pressure moved on the South Island from the south-west to become almost stationary through Cook Strait on the 5th; rain was reported from most coastal districts. A cold front which reached the South Island on the 6th brought further rain, cooler temperatures, and also a violent hailstorm in Christchurch. For the next three days a west-south-westerly airstream covered the country, with showers in western districts from Taranaki southward and also on the Southland coast. On the 10th a weak cold front was accompanied by showers on the east coast as far north as Gisborne.

On the 11th an anticyclone covered the whole country and the weather was fine. However, during the following day heavy rain developed on the West Coast with the approach of a deep depression across the South Tasman Sea. As the depression passed to the south of Southland on the 13th, strong westerly gales were reported about Foveaux Strait. On the same day the associated trough of low pressure became rather active in the vicinity of Cook Strait. From the 14th to the 18th this trough moved slowly back and forth over the North Island. In the Auckland Province the weather remained unsettled during these five days with frequent periods of light rain. On the 16th there was also widespread rain in central districts and some light falls on the Canterbury and Otago coasts.

From the 19th to the 21st a weak cold front brought some light rain, mainly in eastern districts. For the next four days an anti-cyclone covered the country and the weather was fine. A trough of low pressure which reached Southland on the 26th moved slowly north-eastward accompanied by a belt of rain. On the 28th the presence of a depression over the North Tasman Sea caused the trough to become stationary over the North Island, with heavy rain in parts of Taranaki and Wellington Provinces. Light or moderate rain still persisted over a large part of the North Island on the last day of the month.

M. A. F. BARNETT, Director.

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