21 JUNE

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—continued

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

| Station | 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 | Maximum Date | Minimum Date | Total Fall | No. of Rain Days | Difference From Normal | Maximum Fall Amount | Date | Bright Sunshine Hrs. |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Eyrewell | 520 | 54·2 36·8 | 45·5 | | 70·3 14 | 27·0 2 | 1·47 15 | -2·43 | 0·44 | 14 | |
| Ashley Forest | 460 | 55·1 41·0 | 48·0 | +0·9 | 73·4 14 | 33·0 13 | 1·57 14 | -1·78 | 0·46 | 28 | |
| Darfield | 640 | 54·4 37·3 | 45·8 | -0·6 | 66·0 12 | 27·0 17 | 1·66 15 | -1·35 | 0·52 | 14 | |
| Harewood | 94 | 54·6 39·1 | 46·8 | | 69·6 12 | 28·2 2 | 1·60 17 | | 0·34 | 14, 28 | 101 |
| Christchurch | 22 | 55·5 40·6 | 48·0 | +0·4 | 71·2 12 | 29·9 16 | 2·56 17 | -0·29 | 0·79 | 14 | |
| Wigram | 74 | 55·0 39·9 | 47·4 | +0·8 | 70·2 13 | 27·6 1 | 2·43 15 | -0·23 | 0·64 | 14 | |
| Akaroa | 150 | 57·2 45·5 | 51·4 | +1·6 | 73·3 12 | 36·0 17, 19 | 4·44 18 | +0·15 | 1·46 | 14 | 93 |
| Lincoln | 36 | 55·6 39·0 | 47·3 | +0·8 | 69·2 12 | 24·5 1 | 2·85 18 | +0·47 | 0·86 | 14 | 95 |
| Highbank | 1,102 | 54·3 40·0 | 47·2 | | 70·9 5 | 33·0 20 | 2·43 17 | | 0·53 | 14 | 118 |
| The Hermitage | 2,510 | 47·6 32·7 | 40·2 | -1·0 | 61·0 4 | 24·0 16, 17 | 11·40 13 | -2·06 | 4·00 | 14 | 81 |
| Winchmore | 525 | 53·5 36·8 | 45·2 | -0·1 | 65·2 12 | 27·7 17 | 2·44 14 | +0·41 | 0·65 | 14 | |
| Haast | 15 | 62·0 46·3 | 54·2 | +4·7 | 68·9 5 | 38·9 18 | 10·51 10 | -0·37 | 1·99 | 12 | 166 |
| Ashburton | 323 | 54·6 37·4 | 46·0 | -0·7 | 68·8 12 | 27·6 2 | 3·20 14 | +0·65 | 0·87 | 28 | 102 |
| Fairlie | 1,004 | 53·6 33·5 | 43·6 | +0·1 | 66·0 5 | 21·0 17 | 2·88 11 | +0·93 | 1·03 | 14 | |
| Timaru | 56 | 53·9 38·6 | 46·2 | -0·6 | 61·0 1, 3 | 30·3 17 | 3·45 15 | +1·92 | 1·03 | 28 | 94 |
| Adair | 200 | 53·4 40·6 | 47·0 | -0·3 | 60·5 1 | 32·5 16 | 2·96 9 | +1·37 | 0·83 | 28 | |
| Tara Hills, Omarama | 1,600 | 48·9 33·0 | 41·0 | +0·0 | 61·5 12 | 21·3 18 | 3·37 13 | +1·88 | 1·10 | 14 | 113 |
| Milford Sound | 20 | 56·9 41·0 | 49·0 | +2·7 | 64·7 8 | 32·5 19 | 11·64 | -9·93 | 4·18 | 12 | |
| Waimate | 200 | 55·7 39·7 | 47·7 | -0·2 | 63·7 12 | 32·4 16 | 3·14 12 | +1·43 | 1·03 | 28 | 107 |
| Naseby | 2,300 | 49·0 30·1 | 39·6 | | 63·7 6 | 20·3 20 | 5·40 8 | | 1·52 | 29 | |
| Queenstown | 1,100 | 51·2 32·7 | 42·4 | -1·9 | 61·2 12 | 28·7 18 | 4·17 10 | +1·45 | 1·20 | 12 | 98 |
| Cromwell | 720 | 50·2 34·5 | 42·4 | -0·6 | 63·6 12 | 22·4 19 | 2·60 11 | +1·39 | 0·84 | 13 | |
| Ophir | 1,000 | 51·3 28·7 | 40·0 | -1·1 | 63·8 12 | 19·5 4 | 3·25 9 | +2·19 | 1·02 | 13 | |
| Earnscleugh | 500 | 51·5 32·2 | 41·8 | -0·4 | 68·5 12 | 22·6 19, 20 | 2·74 10 | +1·75 | 0·75 | 13 | |
| Waipiata | 1,550 | 50·7 35·3 | 43·1 | +0·5 | 61·5 5, 27 | 23·5 20 | 3·47 9 | +2·26 | 0·85 | 13 | 130 |
| Alexandra | 520 | 50·7 32·6 | 41·6 | -1·3 | 66·8 12 | 22·2 19 | 2·67 11 | +1·76 | 0·80 | 13 | 118 |
| Manorburn Dam† | 2,448 | 47·1 28·8 | 38·0 | -0·5 | 62·0 6 | 20·0 20 | 2·52 9 | +0·90 | 0·96 | 13 | |
| Roxburgh Hydro | 350 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Mid Dome | 1,252 | 51·2 33·4 | 42·3 | | 63·4 5 | 21·0 16 | 5·29 13 | | 1·86 | 29 | |
| Moa Flat, West Otago | 1,345 | 49·8 35·3 | 42·6 | | 62·6 6 | 27·7 23 | 3·97 11 | +1·79 | 1·02 | 14 | |
| Mossburn | 961 | 51·1 33·5 | 42·3 | | 64·1 5 | 23·0 18 | 3·67 10 | | 1·15 | 13 | |
| Taieri | 80 | 54·3 36·5 | 45·4 | -0·5 | 67·5 12 | 25·9 4 | 6·91 13 | +4·82 | 1·94 | 29 | 114 |
| Musselburgh, Dunedin | 5 | 54·2 42·4 | 48·3 | +0·7 | 62·0 5 | 35·0 4 | 8·60 13 | +6·21 | 2·29 | 20 | 104 |
| Tapanui | 550 | 53·8 36·5 | 45·2 | | 66·5 27 | 25·5 23 | 5·77 12 | | 1·80 | 29 | |
| East Gore | 245 | 53·5 36·4 | 45·0 | +0·2 | 66·0 5 | 27·0 21, 26 | 2·89 12 | +0·30 | 0·87 | 13 | |
| Gore | 240 | 54·2 36·1 | 45·2 | +0·1 | 68·0 5 | 26·0 21, 25 | 2·79 12 | +0·20 | 0·83 | 13 | 126 |
| Otautau | 180 | 52·3 35·3 | 43·8 | -1·4 | 64·8 27 | 23·2 23 | 2·63 10 | -0·95 | 0·73 | 13 | |
| Pebbly Hills | 150 | 54·1 34·5 | 44·3 | | 66·0 27 | 24·0 21 | 2·93 10 | -0·30 | 0·89 | 29 | |
| Invercargill South | 8 | 54·3 37·5 | 45·9 | -0·6 | 66·0 4 | 26·8 22 | 1·92 13 | -1·87 | 0·52 | 13 | |
| Invercargill Airfield | 0 | 53·3 34·2 | 43·8 | -1·5 | 65·2 4 | 22·5 23 | 1·93 12 | -1·81 | 0·48 | 13 | 123 |

†Observations for 27 days.

LATE RETURN

Milford Sound, April 1956 | 20 | 62·4 52·0 | 57·2 | +6·2 | 68·2 3 | 38·3 20 | 31·94 22 | +10·16 7·20 | 27 | |

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 MAY 1956

General: A spell of warm sunny weather which had carried over from the end of April came to an end on 4 May. Cloudy, unsettled weather then predominated for the rest of the month with frequent heavy rain, especially in the North Island. Pasture growth was considered good for the time of the year. However, in parts of Northland and Hawke’s Bay the ground was much too wet.

On the 18th and for several days afterwards, exceptionally heavy seas caused damage to east coast beaches between Hawke’s Bay and the Coromandel Peninsula. A small local tornado occurred at Te Awamutu on the 14th.

Rainfall: Rainfall was more than double the normal value in north-eastern Northland, in the Rotorua-Waikaremoana-Wairoa area, and also in South Canterbury and Otago. Over most other districts conditions were about the same as usual or somewhat wetter, but in Westland, North Canterbury, and the greater part of Southland rainfall was appreciably below normal.

An exceptional downpour occurred in a thunderstorm in and north of Whangarei on the 26th, with flooding which caused serious damage to property, especially in the town itself. At Glenbervie, near Whangarei, 2·96 inches of rain were recorded between 5.10 p.m. and 6.10 p.m. – this is an exceptional fall for such a short period.

There were many other heavy falls of rain during the month. Parts of Northland suffered from flooding on the 5th, the 9th, and the 14th. Nelson Aerodrome was under water on the 21st. Heavy falls on the 28th and 29th led to flooding in Te Puke, Bay of Plenty, and in Takaka, Nelson.

Although the April rainfall of 21·94 inches at Whangarei was the highest monthly total in nearly 50 years of observations, the May total of 22·03 inches has set a new record.

Temperatures: Temperatures were warmer than usual in the North Island and in western and northern districts of the South Island, mainly by 2 to 4 degrees. Elsewhere temperatures were slightly below normal.

There were two spells of wintry south-easterly weather, from the 7th to the 10th and from the 14th to the 19th. During the second spell snow fell on the ranges of both islands and extended below 2,000 feet in the south.

Sunshine: It was cloudier than usual except in the west and south of the South Island. The sunshine deficiency exceeded 50 hours in Marlborough, Wairarapa, Hawke’s Bay, the Bay of Plenty, and parts of Northland. Eastern districts from Wairarapa to Gisborne have not previously received so little sunshine in any month.

Weather Sequence: For the first four days of the month an anticyclone extended over the country from the east, but pressures were low to the north. The weather was fine except in Northland, where fresh to strong easterly winds brought frequent periods of rain. A complex depression formed in the Tasman Sea, and on the 5th and 6th the associated warm front moved southward over New Zealand. Rain spread southward as far as Marlborough and South Westland; there were heavy falls in Northland, Bay of Plenty, and Rotorua. During the next four days an anticyclone centred far to the south-west moved slowly on to the South Island, while pressures remained low over the North Tasman Sea and also to the north-east of Auckland. South-easterly winds predominated and temperatures became much colder. There was further rain in Northland and showers at first in eastern districts, later clearing from the south.

With the north-eastward movement of the anticyclone over the country the weather cleared in the North Island on the 11th for two days, but conditions deteriorated on the West Coast and in the far south. Rain became general as a depression over the Tasman Sea deepened on the 13th and moved across the South Island on the 14th; some heavy falls were reported in the centre of the North Island. During the next five days an anticyclone passed eastwards to the south, while a deep depression developed to the north-east. South-easterly winds again predominated, with very cold temperatures. Snow fell on the ranges of both Islands, and there were frequent showers in eastern districts. The presence of this deep depression also caused exceptionally heavy seas in the Bay of Plenty and off the Coromandel coast.