23 AUG. THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE 1141

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—continued
Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for July 1956—continued

LATE RETURN

The Hermitage, June 1956 | 2,510 | 45·2 | 30·2 | 37·7 | +1·4 | 57·0 | 17, 18 | 22·0 | 23 | 15·10 | 14 | +3·02 | 3·00 | 12 | 69

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 JULY 1956

General: In the North Island July was the fourth successive month of mild but unsettled weather, and in some areas the ground remained excessively wet. In the South Island drier conditions prevailed, and the mildness of the season was proving beneficial to stock.

During the passage of a very deep depression over the Auckland Province from the 13th to the 15th a violent storm raged over the whole of the North Island. South-easterly gales did considerable damage, interrupting the power supply in many districts; at Helensville, north of Auckland, a church was destroyed. Heavy rain caused disruption of road and rail transport. Serious flooding was reported in the Wairarapa, lower Manawatu, and at Tangoio, Hawke’s Bay.

Rainfall: Rainfall was appreciably above normal over the southern half of the North Island, also in northern Hawke’s Bay and parts of Northland and Canterbury. From the southern part of the Wellington Province up the east coast to Cape Kidnappers it was twice the normal amount.

It was drier than usual over the greater part of Nelson and Marlborough, also in most inland districts of the South Island. In the Nelson-Motueka area and in Central Otago the deficiency exceeded 50 per cent.

Temperatures: Temperatures were above normal, mainly by about a degree. Departures were greatest in western and northern districts.

Snow fell on the high country of both islands on the 2nd and 3rd, reaching quite low levels in parts of Otago and Southland. In the storm of 13th to the 15th heavy snow fell on the high country as far south as Canterbury.

Sunshine: Except in the far south, sunshine was below normal, mainly by about half an hour a day.

Weather Sequence: Westerly conditions had prevailed on the last two days of June, and they persisted on 1 July as a deep depression far to the south moved eastwards. With the formation of another depression near Cook Strait during the 2nd winds changed to south-westerly and temperatures became much colder. Showery weather developed with snow on the high country of both islands. Somewhat similar conditions continued for three more days as this depression moved south-eastward. There was an improvement in most districts by the 6th, and on the following day an anticyclone centred near Northland brought fine weather generally.

On the 8th the freshening of westerlies in the south caused heavy rain on the West Coast. A depression then developed over the north Tasman Sea. During its passage across the North Island and south-eastward to the Chatham Islands there were four days of wet weather as far south as Kaikoura, and light rain at times over the remainder of the South Island. By the 13th pressure was high to the south and south-west. On this day another deeper depression which had been forming over the north Tasman Sea commenced to move south-eastward across the Auckland Province. For three days a violent storm raged over the North Island, with south-easterly gales and some heavy rain. Snow fell to a considerable depth on the high country as far south as Canterbury. As the depression moved away on the 16th conditions improved, but showers persisted in most east coast districts for another three days. On the 19th a weak ridge of high pressure extending over the country from the south brought fair weather apart from showers in eastern Northland.

From the 20th to the 26th yet another depression moved slowly from the north Tasman Sea, past North Cape, over the Auckland Province, and away to the south-east of Gisborne. Rain affected mainly the North Island, and some heavy falls were reported about Auckland, Rotorua, and the Bay of Plenty on the 24th. By the 27th a weak ridge of high pressure brought fair weather to many districts, but showery conditions persisted on the east coast of the North Island. On the following day a shallow trough over the north Tasman Sea affected Northland. For the last three days of the month an anticyclone was passing to the north and a deep depression to the south. The North Island experienced the longest spell of fair weather for some weeks, but rain was reported on the West Coast.

M. A. F. BARNETT, Director.

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