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

†Observations for 26 days.

LATE RETURNS

Chateau Tongariro, September 1956| 3,670 | 49·5 | 34·1 | 41·8 | +2·1 | 59·0 | 23 | 26·5 | 16 | 5·08 | 9 | -4·01* | 1·34 | 13 | ...
The Hermitage, August 1956| 2,510 | 45·6 | 29·8 | 37·7 | -0·3 | 57·0 | 22 | 23·0 | 4,9 | 8·75 | 9 | -3·68 | 3·00 | 15 | 111
The Hermitage, September 1956| 2,510 | 53·9 | 36·5 | 45·2 | +2·7 | 66·0 | 22 | 26·0 | 6 | 4·90 | 8 | -8·56 | 2·00 | 11 | 87

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 OCTOBER 1956

General: October was a warm month with rather less wind than usual. Conditions were very favourable for farming, especially in the South Island, where stock generally was reported to be in excellent condition. On the east coast of the North Island, however, it was a little too wet and shearing was delayed.

Two small tornadoes caused local damage at Takapuna (Auckland) on the 1st, and Reefton on the 18th.

Rainfall: In eastern districts from East Cape to Castlepoint and in parts of North Canterbury rainfall was double the normal value. In the Hastings-Waipukurau area, where it was three times the normal, some places experienced their wettest October on record. Rainfall was also above normal over the remainder of Canterbury and over the greater part of the Auckland Province.

On the West Coast, and in Southland and South Otago it was a comparatively dry October, with totals only two-thirds of the usual value.

On the 9th and 10th heavy rain fell in southern and central Hawke’s Bay and in the Wairarapa, causing flooding in some of these districts and also in the lower Manawatu River.

A number of unusually severe hailstorms were reported over a wide area of the North Island on the 22nd. Severe local damage to crops occurred at Tokomaru Bay and at Waiohau, near Kawerau.

Temperature: Mean temperatures were above normal, mainly by about 2 degrees. The last week of the month was particularly warm, and temperatures were comparable with those usually experienced in summer.

Sunshine: Sunshine was below normal over the greater part of the country, and the deficiency amounted to an hour a day in most eastern and northern districts. However, Invercargill and parts of Westland were favoured with somewhat more sunshine than usual.

Weather Sequence: During the first four days of the month a depression which had been affecting the weather in the last week of September crossed the North Island, bringing rain to the whole country. The weather remained unsettled from the 5th to the 7th, especially in the North Island, as a second depression crossed Northland. This was followed closely by yet a third depression, this time somewhat deeper, which passed over northern Northland, affecting the North Island from the 8th to the 11th. Strong winds were reported, and flooding occurred in the Manawatu River and in Hawke’s Bay.

The weather still remained unsettled over the North Island on the 12th and 13th with the passage of a depression from the central Tasman Sea through Cook Strait. Further light rain fell as a trough of low pressure moved over the country from the 14th to the 16th, again affecting mainly the North Island. Pressure had been rising, and for the next four days fine weather predominated under the influence of an anticyclone centred to the east. However, some showers were reported at first in the Auckland Province; and later considerable rain occurred on the West Coast as a deep depression over the eastern Tasman Sea advanced slowly towards the South Island. Eventually this depression lost intensity and drifted on to the North Island on the 21st and 22nd, bringing showery weather, with many hailstorms on the latter date.

On the 23rd the weather was mainly fair under the influence of a ridge of high pressure, but on the following day western and north-eastern districts were affected by the passage of a weak trough. From the 25th to the 27th an anticyclone moved eastwards across the North Island and the weather was again fair, except on the West Coast. For the next three days the weather was generally unsettled as a deep and extensive depression over the central Tasman Sea moved southwards, to pass close to Southland on the night of the 29th. Most eastern districts, however, received only some light rain. There was a brief improvement on the last day of the month under the influence of a weak ridge of high pressure.

M. A. F. BARNETT, Director.
(N.Z. Met. S. Misc. Pub. 107)