514
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
No. 23
CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE--Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for February 1957--continued

†Observations for 24 days.
LATE RETURNS
Paerata, January, 1957 .. 166 77·4 53·8 65·6 +0·9 86·9 31 48·1 4 0·63 4 -2·74 0·31 1 ...
Waihi, January, 1957 .. 354 75·7 53·9 64·8 +0·3 80·3 13, 14 45·3 20 0·55 6 -4·93 0·28 1 296
Chateau Tongariro, January, 3,670 62·8 44·2 53·5 +1·2 73·0 15 35·0 22 3·56 8 -5·01 1·15 6 ...
1957
Kuripapanga, January, 1957 1,600 72·2 46·7 59·4 ... 81·2 16 39·2 7 1·42 7 ... 0·56 13 ...
Dannevirke, January, 1957 685 73·1 47·5 60·3 ... 80·8 27 43·3 18 2·24 7 -0·95 0·64 3 ...
Akaroa, January, 1957 .. 150 75·0 54·9 65·0 +3·0 89·0 31 46·0 4 1·10 7 -1·22 0·64 6 287
East Gore, January, 1957 .. 245 69·8 48·2 59·0 +1·0 82·0 24 39·0 28 5·66 18 +2·58 1·28 2 ...
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 1957
February was a warm month and, like January, also rather dry. Good rains fell in the first few days and again towards the end of the month, but in many districts these were not considered adequate. Pasture growth was affected in most parts of the country, and in some areas dairy production was reported to be down.
A small local tornado caused some damage in Greymouth on the 26th.
Rainfall: It was drier than usual, except in Otago and in north-eastern Northland. Rainfall was less than half the normal value in Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa, and in western districts of the Auckland Province south of Kaipara Harbour. Parts of central and southern Hawke's Bay received totals of less than a quarter of an inch.
A series of rather violent thunderstorms affected the New Plymouth - Wellington - Nelson area on the night of the 3rd and the morning of the 4th.
Temperature: Mean temperatures were above normal, mainly by about 3 degrees.
Sunshine: Most districts were favoured with more sunshine than usual by about 20 hours. However, in Taranaki and in southern and eastern districts of the Auckland Province totals were somewhat below normal.
Weather Sequence: On the first two days of the month a depression to the north-west brought welcome rain to Northland. From the 3rd to the 6th another depression passed just to the south-west of Southland, and the associated trough moved north-eastward across the country. The weather was generally unsettled, but parts of Canterbury and Hawke's Bay received little or no rain. There were widespread thunderstorms in the New Plymouth - Wellington - Nelson area on the night of the 3rd.
During the fortnight from the 7th to the 20th pressures were high over New Zealand and the weather was predominantly settled. The first ten days of this period were also very sunny and warm, but from the 17th to the 19th the presence of a tropical cyclone over the north-west Tasman Sea caused skies to become overcast. Two weak troughs which crossed the country on the 12th and the 19th brought rain to the southern half of the South Island and to east coast districts respectively.
The passage of a slow-moving trough on the 21st and 22nd affected mainly western and far southern districts. For the next two days an anticyclone covered the country once again and the weather was fair or fine. On the 25th and 26th another trough crossed the country and a small disturbance formed on it. On this occasion all parts of New Zealand received some rain, and heavy falls were reported on the West Coast and about Cook Strait. On the last two days of the month the weather was again fine, under the influence of an anticyclone centred to the west.
M. A. F. BARNETT, Director.
(N.Z. Met. S. Misc. Pub. 107)