CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE -- Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for May 1957 -- continued

| Station | Height of StationAbove M.S.L. | Means of | Mean of A and B | Difference From Normal | Absolute Maximum and Minimum | Air Temperatures in Degrees (Fahrenheit) | Total Fall | No. of Rain Days | Difference From Normal | Maximum Fall Amount Date | Bright Sun-shine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Max. | B Min. | Maxi-mum | Date | Mini-mum | Date | In. | °F. | °F. | In. | In. | Hrs. |
| Eyrewell | 520 | 57·0 | 38·2 | 47·6 | ... | 72·0 | 2 | 27·0 | 31 | 6·41 | 14 | +2·51 | 1·28 | 18 |
| Ashley Forest | 460 | 57·7 | 43·0 | 50·4 | +3·3 | 73·6 | 2 | 32·8 | 29 | 4·98 | 16 | +1·63 | 1·02 | 18 |
| Darfield | 640 | 57·6 | 38·5 | 48·0 | +1·6 | 73·0 | 1 | 26·2 | 31 | 5·70 | 14 | +2·69 | 1·19 | 18 |
| Harewood | 94 | 58·4 | 39·6 | 49·0 | ... | 70·6 | 3 | 28·0 | 29 | 7·05 | 15 | ... | 1·60 | 18 |
| Christchurch | 22 | 59·2 | 39·8 | 49·5 | +1·9 | 72·3 | 1 | 25·7 | 29 | 8·21 | 15 | +5·36 | 2·48 | 17 |
| Wigram | 74 | 58·8 | 40·5 | 49·6 | +2·0 | 71·0 | 3 | 28·4 | 29 | 6·83 | 15 | +4·17 | 1·69 | 18 |
| Akaroa | 150 | 59·6 | 44·9 | 52·2 | +2·4 | 76·8 | 2 | 35·5 | 29 | 12·15 | 19 | +7·82 | 3·35 | 18 |
| Lincoln | 36 | 57·3 | 38·8 | 48·0 | +1·5 | 68·8 | 2 | 25·6 | 29 | 6·43 | 16 | +4·05 | 1·75 | 18 |
| Highbank | 1,102 | 55·3 | 41·3 | 48·3 | ... | 67·0 | 3 | 29·0 | 29 | 5·19 | 13 | ... | 1·71 | 19 |
| The Hermitage | 2,510 | 47·5 | 34·5 | 41·0 | -0·2 | 64·0 | 2 | 23·0 | 18, 19 | 17·15 | 21 | +3·69 | 2·40 | 19 |
| Winchmore | 525 | 55·9 | 37·8 | 46·9 | +1·6 | 66·3 | 9 | 28·0 | 31 | 5·87 | 13 | +3·84 | 2·02 | 19 |
| Haast | 15 | 55·7 | 43·2 | 49·6 | +0·1 | 62·2 | 1 | 32·2 | 29 | 13·47 | 21 | +2·59 | 1·73 | 25 |
| Ashburton | 323 | 58·4 | 38·8 | 48·6 | +1·9 | 72·8 | 1 | 28·2 | 31 | 6·14 | 13 | +3·59 | 2·18 | 19 |
| Fairlie | 1,004 | 56·5 | 35·7 | 46·1 | +2·6 | 74·5 | 9 | 30·0 | 11, 24 | 3·88 | 12 | +1·93 | 1·29 | 19 |
| Timaru | 56 | 55·6 | 40·5 | 48·0 | +1·2 | 67·6 | 1 | 31·5 | 31 | 3·51 | 11 | +1·98 | 0·85 | 19 |
| Adair | 200 | 56·0 | 41·3 | 48·6 | +1·3 | 69·6 | 1 | 32·3 | 29 | 3·34 | 11 | +1·75 | 0·85 | 9, 19 |
| Tara Hills, Omarama | 1,600 | 51·8 | 34·8 | 43·3 | +2·3 | 65·2 | 8 | 24·0 | 17 | 1·69 | 14 | +0·20 | 0·46 | 9 |
| Milford Sound | 20 | 54·3 | 42·3 | 48·3 | +2·0 | 67·5 | 2 | 33·0 | 29 | 20·16 | 23 | -0·41 | 3·01 | 11 |
| Waimate | 200 | 58·6 | 40·6 | 49·6 | +1·7 | 72·1 | 1 | 30·2 | 25 | 5·33 | 15 | +3·62 | 1·74 | 18 |
| Naseby | 2,300 | 48·8 | 32·8 | 40·8 | ... | 67·4 | 3 | 17·1 | 17 | 4·08 | 13 | ... | 1·01 | 18 |
| Queenstown | 1,100 | 52·8 | 38·4 | 45·6 | +1·3 | 66·2 | 8 | 28·0 | 17 | 3·71 | 18 | +0·99 | 0·61 | 26 |
| Cromwell | 720 | 55·1 | 38·4 | 46·8 | +3·0 | 66·9 | 2 | 22·7 | 17 | 1·94 | 18 | +0·73 | 0·36 | 14 |
| Ophir | 1,000 | 53·7 | 35·0 | 44·4 | +3·3 | 67·4 | 2 | 19·0 | 17 | 2·25 | 19 | +1·19 | 0·62 | 15 |
| Earnscleugh | 500 | 55·9 | 35·5 | 45·7 | +3·5 | 69·0 | 8 | 20·8 | 17 | 1·72 | 17 | +0·83 | 0·27 | 3 |
| Waipiata | 1,550 | 48·5 | 34·8 | 41·6 | -1·0 | 63·4 | 3 | 22·8 | 17 | 4·46 | 15 | +3·25 | 1·21 | 18 |
| Alexandra | 520 | 55·1 | 37·0 | 46·0 | +3·1 | 69·4 | 8 | 22·8 | 17 | 1·59 | 15 | +0·68 | 0·33 | 29 |
| Manorburn Dam† | 2,448 | 45·5 | 29·6 | 37·6 | -0·9 | 60·0 | 8 | 22·2 | 17 | 2·99 | 15 | +1·37 | 0·60 | 18 |
| Garston | 1,009 | 52·0 | 35·4 | 43·7 | ... | 66·0 | 3 | 22·2 | 17 | 7·04 | 22 | ... | 1·40 | 29 |
| Roxburgh Hydro | 350 | 54·9 | 39·3 | 47·1 | ... | 70·0 | 8 | 29·0 | 28 | 4·34 | 19 | +2·94 | 1·18 | 29 |
| Mid Dome | 1,252 | 51·2 | 36·9 | 44·0 | ... | 65·6 | 2 | 25·5 | 16 | 8·95 | 24 | ... | 1·65 | 18 |
| Moa Flat, West Otago | 1,345 | 48·6 | 37·2 | 42·9 | ... | 61·1 | 2 | 28·6 | 29 | 7·26 | 21 | +5·08 | 1·11 | 29 |
| Taieri | 80 | 54·4 | 38·8 | 46·6 | +0·7 | 67·8 | 1 | 31·1 | 29 | 6·97 | 17 | +4·88 | 2·83 | 18 |
| Musselburgh, Dunedin | 5 | 54·7 | 42·6 | 48·6 | +1·0 | 68·4 | 1 | 33·0 | 29 | 6·66 | 18 | +4·27 | 1·88 | 18 |
| Tapanui | 550 | 52·6 | 38·6 | 45·6 | ... | 64·2 | 2 | 28·3 | 17 | 10·94 | 23 | ... | 2·59 | 19 |
| East Gore | 245 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Gore | 240 | 53·3 | 36·8 | 45·0 | -0·1 | 67·0 | 1 | 31·0 | 16, 31 | 7·21 | 23 | +4·62 | 1·04 | 28 |
| Otautau | 180 | 53·0 | 38·9 | 46·0 | +0·8 | 64·7 | 8 | 23·4 | 17 | 9·72 | 23 | +6·14 | 1·09 | 28 |
| Pebbly Hills | 150 | 53·1 | 38·5 | 45·8 | ... | 69·0 | 1 | 28·0 | 17 | 8·14 | 26 | +4·91 | 1·16 | 7 |
| Invercargill | 8 | 53·8 | 41·2 | 47·5 | +1·0 | 65·4 | .8 | 30·3 | 17 | 8·86 | 26 | +5·05 | 1·20 | 9 |
| Invercargill Airfield | 0 | 53·1 | 38·2 | 46·2 | +0·9 | 62·8 | 1 | 27·4 | 17 | 8·60 | 26 | +4·86 | 1·15 | 9 |

†Observations for 23 days

LATE RETURNS

The Hermitage, April, 1957 | 2,510 | 54·6 | 41·5 | 48·0 | -0·1 | 65·0 | 14 | 33·0 | 7 | 8·26 | 17 | -9·16 | 5·35 | 29 | 96 |
Tara Hills, Omarama, April 1957 | 1,600 | 58·8 | 40·6 | 49·7 | +0·0 | 68·4 | 14 | 28·8 | 6 | 2·73 | 16 | +0·92 | 0·44 | 16 | 125 |
Roxburgh Hydro, April, 1957 | 350 | 62·0 | 45·3 | 53·6 | ... | 74·0 | 11 | 31·0 | 6 | 1·11 | 13 | -0·31 | 0·39 | 16 | ... |

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 1957

General: May was wet and mild. In many North Island districts it was regarded as a good month for farming, with satisfactory pasture growth for the time of the year. However, in the South Island conditions were much too wet, adversely affecting the condition of stock.

A depression which moved down the east coast of both islands from the 16th to the 20th caused unusually stormy weather. Exceptionally strong southerly gales blew through Cook Strait on the 17th and 18th, seriously affecting shipping and causing some minor damage on land. Floods were reported in many parts of Canterbury and Otago; the most serious developed on the Taieri Plains on the 19th.

Small tornadoes caused local damage at Kaitaia on the 4th and at Lower Hutt on the 7th.

Rainfall: Rainfall was above normal except in Northland, Gisborne, and Hawke's Bay. The greatest excesses were recorded in eastern and southern districts of the South Island. Over the eastern half of Otago and in the Catlins district of Southland totals ranged from 5 in. to 13 in. and were three to five times the average value. For Roxburgh with 6·46 in. and Lawrence with 10·59 in. it was the wettest of any month in over forty years of record.

Thunderstorms affected many western districts on the night of 14–15.

Temperatures: Temperatures were above normal, mainly by 1 to 2 degrees.

During a spell of cold south-westerlies on the last four days of the month, snow fell to low levels from Southland to Canterbury and also on the central plateau of the North Island.

Sunshine: Sunshine was below normal by more than twenty hours over most of the South Island and also in the Taranaki-Wanganui area. Elsewhere, totals were mainly close to the average value, but Gisborne and parts of Northland were favoured with somewhat sunnier weather than usual.

Weather Sequence: For the first two days of the month an anti-cyclone was centred east of the North Island, while a deep depression was passing far to the south-west and pressure was also low over the Tasman Sea. The weather was mainly fair, apart from rain at times on the West Coast. There was a general deterioration with the slow eastward passage of a complex trough from the 3rd to the

5th, and flooding was reported in the Opotiki district. Pressure remained low to the east, and for the next five days a south-westerly airstream covered the country, bringing frequent showers to many districts, especially in Southland. From the 11th to the 14th winds became more westerly, with pressures high to the north and very low to the south. The weather improved in many parts of the country, but remained unsettled on the West Coast.

On the 15th a very active trough of low pressure became stationary over the North Island and on the following day there developed in this trough a complex depression which was to cause several days of unusually stormy and wet weather. The main centre moved slowly down the east coast of both islands. At first the central districts and Canterbury were mainly affected, with strong southerly gales through Cook Strait and some flooding. The further south-westward movement of the depression on the 18th and 19th caused serious flooding in parts of Otago, especially the Taieri Plains. The only part of the country which escaped the unsettled weather completely for a few days was the Westland-Fjordland area. However, by the 20th the depression, now centred over the South Island, was rapidly losing intensity, and the rain was confined mainly to western districts from Taranaki southward.

Meanwhile, a depression had been developing over the eastern Tasman Sea, and during its slow southward movement over the next three days a northerly airstream covered the country, bringing rain to northern and western districts of both islands. This depression crossed Southland, and on the 24th and 25th it lay well to the south. Winds turned westerly to south-westerly, with showery weather mainly in western areas and in Southland. Conditions remained somewhat similar on the two following days as a very deep depression passed far to the south. On the 27th an anticyclone was centred over New South Wales, and a depression soon developed to the east of the South Island. For the last four days of the month a cold south-westerly airstream covered the country, with showers in most districts. Snow fell to low levels over the South Island and also on the central plateau of the North Island. By the 31st pressures were rising and showers had become less frequent.

M. A. F. BARNETT, Director.

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