1334
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
No. 51

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for June 1957—continued

LATE RETURNS

| Paerata, May, 1957 .. | 166 | 64·2 | 46·6 | 55·4 | +0·6* | 70·7 | 13 | 41·9 | 31 | 7·18 | 26 | +12·45 | 1·25 | 15 | .. |
| East Gore, May, 1957 .. | 245 | 53·9 | 38·1 | 46·0 | +1·2 | 67·0 | 1 | 31·0 | 16,17 | 7·53 | 25 | +4·94 | 0·88 | 28 | .. |

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 JUNE 1957

General: June was marked by an unusually high frequency of south-westerly winds, especially in the first half. In many districts it was appreciably drier than usual and this, combined with comparatively mild temperatures, made it a favourable winter month for stock and crops. By contrast, in Southland the unusually wet conditions which had prevailed in May persisted in June and became worse, with flooding at times, especially in the lower Mataura River.

Rainfall: Rainfall was about two-thirds of the normal value over the greater part of the country. It was unusually dry in Nelson and Marlborough, where many stations recorded totals below half an inch. For Nelson City with 0·22 in. of rain it was the driest June in seventy-five years of observation.

It was wetter than usual by 50 to 100 per cent in south-western areas of the South Island, that is, Southland and most of South Otago and South Westland. Similar excesses were recorded in eastern districts of the North Island from Gisborne to Waipukurau.

Temperatures: It was warmer than usual by 1 to 3 degrees except in the provinces of Auckland and Westland, where temperatures were about normal.

Snow was reported at times in inland districts of Southland and on the high country of the North Island during a spell of south-westerly weather covering the first half of the month.

Sunshine: Sunshine was mainly about normal. Inland and western districts of the North Island from Hamilton to Wanganui recorded totals 15 to 25 hours below average; while Northland, the Wairarapa-Wellington area, Canterbury, and Otago were favoured with somewhat sunnier weather than usual.

Weather Sequence: A south-westerly airstream which had covered New Zealand on the last four days of May persisted for the first fortnight of June. An anticyclone remained centred over south-east Australia, while pressure was low to the east and south of New Zealand. The weather was continuously unsettled in Southland, with some flooding, especially in the lower Mataura River. Showers also affected parts of the Auckland and Taranaki Provinces. In addition, from the 9th to the 12th the West Coast and Otago received substantial rain as a result of the passage of a deep depression past Campbell Island and the development of a secondary centre off the east coast of the South Island. For many districts sheltered from south-westerlies this fourteen-day period was sunny and rather settled, though at times frosty.

A depression which had formed near the Kermadec Islands moved southward. By the 15th it lay to the north-east of Auckland. At the same time pressure was rising rapidly to the south behind a vigorous cold front which had moved onto the South Island. The weather cleared over Southland for a few days, but the south-easterly airstream which soon covered the country from Canterbury northward brought considerable rain, with some heavy falls in southern and eastern districts of the North Island on the 16th and 17th. A belt of high pressure developed over the South Island and on the 18th and 19th the weather was fair or fine except from Castlepoint to East Cape. Freshening westerlies in the south soon caused a deterioration in western and southern districts of the South Island; on the 21st and 22nd the passage of a trough of low pressure affected these districts and also the North Island.

During the next two days a deep depression moved from the North Tasman Sea across the North Island, with considerable rain, especially in Bay of Plenty and Hawke’s Bay. For the last six days of the month depressions were passing to the south and westerly conditions prevailed. Rain was reported from the West Coast and Southland and at times from western districts of the North Island.

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