25 MARCH

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE

393

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for February 1959—continued

LATE RETURNS

Chateau Tongariro, Jan 1959 3,670 67·1 47·9 57·5 +5·2 79·0 19 39·0 16, 17 10·18 11 +1·61 3·27 12 ..
Dannevirke, Jan 1959 .. 685 72·9 53·9 63·4 .. 81·9 19 44·5 17 3·20 9 +0·01 1·36 12 ..
The Hermitage, Jan 1959 .. 2,510 74·1 49·8 62·0 +6·2 88·0 19 34·0 3 3·80 4 -14·99 2·20 27 224

NOTE—At stations where departures from normal have an asterisk, the temperature record has been maintained for less than 10 years, the rainfall record for less than 20 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 1959

General: Over most of the country February was drier than usual. In parts of Marlborough and Nelson, after two months of low rainfall, the feed position was reported to be serious. Elsewhere conditions were mainly favourable for farmers, but in the North Island lambs were still not in good condition, as they were showing the effects of abundant growth, with too soft a feed.

A southerly storm from the 21st to the 23rd was associated with unusually cold temperatures for the time of the year and considerable snow on the ranges of both islands; a foot was recorded at the Ruapehu ski lift and 2 ins. at Lake Tekapo. Gale force winds caused some damage in the Wellington and Taranaki Provinces.

Rainfall: Rainfall was somewhat below average in the South Island (except Southland, South Otago, and mid-Canterbury), also in the Gisborne district, the King Country, and about Auckland City. In Marlborough and Nelson totals were less than a quarter of the normal value; Nelson City had its lowest February rainfall since 1939.

The only considerable area with totals well above average consisted of northern Wairarapa, southern Hawke’s Bay, and the Rangitikei-Wanganui district. In parts of this area rainfall was double the normal value. More than three-quarters of this rain fell between the 20th and the 23rd; in Hawke’s Bay very little fell outside the 22nd and the 23rd, during the southerly storm.

Temperatures: Mean temperatures were above average, mainly by about a degree.

Frosts were recorded in many inland districts of the South Island on the 23rd. At Naseby, in Central Otago, the air temperature dropped to 25°F, the lowest ever recorded in New Zealand in February.

Sunshine: Sunshine was above average over most of the South Island and in western districts of the North Island. The surplus amounted to 30 hours on the West Coast, and Westport’s total of 232 hours was one of the highest in the country.

It was somewhat cloudier than usual in eastern districts of the North Island and in Marlborough.

Weather Sequence: From the 1st to the 8th the weather was fair and very warm over the greater part of the country as anticyclones moved from the Tasman Sea across New Zealand to the Chatham Islands. However, on the 1st a weak trough to the north-east caused showers in Gisborne and Coromandel. On the 2nd and 3rd the passage of a deep depression close to Campbell Island was associated with gales in Stewart Island and about Foveaux Strait; rain fell in western and southern districts of the South Island. These same districts received rain again on the 5th with the passage of a weak trough.

A more vigorous trough crossed the country on the 9th and 10th, with general rain. There were considerable falls in Westland, and some flooding was reported.

The 11th to the 18th was another period of fair weather for the greater part of the country, under the influence of a large slow-moving anticyclone. However, in Northland showers were reported on several days, partly owing to the passage of a tropical cyclone far to the north. A weak trough brought some rain to western and southern districts of the South Island on the 17th.

The 19th to the 23rd was a period of unsettled, stormy, and at times unusually cold weather. An old tropical cyclone which had first appeared off the Queensland coast on the 15th moved across the North Tasman Sea, becoming weaker. A vigorous cold front