18 JUNE THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE 807

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

LATE RETURNS

Waerengi-o-Kuri, Apr 1959 | 1,130 | 62·4 | 48·1 | 55·2 | +0·0 | 71·9 | 7 | 27·6 | 30 | 2·51 | 17 | —2·48 | 1·06 | 12 | ..
Mangamutu, Pahiatua, Apr 1959 | .. | 380 | 62·9 | 43·8 | 53·4 | .. | 74·3 | 8 | 23·0 | 28 | 3·70 | 14 | .. | 0·99 | 6 | ..

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 MAY 1959

General: For most of the country it was one of the coldest and wettest Mays on record. Winds from a southerly quarter brought persistent cloud and rain, particularly to eastern and southern districts. With negligible pasture growth in the South Island and several early snowfalls, conditions there were unusually severe for stock, especially for young sheep.

A small depression which travelled across Taranaki and Manawatu on the afternoon of the 22nd was associated with strong gales, which did some damage. Gales were also widespread over the greater part of the North Island from the 26th to the 28th, affecting power lines and disrupting communications.

Rainfall: Rainfall was more than double the average value in the Wellington Province (except southern Manawatu), in most eastern districts of the South Island and on the Southland Plain. In some areas about and just south of the Kaikouras and in parts of Banks Peninsula it was the wettest of any month on record. The highest total of nearly 33 in. was received at Orongorongo, in the ranges to the east of Wellington Harbour.

Elsewhere rainfall was also mainly above normal. However, the Bay of Plenty and Westland received only half the average rainfall, and it was also somewhat drier than usual in eastern Northland.

Temperatures: For the country as a whole it was the coldest May on record, but about equal with May 1913. Departures from normal were 3–5 degrees in the South Island and 2–4 degrees in the North Island.

The worst snow falls occurred in Southland from the 24th to the 26th and in the North Island high country from the 25th to the 30th. By the 26th 8 in. of snow were lying in Gore, the heaviest in May for at least 50 years. Other periods during which many stations reported snow were the 4th to 6th, 10th to 12th, and the 17th and 18th.

Sunshine: Sunshine was below average over the greater part of the country. Deficiencies exceeding 30 hours were recorded in the Taranaki and Wellington Provinces and in parts of Canterbury and Central Otago. For Hanmer, with a total of 76 hours, it was the cloudiest May in 50 years of record.

The only parts of the country favoured with somewhat more sunshine than usual were south Westland, the far north, and parts of Marlborough.

Weather Sequence: On the 1st the weather was fair and mild under the influence of a ridge of high pressure extending eastward from an anticyclone over the South Australian Bight. On the following day a deep depression passed far to the south, and the associated trough of low pressure brought some rain to western and southern districts of the South Island.

On the 3rd a depression developed off the Otago coast and commenced to move north-eastward. The anticyclone became stationary over south-eastern Australia, and a spell of about 18 days of cold southerly to easterly winds now developed with frequent periods of rain, especially in eastern districts.

From the 4th to the 6th the depression deepened east of Cook Strait where gales were reported. The only areas which escaped the rain were the West Coast and parts of the Bay of Plenty. Heavy rain occurred in Banks Peninsula. For the next two days the depression moved away, and the wet weather was confined to eastern districts from Dunedin to East Cape. There was a temporary improvement in these areas on the 9th as a depression passed far to the south, and the West Coast received some rain.

The cold southerlies returned again on the 10th with the formation of a depression east of Hawke’s Bay, and at first the rain affected mainly the North Island. On the 12th yet another depression