66

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
No. 4

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

Hanmer .. .. .. 1,270 69·0 48·1 58·6 +0·8 83·1 1 40·4 17 1 ·45 8 -2·26 0·51 9 101
Hokitika South .. .. 15 67·2 53·1 60·2 +4·1 75·8 30 43·6 16 8 ·08 12 -1·88 4·50 9 202
Balmoral .. .. 650 70·0 49·1 59·6 +2·3 82·0 22 40·0 21 0 ·79 9 -1·51 0·23 4 ..
Lake Coleridge .. .. 1,195 67·1 49·6 58·4 +0·8 83·0 1 40·0 11 2 ·97 9 +0·39 1·76 9 ..
Eyrewell .. .. 520 68·6 50·3 59·4 .. 91·7 1 41·9 11 2 ·73 12 -0·87 1·18 14 ..
Franz Josef .. .. 450 69·9 51·4 60·6 .. 80·0 27 42·0 23 15 ·56 17 .. 4·02 9 ..
Ashley Forest .. .. 350 65·1 51·4 58·2 -0·9 82·6 1 43·8 11 1 ·38 11 -1·90 0·54 14 ..
Darfield .. .. 640 68·9 51·0 60·0 +1·1 91·4 1 42·0 11, 20 2 ·42 12 -0·43 0·75 14 ..
Christchurch Airport .. 94 65·9 53·1 59·5 .. 80·1 8 45·1 11 1 ·44 11 .. 0·67 14 124
Christchurch .. 22 66·5 53·9 60·2 +0·4 82·1 8 45·1 11 1 ·20 8 -1·34 0·54 14 ..
Wigram .. 74 66·4 52·3 59·4 -0·6 82·1 8 44·1 11 1 ·37 10 -1·02 0·54 14 ..
Akaroa .. 150 66·8 52·6 59·7 -0·6 84·0 1 43·8 17 1 ·66 14 -1·04 0·41 14 124
Lincoln .. 36 66·8 51·4 59·1 +0·4 84·1 1 40·6 28 1 ·75 11 -0·47 0·39 9 148
Highbank .. 1,102 65·8 49·6 57·7 .. 82·0 1 41·5 11 3 ·79 12 .. 1·79 9 122
The Hermitage .. 2,510 66·3 47·4 56·8 +2·2 77·0 30 37·0 10 9 ·72 12 -3·20 3·18 9 120
Winchmore .. 626 66·1 49·9 58·0 +0·3 88·0 1 40·5 31 2 ·90 11 +0·10 1·24 9 ..
Haast .. .. 15 66·4 53·5 60·0 +3·3 78·9 30 43·8 17 9 ·61 14 -2·97 1·89 9 142
Ashburton .. 323 68·9 51·1 60·0 +0·9 90·2 1 42·6 19 3 ·12 13 +0·11 1·15 9, 14 106
Fairlie .. 1,004 64·6 48·9 56·8 -0·3 83·0 1 42·0 11 4 ·13 15 +1·24 1·67 14 ..
Timaru .. 56 65·7 52·3 59·0 +0·3 75·9 8 41·3 16 2 ·66 14 +0·00 1·30 9 90
Adair .. 200 62·5 51·3 56·9 -0·3 78·8 7 40·6 16 3 ·05 12 +0·22 1·73 9 ..
Tara Hills, Omarama 1,600 69·1 48·1 58·6 +0·7 79·0 6 33·7 16 3 ·04 13 +1·04 0·95 9 125
Benmore, Otematata 920 68·9 51·2 60·0 .. 80·8 1 36·9 16 1 ·82 10 .. 0·81 9 ..
Milford Sound .. 20 66·2 52·6 59·4 +4·0 78·0 26 43·8 1 11 ·41 18 -11·95 1·70 7 ..
Waimate .. 200 65·1 50·1 57·6 -0·2 79·0 8 36·0 1 3 ·49 17 +0·56 2·01 9 60
Naseby Forest .. 2,300 67·0 44·6 55·8 .. 77·8 7 28·8 31 2 ·24 11 .. 0·45 14 ..
Queenstown .. 1,100 69·5 50·2 59·8 +1·9 79·0 28 38·4 31 2 ·21 16 -0·29 0·61 13 190
Cromwell .. 720 73·5 53·8 63·6 +3·4 82·1 7 41·3 31 2 ·86 12 +1·58 0·85 13 ..
Ophir .. 1,000 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Moa Creek .. 1,400 69·2 47·4 58·3 .. 77·2 7 30·1 31 2 ·09 12 .. 0·57 13 ..
Earnscleugh .. 500 72·3 50·7 61·5 +1·9 82·0 7 35·3 31 2 ·93 11 +1·67 0·74 23 ..
Waipiafa .. 1,550 65·7 46·2 56·0 +0·0 76·9 7 33·4 31 2 ·09 9 -0·10 0·51 13 172
Alexandra .. 520 73·0 53·1 63·0 +2·8 82·0 7 39·5 31 2 ·18 12 +0·88 0·47 13 181
Garston .. 1,009 69·9 48·5 59·2 .. 78·3 19, 28 30·6 31 1 ·57 14 .. 0·25 12, 18 ..
Roxburgh Hydro .. 350 71·4 51·2 61·3 .. 84·0 1 37·0 31 2 ·39 16 +0·58 0·41 4 ..
Mid Dome .. 1,252 67·2 48·0 57·6 .. 76·0 7 33·0 31 3 ·62 14 .. 0·90 22 ..
Moa Flat, West Otago 1,345 63·9 47·3 55·6 .. 74·2 7 34·8 31 2 ·55 13 -0·41 1·04 22 ..
Taieri .. 80 63·4 50·4 56·9 +0·9 82·4 7 43·8 10 4 ·30 14 +1·74 1·52 14 109
Musselburgh, Dunedin 5 61·1 51·4 56·2 -0·6 73·8 7 44·5 10, 11 6 ·33 21 +3·45 1·94 9 100
Tapanui .. 550 67·5 48·5 58·0 .. 78·0 19 33·8 16 3 ·45 13 .. 0·81 14 ..
East Gore .. 245 66·9 49·6 58·2 +1·9 79·5 21 35·0 31 2 ·46 12 -0·62 0·54 22 ..
Gore .. 240 66·8 50·9 58·8 +2·1 81·0 21 35·0 31 2 ·39 12 -0·69 0·48 22 165
Otatau .. 180 65·0 .. .. .. 77·0 20 .. .. .. 3 ·12 13 +0·10 0·77 9 128
Pebbly Hills .. 150 66·2 48·5 57·4 .. 76·0 7 34·0 31 4 ·07 13 +0·55 1·15 14 ..
Invercargill .. 8 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 ·06 13 .. .. .. ..
Invercargill Airfield .. 0 63·8 49·6 56·7 +1·7 75·6 20 38·9 31 .. .. .. ..

LATE RETURNS

Thames, Nov 1959 .. 10 69·0 54·5 61·8 .. 73·0 30 41·2 12 2 ·62 9 .. 0·81 18 178
Karipapanga, Nov 1959 .. 1,600 65·0 42·4 53·7 .. 71·2 2 26·4 12 1 ·56 8 .. 0·65 10 ..
Wallaceville, Nov 1959 .. 195 63·6 48·0 55·8 +1·2 70·3 4 32·0 12 2 ·69 9 -0·82 0·95 18 164
Cromwell, Nov 1959 .. 720 70·6 45·8 58·2 +2·8 78·2 29 34·8 20 1 ·60 7 -0·38 0·95 8 ..
Tapanui, Nov 1959 .. 550 63·2 42·9 53·0 .. 78·0 5 32·3 25 4 ·47 19 .. 1·44 8 ..

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 DECEMBER 1959

General: December was cloudy and warm, with an unusually high frequency of northerly to easterly winds. It was a good month for stock. However, in southern and western districts of the North Island and in the Nelson Province it was considered to be somewhat too dry, especially in the second half, and crops were affected.

A small local whirlwind caused some damage at Howick (Auckland) on the 15th.

Rainfall: Rainfall was appreciably below average in the North Island south of Hamilton (except in the Gisborne district) and in Marlborough and North Canterbury. In eastern districts from Christchurch to Napier and in Manawatu it was less than half the normal value. Parts of southern Wairarapa received only half an inch.

There was much more rain than usual near Whangarei and about the Hauraki Plains-Coromandel area, also over most of Otago and the Gisborne district. Coromandel received more than twice its normal rainfall, with totals up to 12 in.

There was considerable thunderstorm activity on the 14th, 15th, 29th, and 30th, especially in western districts.

Temperatures: Temperatures were above average. Highest departures of 3–4 degrees were recorded on the West Coast, in Taranaki, and in the National Park-Taihape area. In Northland departures were 2–3 degrees. Elsewhere it was only about a degree warmer than usual.

Sunshine: Sunshine was below average, except in Westland. Greatest deficiencies of 50–110 hours were recorded in eastern districts. Hanmer, Ashburton, Timaru, Waimate, and Dunedin all experienced their cloudiest December in over 30 years of observation. The total of 60 hours at Waimate was one of the very lowest ever recorded in New Zealand in any summer month.

Weather Sequence: On the 1st pressure was high to the north and a deep depression was passing to the south, with the associated trough of low pressure crossing the South Island. Rain was reported in Fiordland and most of Westland. During the next two days an anticyclone was centred to the south-east of the South Island and a depression moved southward over the Tasman Sea, passing just to the west of Southland. The rain spread over most of the South Island but it was light in eastern districts. From the 4th to the 7th an anticyclone centred to the east extended over most of the North Island. However, a trough of low pressure moved slowly northward from Southland to Manawatu, accompanied by rain over most of the South Island and in western districts of the North Island from Wellington to Hamilton.

The period from the 8th to the 16th was one of predominantly unsettled weather. A depression which had been developing over the Tasman Sea deepened and crossed the South Island, with general rain on the 8th and 9th. There were some heavy falls in and west of the Southern Alps and in South Canterbury. On the following day there was a clearance in the north as the main centre of the depression moved eastward off the South Island. An anticyclone over Northland brought mainly fair weather on the 11th and 12th, but with pressures falling again over the western Tasman Sea rain persisted in western and southern districts of the South Island. During the next two days rain became more or less general again with the passage of another depression from the Tasman Sea