CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for July 1960—continued

LATE RETURNS

Waikeria Te Awamutu June 1960 .. .. 156 | 57·8 | 38·2 | 48·0 | .. | 65·7 | 8 | 26·4 | 16 | 4·08 | 16 | .. | 0·47 | 7 | ..
Waiouru, June 1960 .. 2,700 | 46·9 | 34·6 | 40·8 | .. | 58·3 | 8 | 24·0 | 16 | 3·50 | 20 | .. | 0·70 | 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 JULY 1960

General:

The changeable weather during July was fairly typical of the midwinter month. In the South Island, however, and particularly in Canterbury, it was very mild, and farmers found conditions much to their liking. In the North Island conditions were also mainly favourable for stock, but in parts of Northland the ground was becoming very wet owing to the persistent unsettled weather. The first lambs had commenced to appear by the end of the month under very favourable conditions.

A vigorous cold front which crossed the country on the 25th and 26th brought the coldest weather to date this year. Southerly winds reached strong gale force in some North Island districts, uprooting trees and snapping power poles in north Taranaki. Snow fell to low levels in the South Island and covered the high country of the north Island.

Rainfall:

Rainfall was half the average value in Hawke’s Bay, Canterbury, and Otago. Around and to the north-west of Hastings it was less than a quarter.

The Wellington and Rotorua districts and the greater part of Taranaki and Westland had 50 per cent more rainfall than normal.

Temperatures:

Over most of the South Island it was 2–4 degrees warmer than average, but in the North Island temperatures were mainly close to normal.

For the Hermitage, Mt. Cook, it was the warmest July in 30 years of records.

In addition to the snowfall of the 26th, snow was also reported to have fallen on Ruapehu on the 6th and the 20th. Generally, however, there was much less snow than usual on the ranges, especially in the South Island.

The most frosty period was the 7th to the 15th, when the weather was comparatively settled.

Sunshine:

Sunshine was close to average over most of the country. However, Central Otago, Nelson, Manawatu, and Wellington received 20 to 40 hours less sun than normal; while Gisborne and parts of Northland and the Canterbury Plains were favoured with 20 hours more than average.

Weather Sequence:

The month opened with two days of south-westerlies, as a depression to the east moved away and an anti-cyclone remained centred over the Tasman Sea. A few showers were reported, mainly in Southland and in parts of North Taranaki and the Auckland Province.

On the 3rd and 4th the anticyclone was centred to the north, and a deep depression which formed off the Victorian coast passed close to Southland. Winds freshened and turned to the north and north-west; while rain spread over the country from the west, not yet affecting eastern districts. However, some of these districts received rain on the next two days when winds turned to south-