NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR SEPTEMBER 1963

General: September was unusually cloudy, except in the Auckland
Province. In most districts farmers were finding the growth of
pasture too slow. However, in Waikato and some other parts of
the Auckland Province, bloat was reported in dairy cows owing
to rapid growth of clover and grass. Cold wet weather early in the
month killed some lambs in the South Island; and a few were also
lost in both islands in the exceptional cold of the 25th.

Rainfall: Over most of the country rainfall was close to average.
However, it was more than 50 per cent above average in the Wai-
tomo-Taupo area, in parts of Nelson, and in North Otago and
Dunedin. In central Northland, on the East Coast, and in western
Southland it was appreciably below normal.

A prolonged and severe thunderstorm affected parts of the alps
on the night of the 12th, with some heavy downpours.

Thunderstorms also affected parts of the Auckland Province
on the 21st, and an exceptionally heavy hail storm damaged
vegetable crops at Pukekohe.

Temperatures: Temperatures were 1-2 degrees above average
in Northland and Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, and northern and
western districts of the South Island. Elsewhere they were close to
normal.

The 25th was an exceptionally cold day, with light snow reported
as far north as Waikato, and a heavy fall in the high country of the
central North Island.

Sunshine: Except over most of the Auckland Province, sunshine
was more than 30 hours below normal. From Wanganui to Wel-
lington and over nearly the whole of the South Island it was more
than 50 hours below normal. For most of Canterbury it was the
coloudest September on record, with only 90 hours of sunshine at
Christchurch. Other places which had their cloudiest September
on record were Wanganui, Wellington, and Westport.

Northland and Auckland were favoured with about 10 hours
more sunshine than average, while Waikato and Bay of Plenty
received 10-20 hours less than the normal value.

Weather Sequence: During the first four days a complex de-
pression from the Tasman Sea crossed the South Island, and an
anticyclone developed near Campbell Island. Some rain was
reported in all districts, heaviest in the King Country and West-
land; only very light falls occurred in Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay,
Central Otago, and Southland. Pressures remained high to the

south; and from the 5th to the 7th a depression which had formed
east of the North Island moved slowly away, while another de-
pression moved slowly eastward over the south Tasman Sea.
Some light rain was reported in eastern districts and more general
rain developed later. As the depression from the Tasman Sea
crossed the South Island during the next two days the rain was still
fairly general, with moderate falls in parts of the North Island and
on the West Coast. However, a weak ridge of high pressure brought
a temporary improvement to most of the country on the 10th.

Pressures became very low far to the southwest, and during the
11th and 12th a trough of low pressure crossed the South Island.
Some heavy rain was experienced in the alps, with severe thunder-
storms on the night of the 12th. The West Coast also received heavy
rain and many other districts reported lighter falls; but eastern
districts from Timaru northward and most of the Auckland Pro-
vince had fair or fine weather. Rain became more general on the
13th as the trough crossed the North Island, and on the following
day there was a change to southerlies with a clearance in some
western districts. Another trough brought light rain to many
districts during the 15th and 16th; but little or none was reported
in eastern districts from north Canterbury to eastern Northland.
The next two days brought better weather under the influence of
an anticyclone east of the North Island.

The anticyclone moved slowly away, and during the 19th and
20th a depression was almost stationary west of Northland. Heavy
rain was reported in Bay of Plenty, Coromandel, and eastern
Northland, with light falls in most other areas except for inland
South Island. By the 21st the depression had become shallow and
the weather cleared in most districts. However, parts of the Auck-
land Province reported thunderstorms, with some exceptionally
heavy hail, especially in Pukekohe. On the following day a weak
ridge of high pressure brought fair weather.

Another trough of low pressure crossed the country on the 23rd
and 24th, with fairly general rain. It was followed by a rapid change
to southerlies, extending to the 25th, with light snow reported even
as far north as Waikato and heavy falls on the Desert Road of the
central North Island. Four days of better weather followed as an
anticyclone moved across the North Island; but on the last day of
the month a weak trough brought light rain to many districts.

R. G. SIMMERS, Director.
(N.Z. Met. S. Misc. Pub. 107)

Ministry of Works—Schedule of Civil Engineering, Building, and Housing Contracts of £10,000 or More in Value

Name of Work
Successful Tenderer
Amount of
Tender
Accepted
£ s. d.
Civil Engineering—
Palmerston-Alexandra S.H. 85: Omakau - Chatto Creek section: Breen Construction Co. Ltd.
Construction of Tiger Hill overbridge
Auckland-Hamilton Motorway: Takanini-Drury section: Con-
struction Brown Street underpass
Building—
Erection of control tower, Palmerston North Airport .. .. Bodell and Co. Ltd.
Housing Division—
Contract No. 15/447: Seven units at Palmerston North .. L. A. H. Mason Ltd.
Contract No. 28/55: Four units at Hawera .. Ken A. Bird Ltd.
Contract No. 269/180: Five units at Otara .. R. Jenkinson
Contract No. 269/182: Seven units at Otara .. W. Youngman and Son Ltd.
Contract No. 269/183: Five units at Otara .. A. Walters
Contract No. 269/184: Seven units at Otara .. E. P. Maddren and Sons Ltd.
Contract No. 269/186: Five units at Otara .. Margison Broadfoot Ltd.
Contract No. 185/13/46: Four units at Otematata .. Sutherland and Andrew

J. T. GILKISON, Commissioner of Works

New Zealand Railways—Schedule of Civil Engineering and Building Contracts of £10,000 or More in Value

Name of Work
Successful Tenderer
Construct new goods shed, Balclutha .. .. .. Gibson and O'Connor, Ltd., P.O. Box 845, Dunedin

A. T. GANDELL, General Manager.

Notice Under the Regulations Act 1936

Pursuant to the Regulations Act 1936, notice is hereby given of the making of regulations as under:

Authority for Enactment
Electoral Act 1957 .. ..
Short Title or Subject-matter
Electoral Regulations 1957, Amendment No. 2 .. 1963/182 Serial Number
Date
Price
23/10/63 of Enactment (Postage Free)
6d.

Copies can be purchased from the Government Publications Bookshops—corner of Rutland and Lorne Streets (P.O. Box 5344), Auckland; 20 Molesworth Street (Private Bag), Wellington; 112 Gloucester Street (P.O. Box 1721), Christchurch; corner of Water and Bond Streets (P.O. Box 1104), Dunedin. Prices for quantities supplied on application. Copies may be ordered by quoting serial number.

R. E. OWEN, Government Printer.