23 APRIL
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
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CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for March 1964—continued

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 MARCH 1964

General: In March, winds from a westerly quarter were stronger and more persistent than usual for the time of the year. It was a cloudy, wet month in many districts. Conditions were mainly reasonably favourable for pasture growth and for stock. However, in Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, and Canterbury the weather was too dry, owing to comparatively low rainfall followed by drying winds.

During the night of 20–21st a particularly severe north-westerly gale destroyed thousands of acres of trees in North Canterbury. Small local tornadoes affected Matamata on the 1st and Rangiriri (north of Huntly) on the 4th.

Rainfall: Rainfall was one and a half to three times the average value in central districts of the North Island, also Waitomo and parts of Taranaki, Waikato, and Bay of Plenty; and over most of Otago and Southland, the Alps, and Canterbury high country. In some of these areas, especially in the North Island, about three-quarters of the total fell during the passage of a deep depression over Cook Strait from the 9th to the 11th. Falls for the three-day period as high as 12 in. have been reported. Very serious flooding occurred in eastern Bay of Plenty, especially Opotiki. Some flooding was also reported at Ohura (Taumarunui area).

Elsewhere rainfall was mainly close to normal. However, in Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay and in parts of Wairarapa and North Canterbury it was only half the average value.

Temperatures: Temperatures were close to average over the greater part of the country. However, in Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay and on the Canterbury Plains and coast they were 1–2 degrees warmer than normal; and over the South Island ranges they were 1–2 degrees cooler than normal.

Snow fell on the South Island ranges on the 15th.

Sunshine: Sunshine was mainly close to normal or up to 25 hours below. In parts of Fiordland, Westland, Central Otago, South Canterbury, and Taranaki it was up to 40 hours below average. The only areas favoured with sunshine appreciably above average were eastern Northland, Gisborne, and Wairarapa, with a surplus of 15–35 hours.

Weather Sequence: On the 1st a shallow area of low pressure was centred to the west, and some rain was reported, especially in eastern and central districts of the North Island. During the next three days a small depression passed close to Southland, and the associated trough of low pressure in its passage over the country brought some rain to many areas but only scattered light falls east of the main ranges.

Better weather prevailed from the 5th to the 8th with a ridge of high pressure extending over the country. However, some showers were reported at times on the Canterbury coast.

The period 9th to 11th March was the wettest part of the month in the North Island. A depression which had formed in the North Tasman Sea moved on to Taranaki and later combined with another centre near Southland. A trough of low pressure associated with the first depression moved slowly over the North Island, with heavy and persistent rain in many areas, causing serious flooding in eastern Bay of Plenty. The South Island also received considerable rain.

From the 12th to the 20th westerlies prevailed, with pressures high to the north and very low to the south, and fairly persistent unsettled weather on the West Coast. During 12th to 15th March very deep centres passed quite close to Southland, and rain extended to many parts of the South Island and also to central North Island, the Wanganui-Manawatu area, and parts of Taranaki and Waikato. From the 16th to the 20th the depression centres lay well to the south and the weather was more settled, with some bright spells even on the West Coast. The final trough of this series, on the 20th, brought considerable rain to Southland; and in North Canterbury an unusually strong northwesterly gale devastated thousands of acres of exotic forest.

By the 21st an anticyclone was centred over the eastern Tasman Sea. Some showers in coastal districts of Southland and Canterbury cleared on the following day. A trough of low pressure which crossed the South Island during the 23rd and 24th affected mainly the West Coast. However, on the following day it brought considerable rain to the Cook Strait - Nelson - Taranaki area.

On the 26th an anticyclone was centred over Tasmania and extended across the Tasman Sea and the North Island. South-westerlies prevailed in the south, with rain in Southland and on the West Coast. An improvement was reported in these districts during the 27th and 28th as the anticyclone moved eastward, but some rain still persisted in Fiordland. During the last three days of the month a weak trough moved slowly northward. Rain affected mainly the West Coast and the Alps, with the Southland and Otago coasts. There were scattered light falls elsewhere.

R. G. SIMMERS, Director.

(N.Z. Met. S. Misc. Pub. 107)

Specification Declared to be a Standard Specification

PURSUANT to the Standards Act 1941 and the regulations made thereunder, the Minister of Industries and Commerce, on 19 December 1963, declared the under-mentioned specification to be a standard specification:

Number and Title of Specification: N.Z.S.S. 1800:1963: The determination of the freezing-point depression of milk (Hortvet method). (Superseding N.Z.S.S. 1673:1962.)

Price of Copy (Post Free): 3s.

Application for copies should be made to the N.Z. Standards Institute, Bowen State Building, Bowen Street, or Private Bag, Wellington C.1, or to the Government Bookshops at Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch, or Dunedin.

Dated at Wellington this 15th day of April 1964.

V. FAIRHALL,
Acting Executive Officer, Standards Council.

(S.I. 114/2/2:2394)

The Standards Act 1941—Draft New Zealand Standard Specification No. D. 7804: Devices for Respiratory Protection Against Abrasive Blasting

PURSUANT to subsection (3) of section 8 of the Standards Act 1941, notice is hereby given that the above-mentioned draft New Zealand standard specification is being circulated.

All persons who may be affected by this specification and who desire to comment thereon may, on application, obtain copies on loan from the New Zealand Standards Institute, Bowen State Building, Bowen Street, or Private Bag, Wellington C.1.

The closing date for the receipt of comment is 22 May 1964.

Dated at Wellington this 15th day of April 1964.

V. FAIRHALL,
Acting Executive Officer, Standards Council.

(S.I. 114/2/8)