1126
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
No. 42
CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE-Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for May 1967—continued
|Station| Height of Station Above M.S.L.|Means of |Mean of A and B|Difference From Normal|Absolute Maximum and Minimum|Air Temperatures in Degrees (Fahrenheit)|Rainfall in Inches|Bright Sun-shine|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||A Max.|B Min.|Maxi-mum|Date|Mini-mum|Date|Total Fall|No. of Rain Days|Difference From Normal|Maximum Fall|Amount|Date|In.|Hrs.|
|Herbert...|200|57.8|36.2|47.0|..|72.0|6|29.2|19|1.01|11|..|0.19|27,30|..|
|Cherry Farm, Waikouaiti..|21|55.7|40.3|48.0|+2.6|70.0|6|32.2|29|1.57|13|−0.1|0.22|3|..|
|Taieri ...|80|54.7|39.2|47.0|+1.4|68.0|6|28.4|18|2.44|15|+0.1|0.58|6|..|
|Berwick Forest ..|60|54.3|39.8|47.0|+1.7|69.5|6|29.5|18|4.20|14|+2.0|0.87|2|..|
|Dunedin Airport..|4|55.0|38.8|46.9|+2.0|68.7|6|26.4|19|2.95|15|+1.1|0.78|6|79|
|Musselburgh, Dunedin ..|5|54.2|42.6|48.4|+0.5|68.5|6|34.2|16|3.98|19|+1.4|0.63|3|70|
|Oamaru ..|47|57.8|42.1|50.0|..|73.0|5|29.0|15|1.09|11|..|0.33|27|132|
|West Arm, Lake Manapouri|590|49.5|41.4|45.4|+2.2|56.7|5|33.0|15,18|11.30|18|..|2.71|6|..|
|Queenstown ..|1,080|54.0|39.6|46.8|+2.6|67.4|20|31.6|16|1.59|15|−1.0|0.47|6|69|
|Mid Dome ..|1,252|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|
|Cromwell ..|698|55.6|38.2|46.9|+3.4|66.2|6|26.1|18|0.67|10|−0.4|0.20|12|..|
|Ophir ..|1,000|..|35.5|..|..|..|..|24.0|18|0.39|4|−0.8|0.18|6|..|
|Moa Creek..|1,400|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|
|Earnscleugh ..|500|55.6|33.8|44.7|+2.3|65.2|4|24.0|18|0.52|7|−0.4|0.18|14|..|
|Alexandra ..|461|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|
|Roxburgh Hydro ..|350|55.2|39.4|47.3|+1.7|66.6|6|27.0|20|1.37|10|−0.2|0.37|14|..|
|Moa Flat, West Otago ..|1,345|50.3|37.0|43.6|+1.1|65.0|5|27.5|16|3.35|18|+1.0|0.71|6|..|
|Lake Mahinerangi ..|1,300|49.6|36.8|43.2|..|67.5|6|28.0|16|6.50|20|+3.8|1.95|3|..|
|Tapanui ..|740|52.5|39.8|46.2|+1.1|64.5|5|30.9|16|4.79|18|+1.8|1.19|3|..|
|Rankleburn Forest ..|835|52.0|39.2|45.6|+1.9|65.2|6|30.6|16|6.08|17|..|1.65|3|..|
|Taieri Mouth ..|50|53.7|40.7|..|47.2|66.2|22|32.1|19|5.08|21|..|1.10|3|..|
|Otautau ..|180|53.6|40.0|46.8|+1.8|65.0|5,20|29.0|19|6.45|20|+2.9|1.26|6|82|
|Gore ..|230|52.4|39.7|46.0|+0.8|64.8|6|30.8|19|5.16|18|+2.6|1.14|3|76|
|Winton ..|150|53.4|40.8|47.1|..|64.7|5|29.7|19|4.41|20|..|1.53|6|81|
|Pebbly Hills ..|138|53.6|40.2|46.9|+1.1|65.0|21,22|32.0|15,16|5.68|18|+2.4|1.67|6|67|
|Invercargill Airport ..|1|53.2|40.6|46.9|+1.8|65.1|5|28.0|20|4.99|19|+1.3|1.29|6|..|
|Milton ..|60|53.0|39.1|46.0|..|66.2|21|28.5|19|4.08|20|+2.0|0.97|6|..|
|Balclutha ..|20|53.0|39.3|46.2|..|64.5|21|30.4|19|4.54|21|..|1.14|6|80|
|Rarotonga ..|15|78.1|68.4|73.2|−0.5|82.5|14|60.7|15|27.30|21|+11.3|8.46|7|124|
|Raoul Island ..|126|70.2|60.8|65.5|−0.4|73.9|11|55.6|18|3.33|23|−3.0|0.72|6|160|
|Chatham Islands ..|157|54.1|45.1|49.6|−1.1|59.3|7|38.0|9|3.30|19|−0.2|0.77|15|91|
|Campbell Island ..|49|44.9|36.5|40.0|..|50.0|19|30.1|15|4.23|29|..|0.53|8|13|
|Scott Base, Antarctica|45|..|..|..|..|15.4|20|−60.0|8|..|..|..|..|..|..|
LATE RETURNS
Ruatoria, Apr 1967 ..|200|68.7|48.1|58.4|−0.4|76.8|10|35.4|30|3.79|9|−2.4|1.29|26|..|
Greymouth, Apr 1967 ..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|
ERRATUM—
Kerikeri, Apr 1967 ..|240|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|..|2.92|..|..|..|..|
The "normal" refers to the present site of the instruments. The standard periods for normals are: for temperature 1931–60, for rainfall 1921–50, and for sunshine 1935–60. No normals are available for stations with only short records.
*Sunshine recorder is not located at the station but is in the near vicinity.
NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR MAY 1967
General: May was marked by a higher frequency of south-westerly winds than usual. It was a cloudy month in southern districts of the South Island, and also very wet in Southland; while in Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay it was unusually sunny and dry. Rainfall was comparatively low over most of the country; but in only a few areas, mainly Gisborne and Bay of Plenty, was it low enough to retard pasture growth. Generally the spells of settled weather were appreciated and farmers found May a good month.
Rainfall: Rainfall was below normal except in Southland and on the West Coast; also around Christchurch, and in parts of Otago and Waikato. In Gisborne and parts of Hawke’s Bay it was less than a quarter of the average value, with some totals below an inch. Elsewhere rainfall was mainly about half the average value.
The only area with rainfall well above normal was the Southland plain with South Otago and parts of the Dunedin district, where totals were about double the average value.
In the North Island and northern and western districts of the South Island, a large part of the rain fell between the 23rd and the 26th.
Temperatures: Temperatures were close to average in the North Island and northern and western districts of the South Island. They were 2–4 degrees above average over most of Canterbury, Otago, and Southland.
The main cold spells were experienced about the 11th, the 15th, and at the end of the month. The cold spell of the 15th was accompanied by snow to low levels in many eastern districts, and also on the West Coast.
Sunshine: Sunshine was above average by 10 to 70 hours in eastern districts from Kaikoura to Gisborne and also about Cook Strait. Gisborne received 191 hours, its highest May sunshine in 30 years of records. The highest total was 198 hours, at Waipukurau.
In Westland, Otago, and Southland, sunshine was 10–30 hours below average, greatest deficiencies being recorded in Otago and Southland.
Weather Sequence: With an anticyclone over the Tasman Sea and pressures low far to the south-east, from 1–3 May conditions remained similar to those experienced during 28–30 April. Winds were mainly south-westerly, bringing considerable rain to Southland, with gales there at times. Otago and the West Coast also received some rain, and a few showers were reported in Auckland. On the 4th the weather was generally fine under the influence of a ridge of high pressure, but freshening westerlies in the south brought rain once again to the West Coast on the following day.
A trough of low pressure which moved on to Southland on the 6th soon became slow-moving, and depressions formed on it. Soon rain covered most of the South Island and extended also to some western districts of the North Island. During the 8th and 9th the trough moved more rapidly, crossing the country; and a depression on it passed close to Southland. The weather cleared temporarily in the east and north of the South Island. However, during the next two days a second depression passed to the east of the South Island, and the associated cold front brought a change to southerlies. Rain became general but soon cleared temporarily on the West Coast. Conditions became westerly again for the 12th and 13th with rain only in Fiordland and south Westland, and on the Southland coast. A second cold front soon crossed the country, with another brief spell of fairly general rain and snow to low levels, in many eastern districts on the 15th.
Three days of settled weather followed as an anticyclone moved across the country. After this, from the 19th to the 22nd the anticyclone was centred to the east of the North Island, and settled weather continued in many districts. However, at first a trough was stationary to the south. The freshening north-westerlies north of the trough brought rain to Fiordland and south Westland; while easterlies brought showers to Northland and Auckland. As the trough moved on to the South Island on the 22nd, light rain spread to Southland, north Westland and Buller, and also Bay of Plenty.
The period from the 23rd to the 26th was the wettest part of the month for the North Island, and western and northern districts of the South Island. A shallow depression which had been moving eastward over the central Tasman Sea became almost stationary, while the trough of low pressure continued its progress across the country. Rain became fairly general, but there was a temporary clearance over the southern half of the South Island on the 24th and 25th. A second depression later formed east of the North Island.
With rising pressures conditions improved on the 27th but some scattered rain was still reported. However, on the following day the weather was settled. On the 29th rain came to Northland and Auckland with the passage of a depression to the north. During the last two days of the month a cold southerly change brought light rain to eastern districts as far north as Wairarapa, and also to Wellington and Taranaki.
J. F. GABITES, Director.
(N.Z. Met. S. Mics. Pub. 107.)