CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE-Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for August 1967-continued

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 AUGUST 1967

General: Owing to an unusually high frequency of northerly winds, August was exceptionally mild and also considerably wetter than usual. Pasture growth was reported to be very good for the time of the year, and fruit trees were early in blossom. It was a good month for stock and conditions were particularly favourable for lambing. However, in parts of North and Central Otago there was a serious lack of feed after a very dry winter.

Rainfall: Rainfall was mainly fifty percent above average. In Nelson, Marlborough, Manawatu, and parts of Taranaki, Taupo, and Coromandel it was more than double the average value. The only extensive area considerably drier than usual was Otago, where many stations received less than three-quarters of the average.

At Dawson Falls, Mt. Egmont, the total rainfall was 67.22 in., the highest for a month ever recorded in the North Island. Of this, 32.22 in. fell on the 10th and 11th. This was the highest 2-day total on record for the whole country; the previous highest was 30.52 in. at Emscote, North Canterbury, on 6 and 7 May 1923.

As a result of heavy rain on the 10th and 11th flooding was reported around Hawera, Wellington, and Takaka. Heavy rain on the 23rd caused flooding around Kaikoura.

The total rainfall for June, July, and August at Middlemarch, Central Otago, was only 0.96 in., the lowest for these three months in fifty years of record. In 1964 the total was only a little greater, 1.00 in.

Temperatures: Temperatures were above average by 3-4 degrees. For most of the country this was the mildest August for at least 30 years; and in some places it was the mildest in 70-100 years of record.

Sunshine: Sunshine was mainly close to average. However, in Northland, Wairarapa, and southern Manawatu, Nelson, Buller, and North Westland it was down by 20-30 hours. On the other hand, most of Canterbury was favoured with 20-30 hours more sunshine than usual.

Weather Sequence: On the 1st an anticyclone was centred to the north-east of the Chatham Islands, while a depression off the New South Wales coast moved south-eastward. A trough crossed the country in the northerlies during the first two days with general rain, except in eastern districts of the South Island. The depression then crossed the South Island, bringing a change to southerlies. Rain spread over the remaining districts on the 3rd, but on the following day the weather cleared in southern and western districts of the South Island.

From the 5th to the 8th a large anticyclone initially centred east of Tasmania moved across New Zealand to a position east of Gisborne. The weather was mainly settled during these four days. However, some light rain affected southern and western districts of the South Island from the 5th to the 7th; and north-easterlies brought rain to Coromandel and Gisborne on the 8th.

By the 9th a depression was centred in mid-Tasman, and northerlies brought rain to northern and western districts of both Islands. The depression moved slowly south-eastward, while two troughs passed eastward over the country during the 10th and 11th. In the moist northerly to north-westerly flow there were two very wet days in some western districts, with flooding in Hawera, Wellington, and Takaka. Eastern districts of the South Island were not affected.

Conditions became more westerly on the 12th and 13th, with a deep depression far to the south-west and yet another trough moving on to the country. Rain was now confined mainly to the West Coast and Southland. A small depression developed on the trough; and as both trough and depression crossed the country during the next two days rain became general, though soon clearing over the southern half of the South Island.

By the 16th a ridge of high pressure extended over the country from an anticyclone centred east of Tasmania. From this day to the 21st most districts enjoyed settled weather as the anticyclone moved across the Tasman Sea and New Zealand to a position east of the Chatham Islands. The weather was unsettled in Northland in the easterlies, which also affected Gisborne and southern Hawke's Bay at times; while westerlies brought some light rain to the Southland coast.

On the 22nd a depression which had developed off the Queensland coast was centred over the North Tasman Sea, while pressures remained high to the east of the Chatham Islands. With a strong easterly to north-easterly flow, heavy rain was recorded on this and the following day in eastern districts as far south as Christchurch, also in Northland, Coromandel, and Bay of Plenty. Flooding was reported around Kaikoura. The remainder of the North Island and northern and eastern districts of the South Island also received rain. The depression developed a second centre on the 24th, and soon crossed the country with further fairly general rain and a brief spell of southerlies on the 26th and 27th.

The weather remained unsettled for the last four days of the month in western districts of both islands, with rain at times also in northern districts. The set-up was a westerly one, with troughs crossing the country rapidly; and a depression moved over the South Island on the 31st.

J. F. GABITES, Director.

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