19 DECEMBER
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
2437

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE—Summary of the Records of Temperature, Rainfall, and Sunshine for November 1968—continued

LATE RETURNS

| Leigh, October 1968 | 100 | 65.8 | 49.8 | 57.8 | .. | 73.2 | 30 | 40.2 | 1 | 3.94 | 11 | —0.1 | 1.03 | 7 | 199 |
| Waitangi Forest, October 1968 | 180 | 65.8 | 49.8 | 57.8 | .. | 73.2 | 30 | 40.2 | 1 | 3.94 | 11 | —0.1 | 1.03 | 7 | .. |
| Glentanner, October 1968.. | 2,800 | 52.1 | 35.6 | 43.8 | .. | 63.0 | 22 | 25.0 | 2 | 17.40 | 17 | .. | 2.89 | 22 | .. |

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 NOVEMBER 1968

General—As in October, westerly winds were unusually frequent and strong. It was a cool month, but for the most part very sunny and dry in eastern districts. Growth was slow in many parts of the country, especially central and eastern districts of both Islands. Feed was short in parts of Canterbury.

Particularly strong and persistent westerlies were reported from the 15th to the 25th. A cold front, which crossed the country on the 26th, brought widespread thunderstorms to the North Island.

The spring as a whole has been the windiest on record for at least 30 years over a large part of the country, especially most eastern districts from Gisborne to South Canterbury, but including also Manawatu and parts of Nelson and Marlborough. In addition it was the coldest spring on record for over 30 years at the Hermitage and Queenstown; and the wettest spring on record in the Alps, as shown by the rainfall at Otira (97.86 in.) and the Hermitage (72.49 in.).

Rainfall—Rainfall was less than half the average value in most eastern districts from Gisborne to the Kaikoura Coast and parts of North Canterbury. It was somewhat below average over the remainder of the North Island, except for Northland and Taranaki. It was also somewhat below average in the South Island east of the main ranges, except in parts of Canterbury, Central Otago, and Southland.

Greatest surpluses were recorded in north-west Nelson and inland Buller, also in parts of the Southern Lakes district. In these areas rainfall was more than 50 percent above average.

Temperatures—Temperatures were below average, except in eastern districts of the South Island, where they were close to average or slightly above. Greatest departures below average of 2–3 degrees were reported in Taupo and in the Southern Alps and the Southern Lakes district.

Sunshine—East of the main ranges as far south as the Waitaki River and also in Bay of Plenty and Taupo and in Nelson sunshine was 30–75 hours above average. Blenheim’s total of 307 hours was the highest for November, not only at this station but also for the whole of New Zealand, in 35 years of observation. Napier’s total of 294 hours was a record for November there.

Elsewhere sunshine was close to average.

Weather Sequence—The month opened with an anticyclone extending over the country from the Tasman Sea, and for the first 2 days the weather was mainly fine. During the 3rd and 4th a depression passed to the south and the associated cold front crossed New Zealand, with rain on the West Coast, in Southland, and in the Manawatu. By the morning of the 4th a depression had developed near Raoul Island. The airflow over New Zealand backed from west to south-west with the passage of two cold fronts on the 4th and 5th. These brought rain over the greater part of the South Island and southern districts of the North Island. Following the second of these fronts an anticyclone moved on to the country on the 6th bringing generally fine weather.

During the 7th and 8th a depression moved eastwards to pass over Southland; its associated cold front had crossed New Zealand by early on the 9th, with rain in all districts except for some areas near the east coast. Rain persisted in the west and south of the South Island throughout the 10th. A depression which had formed in the North Tasman Sea on the 10th crossed the north of the North Island on the 11th and 12th bringing rain to most of the North Island. A ridge of high pressure behind it brought mainly fine weather over the whole of the country until late on the 13th. Heavy rain occurred over Northland on the night of 13th–14th as a small depression crossed that area, but only scattered falls were reported over the rest of the country. A weak ridge of high pressure on the 14th produced a short spell of mainly fine weather but by the morning of the 15th a cold front was moving on to the south-west of the South Island.