LOW RAINFALL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 84, 3 January 1920, Page 2

LOW RAINFALL

— $ — WELLINGTON'S DRY YEAR. The warning that the municipal authorities are giving Wellington citizens ad to tha possibility oil a shortage of water this summer is supported by the rainfall records. The year 1919 was the driest but one that Wellington _ has known for half a century. The rainfall Cor the year was 28.51 inches, 'i lie year 15)15, with a rainfall of 27.83 inches, was the sole year that had less rain. The average monthly rainfall as well as the number of wet days during the past your i/ shown' in tho; following table: — Average Fall. Wet Days. January 3.74 10 February 2.02 i! March 1.10 6 Apilil 1.93 !2 May ; 1.92 . 9 June 2.44 15 July 11.05 18 August 3.42 17 September 1.98 12 October 1.98 9 November 2.54 11 December 2.41 14 Totals 28.51 133 Over a period of 58 years up to 1918 tho monthly average is as follows:— Average Fall. Wet Days. January 3.33 10 February 3.31 9 March 3.38 12 Ayril 3.99 13 May 4.94 ' 17 , June 5.06 17 July 5.95 18 August 4.55 17 September 1.19 15 October 4.24 14 November ' 3.53 ■ 13' December 3.28 12 Totals 49.7S 167 From the above, tables it will be seen that in only one month last year—January—was vhe average rainfall heavier than the average during the past 58 years. While the number of wet d-:ys compare? favourably, the rainfall during each of tho other mouths is a good deal below the average of previous years, Tho total average for the year is considerably below the-usual, only one lower total being on record. year's monthly average rainfall totalled 4'.1.. r >B inches, which is just above the average. Local temperatures for December wi-ro lower than the average. Tho mean temperature in the shade was 58.0 degrees, which is below the average by about 2.3 degrees. An exception to this was the earth temperature at a depth of one foot—62 degrees for tho month, being about: one degree higher than the mean. Tho highest sliado temperature for L'.st month was 79 degrees, recorded on . tho 30th, while the lowest was 38.4 degrees, on tlm 4th. Oil the morning of the latter day 6.5 degrees of frost wore registered— tin exceptional occurrence for this season o; the year. There were two other iL'ornings on which frost was recorded locnllv during December—the 10th and 251.i1.' , The total sunshine during last nioiith. was 230 hours 27 minutes, this being 35 hours 58 minutes below .the December average. Wind force averaged 307 miles per dnv, or about thirty miles per day above the mean. Northerly and north-westerly directions predominated.