A WINDLESS MONTH

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 129, 2 June 1937, Page 8

A WINDLESS MONTH

WEATHER IN MAY

MILD AND PLEASANT

May, the last month of autumn, was a decidedly mild month. Although the month's mean temperature was not greatly above normal, the weather after the tenth of the month was particularly mild. The nights of the sixth and seventh were rather cold, light, frosts being recorded in some of the suburbs. The most pleasing feature of the month, however, says Dr. E. Kidson, pirector of Meteorological Services, in his summary of Wellington's weather, was the absence of wind. Conditions were .unpleasant on the eighth and ninth when there was a boisterous north-westerly gale which was accompanied by heavy rain, while on the evening of the ninth there was a fairly sharp thunderstorm with hail in places. Rain was rather frequent until the 19th, but ..very little fell thereafter. Owing to the number of overcast days, the number of hours of bright sunshine totalled rather less than usual. The nights were generally clear and this with the absence of wind, brought minimum temperatures rather below, normal. Grass has continued to grow vigorously and many plants have indulged in an extended flowering season A number of native trees and shrubs have begun to flower again, and some deciduous trees are already showing buds. The mean temperature at 9 a.m. as recorded at .Kelburn was 51.4 degrees, 513 degrees' being the May average. The mean maximum and minimum temperatures for the month were 58.9 and 46.3 degrees respectively, previous May averages being 57.4 and 46.4 degrees. The approximate . mean temperature for the month, therefore, was 52 6 degrees, or ,7 ot a degree above the normal. The highest maximum temperature was 61.8 degrees, achieved on the 31st, while the lowest minimum was 38.5 degrees on the 6th. The gross minimum averaged 41.4 degrees, as against a normal May figure of 40.5 degrees. The lowest gross reading was 30.9 degrees during the night of the 26th.: ; ■ '■■ '. ' ■;'■■: ■' ' • - VERY LITTLE WIND. The \iaily run of wind averaged only 159 miles, whereas, .normally in May the daily average is 214 miles. It was the least windy May for a great number of years. The biggest daily run; was 534 miles during the twentyfour hours ending at 9 a.m. on the 9th. •

The rainfall at Kelburn was 17 per cent, below the average. Rain totalling 341 points fell on 16 days, the previous May average being 410 points on 17 days. At the Karori Reservoir 355 points fell, the rainfall there being 21 per cent, below the average. The heaviest rainfall was on the 9th, 110 points being recorded at Kelburn and 105 at Karori. The hours of bright sunshine totalled ■115.3, whereas the May average is 130.4 hours. The month's sunshine was 38 per cent, of the possible. There were seven sunless days.

Barometric pressure at 9 a.m. averaged 29.893 inches, the average of previous Mays being 29.974 inches. The highest reading during the month was 30.319 inches on tha 13th, and the lowest 29.265 inches on the 2nd.

The relative humidity at 9 a.m. was 85 per cent., as against a previous May average of 79 per cent. The amount of cloud at 9 ,a.m. averaged seven and four-tenths of the sky covered.

There was lightning on the 2nd and the 9th, and a thick fog occurred in eastern and northern suburbs : on the 15th. An aurora was seen on the night of the 4th.