DISMAL WEATHER

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 20, 25 January 1938, Page 8

DISMAL WEATHER

BUT IMPROVING SOON

Special forecast for Wellington:—

Moderate to strong south-easterly winds, still reaching gale force at times but gradually decreasing. Weather cold and changeable, with

passing showers, but improving.

The general forecast for the Dominion as a whole, issued'at-noon today for the ensuing twenty-four hours, is for southerly to south-easterly winds. These will be'mainly light to moderate south of Farewell Spit and Kaikoura, but elsewhere they will be moderate to strong and still reach gale force in places, especially about Cpok Strait, but they will be slowly moderating. In the western and southern districts of the South Island the weather will be fair to fine, but elsewhere it will be changeable with further scattered rains, more especially between Cook Strait and East Cape. Conditions, however, will be improving gradually, although temperatures will be. cold. The recent disturbance has moved slowly eastward, and this morning it was centred to the east of the Auckland peninsula. An anticyclone has been approaching from across the Tasman Sea, the front portion having reached southern New Zealand. Southeasterly or southerly winds have predominated and have continued to blow strongly, gale force being reached in places about and to the north of Cook Strait. Winds, however, are now mainly light to moderate over most of the South Island. An improvement in the weather has set in in Westland and in Otago and Southland, but elsewhere it has remained cloudy to overcast. Further widespread rain has fallen, and in the North Island falls have been heavy in places. In Hawke's Bay there have been some phenomenal falls, Pukehou reporting 672 points, and Takapau 731 points in 24 hours and 802 points in 36 hours. In the South Island the rain has been only Scattered and mostly light.

In Auckland yesterday morning the weather was fair, but intermittent rain fell during the afternoon, a light westerly wind changing to a northeasterly about 2 p.m. The maximum temperature was 79.7 degrees and the minimum 60.5 degrees. The weather this morning was cloudy, with a moderate wind from the south-south-east. Wellington's weather was cold, overcast, and squally, steady rain totalling 82 points, falling most of the day. A strong southerly wind frequently reached gale force. There was no sunshine, and the maximum temperature was only 54.5 degrees, with a minimum of 48.8 degrees. In Christchurch, too, ib was cold and dull, occasional showers accompanying a moderate to fresh southerly wind. The maximum temperature there was 58.2 degrees and the minimum 48 degrees. At 9 a.m. today it was overcast, with a light westerly wind.

Dunedin's weather has been dull and misty, with occasional . light showers, the wind being a light north-easterly breeze.