BETTER WEATHER

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 156, 30 December 1938, Page 6

BETTER WEATHER

MORE LIKE SUMMER

Special forecast for Wellington:— Light to moderate and variable winds, with westerlies to southwesterlies predominating. Fine weather, with rising temperatures. The general forecast, for the Dominion, issued at noon today for the ensuing twenty-four hours, is for westerly to south-westerly winds predominating. These will be strong at first in some exposed positions, but will be decreasing, and winds for the most part will be only light to moderate in force." Some scattered showers are probable, at first in western and far southern districts, with a few isolated local rains elsewhere, but the weather will soon be becoming fine practically generally. Temperatures will be coo], but will be rising. Rapidly moving westerly depressions continued to cross the /Dominion yesterday, and the prevailing winds were between north-west and south-west, gale force being reached in numerous places. The last of these depressions, however, seems' to have passed, and pressure is rising with the approach of an intense anticyclone. In consequence, winds, while still strong in places, are more south-westerly in direction. Rain fell yesterday in "Westland and in the far south, falls being followed last night by hail showers. With the-exception of Arthur's Pass, which recorded 170 points of rain, falls were comparatively light, the next highest being 36 points at Greymouth., Although rather cloudy, the weather over the rest of the Dominion yesterday was fine, and since then it has become cloudless in many places. In the far south, where winds were more southerly in direction than was the case elsewhere, temperatures have been quite cold, and, in addition to the hail, there was snow on the mountains. Temperatures otherwise have at last been about normal for the,; time of year, and on the eastern side of the-ranges e^'en abpve normal. Auckland's weather yesterday' was cloudy to overcast, a moderate westerly wind, tending to the south-west this morning. Temperatures were moderate, with a maximum of 69.9 degrees and a minimum of 58.2 degrees. The weather which accompanied the north-westerly gale in Wellington yesterday was cloudy but fine, 3.2 hours of bright sunshine being recorded. The maximum and minimum temperatures were 63.9 and 53.6 degrees respectively. Overnight the sky cleared and the wind decreased, changing to a light southerly between 8 and 9 -.this morning. Yesterday morning in Christchurch was overcast with a strong and gusty north-westerly wind. The sky, however, cleared in the afternoon and by midnight the wind had died down to a calm. A light south-westerly breeze sprang up about 8 a.m. today. Day temperatures yesterday were very warm, the maximum soaring to 80.1, degrees, but the night was cold, the minimum being 42.9 degrees. After a few light showers in the early morning, totalling at the Heads only one point of rain, Dunedin had bright and sunny weather yesterday. A fresh south-westerly wind prevailed and temperatures were mild. But when the wind increased in force last night, temperatures became unpleasantly low, and the thermometer at 9 a.m. today registered only 49 degrees. WEEKEND PROSPECTS. The indications are for fair weather over the weekend. Cloud will be increasing, however, and northerly winds are likely to freshen.