"POSITIVE DISGRACE"

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 2, 4 January 1939, Page 11

"POSITIVE DISGRACE"

DECEMBER'S WEATHER

WET, COLD, AND WINDY

December's weather, in Wellington, was a positive disgrace, but this applies to the rest of the Dominion as well, Wellington sharing in the general unseasonable conditions. The first part o + the month was very wet. just over five inches of rain falling during the first eleven days. This rain, following November's comparatively dry and warm weather, especi-i ally as temperatures were then fairly mild, caused vegetation to flourish, and gardens and lawns were in better trim than is often the case at that time of year. Unfortunately, the weather for the remainder of the month continued unsettled with" frequent changes. There were only ten days in the month without rain, .and temperatures kept on the low side, the mean temperature for the month being actually lower than that of November. The cool temperatures, the number of days with rain, and the excessive amount of rain, the comparative absence of sunshine, and the frequent storms with strong winds—especially as' these conditions continued into the holiday period—all combined to leave in most people's minds a very un-, pleasant memory of December's weather. There were very few days when real summer weather prevailed and conditions out of doors were seldom congenial. The main feature of the month's weather was thfe excessive rainfall, which was more than two and a half times the average. At Kelburn rain fell on 16 days, the total fall being 7.41 inches, whereas the average of previous Decembers is 2.93 inches of rain on 12 days. It was the wettest December since 1928, when the rainfall was 8.19 inches. There were three particularly heavy falls last month, 1.82 inches on the 4th, 1.15' inches on the 7th, and L 22 inches on the llth. The Christmas weekend produced nearly another inch of rain. At the Karori Reservoir 7.94 inches of rain fell on 18 days, the previous December average there being 3.14 inches on 11 days, LOW TEMPERATURES. The month's approximate mean temperature was 56.6 degrees, or 2.8 below the December average. That November was actually higher than December's, being 57.4 degrees. The mean temperature at 9 a.m. was 58.2 degrees, 61 degrees bein w the normal figure for December. At that hour the relative humidity of the atmosphere was 78 per cent., which is a big variation from j the normal December figure of 72 per cent. | The month's mean maximum temperature was 62.9 degrees, and the mean minimum 50.4 degrees, the average for previous Decembers being 65.8 and 53*0 degrees respectively. Only once did the maximum temperature exceed 70 degrees, the maximum on the 2nd of ;the month being 70.8 degrees. The lowest minimum recorded was 44.1 degrees, this figure being reached on the '24th and the 28th. The mean grass minimum tempera-ture-was 46.9 degrees, 47.4 degrees being the average of previous Decembers. The lowest grass reading was 35.4 degrees on the 28th—not very far off a frost. WINDY AND SUNLESS. The daily run of wind averaged 275 miles, the normal figure for December being 238 miles. The windiest 24----hour period was that preceding 9 a.m. on the. 9th, when a strong northerly gale gave c run of 512 miles.Gales were rather frequent throughout the month, being prominent on four occasions. A strong southerly gale on the sth produced a gust of wind which at Kelburn registered a velocity of 74 miles an hour; at Rongotai it touched 89 miles an hour. The hours of bright sunshine totalled only 193.7, tht previous December average being 228.7 hours. There was, however, only one day without any sunshine, and the 15th endeavoured to make amends with a total of 13.8 hours. Cloud at 9 a.m. averaged 7.8 tenths of the sky covered, the normal figure for December being 5.5 tenths. - Barometric pressure was unusually low, averaging only 29.66° inches as against a normal December figure of 29.885 inches. The highest reading was 30.142 inches on the 28th, and the lowwest 29.265 inches on the 20th. Apart from earthquakes, which are not classed as meteorological phenomena, an outstanding feature of December's weather was the amount of thunder. . There were thunderstorms on the Bth, 12th, and 16th, that on the Bth being 'without precedent and lasting nearly five hours.