BETTER WEATHER

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 3, 5 January 1939, Page 8

BETTER WEATHER

STILL FAIR AND MILD

Special forecast for Wellington:—

Moderate to strong northwesterly winds, with a possible change tomorrow to southwesterlies or southerlies.

There is a chance of some showers if the southerly change takes place, but the weather otherwise will be fair and mild.

The general forecast for the Dominion as a whole, issued at noon today for the ensuing 24 hours, is for light and variable winds in the far north. Otherwise north-westerlies* to south-westerlies will prevail, with winds in the South Island later becoming more generally south-west in direction. "Winds will be moderate to strong, but will decrease in force later. The weather will be fair to fine in northern and north-eastern districts, fair to cloudy in central provinces, and in Westland and in the far south scattered showers are probable. Showers will extend later along the.east coast to beyond Canterbury. Temperatures will be cool in the south but will otherwise be mild to warm.

An anticyclone is still centred over the northern Tasman Sea and the northern part of New Zealand. A shallow depression, moving rapidly from the west, had crossed the southern half of the South Island by this morning, the area of lowest pressure at 9 a.m. being off the South Canterbury coast. The weather yesterday was for the most part fair to fine, but it became overcast last night in the western and southern districts of the South Island with the approach of the depression. By this morning the overcast area extended to beygmd Cook Strait. Some rain has fallen in western and southern districts, but falls have been mostly light, an exception being 121 points at Jackson's Bay. Fresh sea breezes have blown in east coast areas, while elsewhere moderate to fresh winds between west and south-west have predominated, but a change to north-wes-terlies has taken place overnight in the Cook Strait area, where winds have freshened somewhat. Temperatures have been mild to warm generally, but another cool change was advancing this morning over the southern portion of the South Island.

Auckland's weather yesterday was cloudy to overcast but fine, with a light southerly wind and moderate temperatures, the maximum in Albert Park being 70 degrees and the minimum 55 degrees. The sky had cleared by this morning, and the wind had become variable.

In Wellington it was cloudy and fair. There was a light southerly in the early afternoon, but about 5 p.m. the wind changed back to the north again, and overnight the wind freshened somewhat. Temperatures were warm yesterday morning, a maximum of 71.1 degrees being reached. This was the highest maximum temperature this summer since one of 71.3 degrees in November, and was higher than any recorded in December. The southerly breeze tempered the heat in the afternoon, and the minimum reading last night was 55 degrees. Early this morning the weather was overcast, and a few drops of rain fell about 8.30 a.m., but thereafter the sky cleared again.

Christchurch had fine and warm weather, with a moderate north-easterly breeze which freshened during the afternoon. It clouded over last night, and the weather this morning was overcast, with the wind backing to the north-west. Yesterday's maximum and | minimum temperatures were 69.9 and 155.3 degrees respectively.

In Dunedin it was fine, sunny, and warm, with a light southerly breeze. Cloud increased overnight, however, and the weather this morning was overcast, with the wind still in the south and with cooler temperatures.