DRY JANUARY

Evening Star, Issue 19784, 7 February 1928, Page 10

DRY JANUARY

EXCEPTIONAL CONDITIONS [Pee United Pbess Association.] WELLINGTON, February 6. 'flic Government' Meioorologist supplies the following notes on the weather for January : The past month lias been notable lor exceptionally dry conditions experienced over the whole <d (be. dominion. The deficiency ol rainlal! is most, serious in districts with a westerly aspect, following, as it, does, on a dry December. No vigorous low pressure disturbance alf ec ted "any part of the New Zealand region during the course of the month. On several occasions storms developed in Australia, which would normally have brought general rains to this country In each instance, however, although some .slight clloct was lelt, pressure changes were reduced to shallow waves by the time the disturbance crossed to the dominion. The most important of these waves passed on January 1 and 2 and 26 respectively. Each produced moderate rains in parts of the West Coast districts, with scattered showers elsewhere. The dominant feature of the pressnu distribution has been (be persistence of high pressures, especially in the north. Anti-cyclones wore actually centred over or near New Zealand on tho Ist, 2nd. 4#h. 6th, Bth, 12th, 14th. 23rd, 29th, and 31st respectively, and dry warm, sunny, and droughty weather was experienced as the direct consequence of these anti-cyclonic conditions. The mean pressure was the highest recorded for January at Wellington. On tho whole there Ims been a relative absence of wind, but between the 16th and 19th, while a rather int'usc anti-cyclone lay across the South Island, strong easterly winds blow over the North Island, frequently reaching gale force in the far north, and causing showery weather in the Auckland Peninsula. The month Inis been the driest January on record in Southern Auckland, Taranaki, and parts of the Manawatn, Nelson, and Marlborough districts. At tho end of the month, owing fo the previous plentiful growth of feed, the effects of the drought had not in general been severely felt in large parts of the North Island. However, especially in the central and western ] n'tions. the milk returns had fallen off considerably. Elsewhere, although the pastures were becoming parched, compensations were provided in the satisfactory maturing of the grain and fruit crops, and the .season has been a. good one. Should rain not fall by the middle of February, however, many districts will suffer severely.