AUGUST WEATHER

Evening Star, Issue 22440, 10 September 1936, Page 2

AUGUST WEATHER

WARMEST ON RECORD TWO SNOW STORMS [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, September 9. The following is the report of the Dominion Meteorologist on the weather for the month of August:— General. —The month began with unusually widespread snowstorms raging over much of the country, and several days of cold, frosty weather followed. Again at the end of the month there was a cold snap. The first spell did little damage, since, after the Ist, the days were bright and sunny, and the snow soon disappeared In the second there were some losses of lambs, but the ground was too warm for pastures to suffer greatly. Between these two periods the weather was almost continuously mild and spring-like. Grass has grown very quickly for the time of year, and trees, flowers, and shrubs are in an unusually advanced state. White butterflies made their appearance in many districts, and other insects were active. Birds are already showing signs of mating. Stock are doing well, and the lambing season has so far been a good one. Food is plentiful. In western districts and Marlborough a spell of dry, sunny weather -would be now welcomed. Rainfall. —Most , of the east coast of the North Island and a strip extending across from Hawue’s Bay to Wanganui had less than the average rainfall. The same was the case with areas about the borders of Canterbury and Marlborough and Canterbury and Otago. The rest of the country had more than the average. Over the western half of the South Island the falls averaged at least double the normal for August. Temperatures.—The month was one of the warmest Augusts on record. Temperatures were everywhere above normal, the average departure being over 2deg Fahrenheit. Following the snow at the beginning of the month, some severe frosts occurred. Sunshine.—The total amount of bright sunshine was slightly above normal over most of the eastern districts of the South Island, but elsewhere was below. Unusually cloudy conditions were experienced in all western districts. Napier had 169. G hours and Tauranga 161.4. Pressure Systems. Cold, strong southerly winds were blowing on the Ist and snow was falling in many places, especially in eastern districts, following the passage eastward of a deep depression. The snow lay to unusually low levels, about Wellington particularly. Anti-cyclonic weather, with sunny days and sharp frosts at night, then prevailed until the 4th. From the sth to the 17th a series of westerly depressions continued to cross the southern portion of the Dominion. Winds from between north and west persisted, and were often strong. There was frequent heavy rain in western and northern districts, but comparatively little east of the ranges. Temperatures were remarkably mild. On the 7th, after the passage of the first depression of the series, snow was widespread on the high levels. An anti-cyclone then crossed the northern part of the country, and, after moving south-east-wards, became very intense and also stationary, with its centre in the neighbourhood of Chatham Islands. _ It was not until the 26th that the anti-cyclone finally began to give way. Northerly winds and warm weather prevailed most of the time. There were general rains, with many heavy falls, though districts from Canterbury southwards escaped lightly. On the 28th a depression appeared over the Tasman Sea. Developing into a deep cyclone, it crossed the South Island on the night of the 29th. This storm caused the heaviest and most general rains of the month, and the southerly gales in the rear of it brought cold weather, with hail and snow in many places. There were also some thunderstorms.