JULY WEATHER

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20006, 3 August 1939, Page 2

JULY WEATHER

exceptionally cold .GISBORNE FIGURES FAIR SHARE OF SUNSHINE July weather in. .Gisborne was the coldest experienced tor a years. The meteorological figureb available cover >a period of just over two years and they show -that the mean temperature of 44.8 degrees for a» month was the lowest recorded for any month since the weather station was established' at the aerodrome m April, 1987. The mean temperature in July, 1938, was 48.4 degrees. and. in July, 1937, was 46.5 degrees. Last month’s cold snap was more pronounced since it followed on the warmest June in three winters. The comparison is as follows: June, 1939. 51 4 degrees. June, 1938: 49.7 degrees. June, 1937: 46.4 degrees. One of 'the coldest days of the month was that which preceded the day on which snow fell in Gisborne. There was a frost of nine degrees m the morning and throughout the day the temperature under cover did not rise above 45 degrees. The maximum temperature under cover the day tne snow fell was 51 degiees. Soil Temperatures The. exceptionally cold conditions were reflected in the soil temperatures, which in the last week of ’ e month dropped to 40.3 degrees at Ift below'the surface and to 48.8 decree., at 3ft. below the surface. The minimum readings in July last year were 43 degrees at lift, below the ground level'and 51.9 degrees at 3ft, and in July,' 1937, 44 degrees at Ift. and 50.,i degrees a't 3ft. ' 'Despite the bleak weather, Gisborne experienced a fair share of sunshine. There was a total of 118.7 hours of sunshine, or an average of 3.8 hours per day, compared with 106.4 hours in the previous month, June, and 98-1 hours in 'the exceptionally wet July of 1938. July, 1937, was an unusually bright winter month with 141.5 hours. The sunniest day last month was July 15 with 9.1 hours, while on July 27, the day of the snowfall in Gisborne, there was a tally of 5.9 hours. Hours of Sunshine The following table shows the number of hours of sunshine for the first seven months of 1938 and 1939:

Other records contained m the monthly report prepared toy the Union Airways’ observer at Dart on Field include wind observations at 9 a.m. These -show that the prevailing winds were the north-westerly and the westerly. Only on one occasion did the wind come from the east, and on two mornings the atmosphere was calm.; The visibility throughout the month was gbod, except on one morning when i; tee LI to four on the international scale, or misty conditions.

1938 1939 Hours Hours January .. 280.9 252.5 February 155.7 229.0 (March .. 216.2 195.5 April .. 113.6 143.8 May .. 135.2 133.5 June . 128.9 106.4 July 98.1 118.7 1128.6 1179.4