NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR AUGUST

Grey River Argus, 20 September 1948, Page 3

NOTES ON THE WEATHER FOR AUGUST

WELLINGTON, Sept. 13

General: —Many fine sunny days helped to make the past month the best August for many years. Cultivation is well up to schedule, and crops and pastures have maintained continuous growth. With an absence of snow, or stormy weather, young lambs have prospered and stock in general is reported to be in excellent condition.

On the morning of the 25th., a disastrsus tornado cut a narrow trail of destruction through Frankton Junction. Three people lost their lives and considerable damage to property resulted. About the same time another tornado was reported near National Park. An unusually brilliant display . of the Aurora Australis was visible on the evening of the Sth.

Rainfall.—On the whole it was a very dry month. Rains in the latter part of the month brought totals slightly above the average in northern and eastern parts of the Auckland Peninsula and about Coromandel, while parts of Taranaki also had a small surplus. The South Island as a whole had .less than half the average rainfall. Totals were very low in Central Otago, Waipiata and Patearoa having no measurable rainfall. In parts of Canterbury there has not been a drier August for over 40 years. Thunderstorms were widespread over the Auckland Province on the 24th and 25th. '

Temperatures.— Mean temperatures were above average over most of the country, with greatest departures in inland Otago. Slight negative departures occurred in the Auckland Province, with the exception of the southern part.

Sunshine.—Sunshine totals were much above average in the South Island and in the Wellington Province, the surplus in most places being of the order of an extra hour a day.' Neither Hokitika nor Ashburton has had a sunnier August since records commenced over 30 years agp. In the remainder of the North Island totals were mostly near average, but at Napier and in the farnorth, there were significant deficiencies.

Weather Sequence.—As a depression moved away 'to the north-east, anti-cyclonic conditions prevailed. Barometers soon fell in the south in advance of the first of a series of westerly troughs which reached Westland on the morning of the 3rd. Changeable, showery weather affected Western districts from Taranaki southwards for several days, while a deep low pressure centre passed in the far south on the 4th. During its journey north-east-wards on the 6th. a cold front intensified considerably over the Nelson and Marlborough districts. A broad band of rain accompanied, its subsequent progress over the North Island.

The Bth., marked the beginning of a spell of brilliantly fine anti-cyc-lonic weather which nersisted over the greater part of the country until the 15th. Frosts were widespread but day temperatures were mild. In Westland the fine spell was interrupted on the 10th„ by the passage of a weak cold front. Under the influence of a slowmoving depression in the 'North Tasman Sea, rain began to fall intermittently in North Auckland on the 14th., and north-easterlies became strong. Barometers fell steadily over the New Zealand area during the next two day as a complex disturbance moved in from the west. The northern depression then lost its identity, but on the 17th., two new centres lay on either side of the South Island. One of these centres moved steadily away south-east-wards from Canterbury; the other travelling north-eastwards, reached Taranaki on the afternoon of the 18th., passed to Northern Hawkes Bay during that night and then moved off rapidly to the east. Rain was general in this period though falls were very light in Canterbury and Central Otago. Cold, showery south-westerlies then invaded the country, spme snow falling on the higher ground. The weather soon cleared in Westland and in districts, such as the Bay of Plenty, Wellington, and Southern Hawkes Bay, which are somewhat sheltered from the south-westerlies. Changeable sh'owery weather, .continued in exposed coastal districts until the 21st., when a passing high pressure ridge gave a brief clearance. '-v

The weather deteriorated rapidly from the north and west on the 22nd., as a series of deep depressions advanced south-eastwards across the Tasman Sea. The first centre passed Southland on the 23rd., the second crossed Canterbury on the 25th., while the third filled up off Westland on the following day. Although eastern and southern districts of the South Island were little affected, ovei’ the greater part of the country this was a period of very disturbed weather. Thunderstorms were widespread in the Taranaki and Auckland provinces on the 25th., and tornadoes were reported from National Park and Frankton.

Moderate southerlies „ prevailed during the 27th., and although skies remained cloudy, the weather gradually improved from the south. It cleared finally on the 28th., and, with an intense anti-cyclone located centrally over the Dominion, brilliantly fine weather persisted in most distress until the end of the month. In the north, however, there was a rapid deterioration on the 30th., with the approach of a deep tropical cyclone. Easterly winds rose to gale force in North Auckland and rain gradually extended southwards over the Auckland and Hawkes Bay provinces. At the close of the month the cyclone was near North Cape. Its southward nrogress had been arrested and it was. gradually losing intensity.