WEATHER IN SEPTEMBER

Hokitika Guardian, 9 October 1929, Page 5

WEATHER IN SEPTEMBER

UNUSUALLY cold period.

WELLINGTON, October 7

Following is the Dominion Meteorologist’s weather report for September of this .year■ . . , ' We experienced the coldest September for a considerable time. All parts of the, country 7, reported low average temperatures, and! frosts were unus'ial•ly 'numerous. Although September was a' cold month,..-it was a sunny one there being numbers of beautifully fine days. The rainfall on the whole was beyow fjfe average; This was almost generally the case over the North' island except about Wellington. In the South Island both the East and West Coasts experienced a dry month, but Stewart Island, Southland and; much of the central portions of the island had more than the normal fall. The low temperatures gave a distinct set back to growing’vegetation, and feed Was rather short in. most districts. Parts of the North Island escaped the severity of -the storms and are in good condition. There have been losses of lambs in the Wellington province and in parts of the. South Island especially in the foothills of Canterbury.

, The storms recorded . during the month were in riq case responsible for any very heavy rains, except at a few isolated places. Snow, however, fell frequently, especially in the high country of the South Island. In the interior of Canterbury; it has been one of the- worst seasons on record for snow, but no very severe losses of stock are reported. . V■>■ ' ~ ■ • • , '

The tendency of the storms to take on a cyclonic form, was again in evidence during Hie month. The subtropical waters to the north and northeast have been unusually frequently disturbed by. storms of this type. On September 1 a deep depression of the southern- or j westerly type was approaching the Dominion. A small cyclonic centre . ..developed in its northern portion and this crossed Canterbury, on-the afternoon of September 2. north-westerly gales blew in the Cook Strait .region and over the Sduth , Island. The (greatest severity was felt in .Canterbury, where much damage 'was done to planations in the Ashburton County. Cold southerns followed, gale’force again being reached in places. Snowfalls were recorded in Canterbury and'Otago.

Following a .fine spell, another southern depression passed on September 8. Northerly gales again blew m and'south''of Cook Sirait, and a wrnado visited the Seddon, district. In Marlborough- some places reported A moderate cyclone crossed the' North Tasman Sea during the period from September 10 to September .13, passing between Norfolk Island attd Cape Maria van Diemen on the last-metitlohed. date, Being/ iso far north, its effect was to produce ftie rather 'than' wet weather over New Zealand. When it Was well to‘the east ward, however, on September 16 south westerly gales were experienced. Numbers of thunderstorms occurred on September 18 in association with the passage of a westerly depression which brought very low pressures and esterly gales to tlie far south. These storms, were particularly severe m North Taranaki, where at one station a cow was electrocuted, and at Murchison, following this ’depression there was a severe cold snap with 9now again in many parts of the South Island. Some was seen also on the hills near Wellington.

On September 21 a cyclone coming from the north appeared to the northeast of East Cape. South-easterly gales were experienced in parts of the North Island, and more snow fell n the South Island. The most severe period of the cold snap from September 20 to Setember 22, became later the further northward one proceeded. A very severe frost was felt in the Auckland and Thames districts on September 22, and great damage was done to potato and tomato plants. A fine interval followed, but between September 24 and September 27 a series of cyclones moved from the Tasman Sea across the Dominion. Southerly gales set in from Cook Strait southwards on September 27, While the last centre was crossing the Auckland Peninsula, a, cqld; 1 snap reminiscent of that of the week previous resulted.; Snowfalls were again reported from the South Island, and hail in places. There j

was considerable mortality amongst lambs in Canterbury. Afterwards mild and fair conditions developed.