JULY WEATHER

Hokitika Guardian, 9 August 1932, Page 6

JULY WEATHER

REPORT FOR MONTH.. WELLINGTON., August 9. General.—The month was a very dry one, possibly the driest July on record. Temperatures were much below average, especially in the North Island, but this was offset by an abundance of sunshine accompanied by an unusual absence of .wind, The low temperatures and frequent frosts checked 'growth of grass, and cattle are, in many districts, having a lean tim e owing to' the shortage of feed. The dry, ,sunny conditions facilitated winter work on the farms and were also favourable' for sheep, which are reported generally to be in good conditions. Snow was' Vkther frequent during the month on the high levels but there were no very heavy falls in the im -ior, so that stock have suffered comparatively little Rainfall. —The only, places where more than the average rain for July was recorded were in Southland, on the shores of Foveaux Strait, Invercargill, for instance, having an excess of six per cent. Everywhere else £h e rainfall was be’ow normal. The departures were fairly small on the east coast* of 'the North Island, but in most other'districts ther e were large deficits. In many oases ’the total ■ was the lowesthitherto recorded. The interior and the northern and western portion of the (South - Island was particularly dry. Nel_ con, 'or example, had; rain on only .three days and th 9 total was c.nly lien per cent, of the normal. Still more remarkable was tj*ie r 'Wai'ho Gorge Hotel’s; total of 0.15 inches falling on only one day, compared with a July average of about 15 inches. '

Temperature,—Temperatures were pra'cy tically everywhere below normal. The North Island fared relatively the worse, being, on the average, about 3.F, colder than usual. In the South Island the further south one goes the nearer' be-' comes the approach to normal. Ground' frosts were very numerous arid often severe, brit as regards shade temperatures, thlre wore no outstanding extremes.' In parts *of the interior of Nelson/.and Marlborough, for. example -at'' Reef ton arid in the Upper Wairau, some swift Tunning streams were frozen 1 over;a very unusual occurrence.' Writer ffTpaj were frozen at many places in the interior. V;

Sunshine.—Th'e Record's of .sun'shhe were everywhere above the July average. Nelson had the remarkable total of' 191.3 hours, Blenheim running if close with 186.3 hours. Hokitika had no l ,? ss than 160.4 hours.

Pressure Systems.—At this time of : the* year, the meteorologist expects well developed storm systems moving with' regularity from the westward and 'bringing widespread rains v with them 1 !. Itis usually the midst satisfactory I ' period for the forecaster. This year the reverse has been the case. The normal westerly depression associated with the prevailing north. westerly '.winds' of thisregion has been conspicuous’ by its absence. Yet in Australia several' well developed depressions of this type were experienced. North westerlies predominated in N’ew Zealand' on ori-y two days in July. The first of these was i;he 6th, when they were strong in Cook and Foveaux Straits, and the second the 31st when, though general, they were only moderate, in each oi-ee a Slight westerly depression was passing to the south of New Zealand. . .

The 'ruling depress-on was of tine cyclonic, typo and the centres all took .a nor-theriy course, the traces crossing the northern, portion of the, iVorth Island or passing further nortn still, On th e 9th a deep and extensive cyc.one covered the Tasman (Sc.a. V ery sconny weather was experienced on the Ttaniun and ' over eastern Australia, "fine::, ho ..ever, the (storm was due to pass JSd-w Zealand it puled up with extraordinary lapioity alia by the n.*giu of uiie linn it had passed without causing neany such gentrai raids'-or such wtoiiiiy weather over the Nonunion as iiiigiit have been anticipated. There were, however, heavy s rain tabs “ dii the noi tn-rn part of tne .hicrto ■'lsland.- . m the 'succeeding days a nuiiioer oi cyclones loi.owed in the track of the ohe just mentioned. 'ime majority were 1 shallow but one whose centre ■ pass-n near Auckland on the inth was runny ueep and strong Southerly' winds nifeviP in' its liar. Agam, tnefe vveife •some heavy trains in tne north, but much dr in- remainder of the country escaped

ailogetuer. i.he duly vigorous' depression was oiio"\vh.ch after passing to ' tile ‘north ox ..driolit is«ind deepened 1 aid' moved in an dast-sduth-easteTiy direction duri'ihg the 2Gth and -hist.- This was toi*-Joh'-q by widespread snow. From the 9th to the 28th inclusive, tile prevailing winds wei'e from a southerly direction. Though hot ,us a rule strong over the JJom.nion, to u..e the eastward their speed increased jailif the period was a Very stormy one over ocean waters Hi that d-reclion. A lector which contributed to this state affairs was the persistence ol low pleasure in the Chatham Jsmnds region fromj- the lltli ifo the 27th. Tile low tempefaitures experienced were a natural c»usequence of tine southerly winds. I’h-y i were responsible also lor changeable. j eiTatic weather. Showery conditions with frequeut hail or snow on the high levels were the rule at place's exposed directly to these winds. Such cond - tioiis were persistent on the coast south

fidm Dunedin and on Banks Peninsula, i The latter area experienced alternate rain and snow showers each day from the 20tlii- until the 29th and the total accumulation of snow was, in some places,, very heavy, drifts as deep no (i 15 feet being recorded on Mt. Herb.rt. Traffic on the Peninsula was interfered 1 with- Elsewhere, although sunny weather was the rule, 'each swing of wind .would, bring sudden showers to. some j, fresh area.