VERY WET

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 53, Issue 32417, 5 April 1944, Page 5

VERY WET

HEAVY RAIN IN MARCH 8.50 INCHES FOR MONTH VARIATIONS IN TEMPERATURE With a total of 8.50 inches of rainfall for the month just ended compared with 0.39 inches for the same month last year and an average rainfall of 3.84 inches made it the wettest March since 1915 when 13.91 inches of rain was recorded. Rainfall to date this year totals 15.17 inches compared with an average 11.21 taken over the last 30 years. Rain fell on 21 days during March and on two occasions over one inch was recorded for the 24 hours. The heaviest falls were recorded on March 16 and 23 when 1.21 inches and 1.40 inches respectively were registered. Other heavy falls were recorded on March 3,4, 5,6, 7 and 15, when the readings were .88, .73, .62, .71, .56 and .82 inches respectively. Sunshine was recorded on 14 days, the leading being taken at 9 a.m. each day. Thunder with lightning was experienced on four occasions, 3,4, 5, 6 and 14. Barometric pressure showed little fluctuation, the lowest recording being 29.41 inches on March 17 while the highest was registered at 30.25 inches on March 22. There was considerable variation in readings from the thermometer, the highest being 70 degrees on March 5, 8, 10 and 12, while the lowest, 51 degrees was recorded on March 27 when a cold snap was experienced'. A comparison of the rainfall since March, 1914, is as follows:—

Year Inches Raindays 1914 — —— 1915 13.91 — 1916 5.41 — 1917 2.84 5 1918 2.78 8 1919 2.96 6' 1920 4.34 8 1921 .76 3 .1922 4.89 18 1923 2.04 9 1924 4.45 15 1925 1.03 7 1926 2.93 8 1927 5.87 20 1928 t 8.86 9 1929 5.78 12 1930 0.66 4 1931 1.32 11 1932 1.92 12 1933 1.67 9 1934 2.74 12 1935 7.50 16 1936 5.96 18 1937 4.21 15 1938 1.06 2 1939 0.64 6 .1940 0.70 11 1941 8.11 22 1942 1.18 12 1943 0.39 7 1944 8.50 21