WEATHER IN APRIL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 134, 7 May 1940, Page 2

WEATHER IN APRIL.

UNUSUALLY COLD MONTH

WELLINGTON, May 7. April was unseasonable throughout the Dominion with unusually cold temperatures, states the Director of the Meteorological Services (Dr M. A. F. Barnett) in his survey of last month’s weather. Frequent southerly winds made conditions very unpleasant at times, particularly on the East Coast. Rains sustained reasonable growth in the North Island, but cold night temperatures tended to counter-balance the full value of the showers. In the south the position is rather varied, but about Mid-Canterbury it seems to be worst, with many of "the root crops too badly affected previously by drought and insect pests to make much recovery. Brother districts grass is still making fair growth, and the turnip and other crops are very satisfactory. Cultivation has proceeded (well, and the rains have helped on the germination and early growth of autumn-sown oats and wheat. There is an absence of disease, and stock are in good condition to face the winter.

There were many rain days throughout the month, but totals were generally not excessive. Most of the rain came as showers, and these were mainly light. This made the month’s rainfall distribution very patchy, but for the major portion of the ” North Island a.s well as Westland and Otago the tendency rvas to be drier than normal. Most of the excesses occurred between Canterury and East Cape. Temperatures were below normal in all districts, the departures averaging three to. four degrees Fall. At several stations the average temperature readied, record low values, so that for the whole country the month whs comparable''with' the coldest of Aprils. Frosts .were frequent, some being/quite sharp and damaging, vegetable- crops. While sunshine figures were good in Auckland and Westland, they were close to the average in Canterbury'and below average elsewhere, with the greatest deficits occurring in Hawke’s Bay.