Feilding’s Variable Rainfall

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 2, 3 January 1940, Page 3

Feilding’s Variable Rainfall

YEAR’S MEASUREMENT BELOW THE AVERAGE VERY WET WINTER RECORDED The rainfall in Feilding during the month of December was slightly above the average for that month and for tfie year just closed was below- the average. The records reveal that the rainfall lor the year was very, variable aud the district suffered a very w'ct winter. From details kindly supplied by Mr. F. Mason, of Sandon Road, it is learned that rain fell on eleven days during December for a total of 5.29 inches, compared with the average for that month of 3.02 inches. The heaviest fall was on December 11, synchronising with the bad weather in Wellington, when 1.08 inches w'as measured. The rainfall for tho year totalled 33.73 inches, compared wita the average of 3G.92 inches for Feilding. For tne year 1938 a total of 44.95 inches was measured, while in December, 1938, the rainfall totalled 7.11 inches. This was a particularly wet month and was followed by a particularly dry spell when everything was very scorcned. The following details concerning the rainfall for 1939 reveal just how variable conditions were:— January 72ins. 7 days’ rain February .. ,35ins. 4 days* ram March bains. 6 days* rain April 4.JUins. 6 days’ rain May 74ins. 0 days’ rain June .. .. .. 4.GBins. 18 days’ ram July 5.94in5. 18 days’ rain August .. .. <s.7oins. 22 days’ ram September .. 2.42in5. 13 days’ rain October .... 2.2lins. 12 days’ rain November .. I.s3ins. 11 days’ rain December .. 3.29in5. 11 days’ rain The sudden dry spell following the particularly wet month of December, 1938, has not been equalled iu the experience of Feilding as far as the records are concerned. Real rain did not commence to fall until April 19 and from then and until the end of the month 4.J0 inches was measured. May proved dry and then June, July and August sot iu very wet with a measurement of over 17 inches for the three months. A feature of the weather in this period was the fact that the fourth week of June was line and the first week oi August also. Excepting only the sudden dry spell experienced during January, February and March, the records kept by Mr. Mason reveal that such variable rainfall has been experienced periodically down tho years.