MARCH WEATHER.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 403, 9 April 1937, Page 7

MARCH WEATHER.

Government Meteorologist’s Report. The cold conditions of the pr viour months were continued through the first half of March, but the second half was warm, reports the Gov-.rn-ment Me eorologist. Though the rainfall was below normal in most placet, cloudiy and humid conditions prevailed and t’.w places felt any shortage. Stock are reported to be in good condition and there is abundance of pas ure. Lambs are fattening, on the '. 'hole, rather better than earlier in »the season, though the feed is generally s'. ill rather soft. Harvesting was done in difficult circums'r.nces and some of '.he wheat was again dajnp. The lack of dry, ;unny weather has adversely affected the production of grass seel and some o her crops. White butterflies were rather numerous and l destruc-

In the North Island, North Auck land, the north rn Wbikato and the Bay of Plen y areas had considerably more than the average rainfall, but over the r.mainder only about halt of it was recorded. In the South Isl’and l , there was an excess in North Can erbury, southern Otago and Sou hland and at a few places in Westland, but a deficit elsewhere. South Canterbury, f specially, had much less than the average. Mean temperatures differ d little from the normal for March, the warm weather in the latt.r halt of the mon h compensating for the cold, of the first, half. Between the 10th and 13th some rather sharp frosts were recorded and some damage was done o tender pl; ns. Sunday, the 28th was, at many places, the i 'arm st day of the season, over 80 degrees being record, d at some North Island stations. Slight ly more than the average amount, of bright sunshine was recorded in the far north, at Auckland, and the far south at Invercargill, bn over most of the country there- was a deficit of about 20 to 40 hours. Seldom, if ever, indeed, has so sunl ss a March been. The only very pronounced s'.orui occurring in the N;w Zealand urea luring the month was that which developed as a tropical cyclone in the New Hebrides ragion at the end of he third week. Moving almost due south, the storm passed Norfolk island during the night of th? 25th to 26th. It 'Was then rather violent and extensive, and heavy rain and strong gales, which at times reached hurricane force, were experienced! at Norfolk Island. The most usual procedure is for these storms to begin to take a more easterly course from this Stage onward. In this particular case, however, a rather deep westerly depression developed at the critical time over south-eastern Australia, md the cyclone was dirawn into its circulation. It continued to move southwards, keeping about 400 miles off the New Zealand coast, and "on the 27th began to fill up. Northeasterly gal s had been caused by it tn the northern part of the Auckland Peninsula, but no strong winds elsewhere. On the- 28th, merging with the oncoming westerly depression, it reinforced the latt'. r, causing a stormy ctey wi h north-westerly gales in many places about and south of Cook Strait. On the next day it had disappear, d. During its rather varied history it brought heavy rain to most country. The Easter holidays were spoilt by it in much of the Auckland Province. In the earlier part of the month, tuch rain as occurred was associated principally ,v'ith rather indefinite westerly depressions of no grdab ihtensi y. Such was the case with rain during the first four days, which was heavy in many places. From the Bth to 13th, pressure continued high over south-eastern Aus'ralia and low to the east of New Zealand. South-westerly minds and cold, show ery weather prevailed over the Dominion. It was -during this period that frosts were experienced, and snowBalls occurrel on the mountains. Thcge were unusually heavy for the lime of year, particularly on Mount Egmont. From the 19th to 22nd, a series l of shtJlow westerly depressions Were responsible for some heavy rains in the south-western and southern parts of the South Island.