A WARM AUGUST.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 September 1922, Page 2

A WARM AUGUST.

WEATHER TO SUIT FARMERS. The month of August has been an excellent one from the point of view of the farmer. July was very dry, but in August, after a couple of bright sunny and rather cold days, the weather became warmer and more humid with gentle showers which encouraged the growth of grass. On the . 19th and 20th there was a gale, and a heavy thunderstorm -on the 20th, during which 1.91 in. of rain fell. From the 23rd there has been a return of the southeasterly weather, with bright sunshine, warm days and colder nights, during which slight frosts were recorded. Last year August and September were rather dry months, with a rainfall of under 4in. This year June and July were dry and August has been wetter. The rainfall for August was 5.89 in., as compared with 1.61 in. in July and 3.66 in. in August, 1921. There were twenty days on which rain fell, the heaviest falls being 1.91 in. on the 20th and 1.34 in. on the 13th. The total rainfall this year has been 32.35 in. The mean temperature for the month has been 50deg. as against 48.5 deg. in July. The mean maximum was 56.1 deg. and the minimum 43.4 deg. The highest record in the screen was 60.9 deg. and the lowest 34.3 deg. The mean solar radiation, recorded by a thermometer exposed,to the sun, was llOdeg., the best record since April, showing that, the sun is gaining power. The mean minimum temperature on the grass was 37.8 deg., and the lowest record 27.5 deg. On ten occasions there was a frost. Thirty-five frosts in New Plymouth in June, July and August is an unusual record. The hours of bright sunshine recorded were 189 hr. lOmin., the last week being responsible for nearly one-third of the total. Except on the 19th and 20th there has not been much wind. As in July the south-east or mountain wind has been most prevalent.