H. - 31

44

The meteorological seasons are regarded as later than the solar or astronomical seasons. Thus, in the Southern Hemisphere July is usually the coldest and wettest month of the year, while January is the driest and warmest. The seasons are thus roughly divided : — Winter—June, July, August. Spring—September, October, November. Summer —December, January, February. Autumn —March, April, May. The following table gives seasonal and annual means computed from several stations in the various " provinces " into which the Dominion was once politically as well as naturally divided : — Mean Temperatures in Shade (Degrees Fahrenheit). Auckland — Spring. Summer. Autumn. Winter. Annual. Mean .. .. .. 56-9 65-7 59-8 51-0 58-4 Maximum.. .. .. 65-2 75-2 68-3 58-5 66-8 Minimum.. .. .. 48-6 56-3 51-3 43-6 49-9 Hawke's Bay— Mean .. .. .. 57-3 65-6 590 50-0 58-0 Maximum.. .. .. 66-5 74-8 67-3 58-1 66-7 Minimum .. .. .. 48-3 56-5 50-7 42-0 49-4 Taranaki — Mean .. .. .. 55-0 62-4 58-0 49-9 56-3 Maximum.. .. .. 63-0 71-0 66-0 57-3 64-3 Minimum.. .. .. 47-1 53-7 50-0 42-4 48-3 Wellington— Mean .. .. .. 54-1 62-1 56-4 47-9 55-1 Maximum.. .. .. 61-7 71-0 64-8 55-4 63-3 Minimum .. .. .. 46-2 53-3 48-2 40-5 47-0 Nelson and Marlborough— Mean .. .. .. 55-6 63-5 57-6 48-7 56-3 Maximum.. .. .. 63-7 72-2 65-6 55-9 64-3 Minimum.. .. .. 47-5 55-0 49-8 41-5 48-4 Westland — Mean .. .. ... 49-7 58-1 51-4 41-2 50-1 Maximum.. .. .. 57-5 66-2 59-1 48-6 57-8 Minimum.. .. .. 42-0 49-9 43-7 33-7 42-3 ,: Canterbury— Mean .. .. .. 52-5 60-8 53-2 43-1 52-4 Maximum.. .. .. 61-9 70-9 62-3 51-2 61-6 Minimum.. .. .. 43-1 50-9 44-3 35-1 43-3 Otago—■ Mean .; .. .. 50-4 57-9 51-0 ' 41-5 50-2 Maximum.. .. .. 59-5 67-5 59-1 48-1 58-5 Minimum .. .. .. 41-5 48-2 430 35-0 41-9 New Zealand Rainfall, 1911. As in 1910, so again in the year 1911, the rainfall was less than the average over the greater portion of New Zealand ; but the difference was not to such an extent as to cause any great inconvenience to the farmer. Except in South Taranaki and in small scattered districts along the east coast, nearly the whole of the North Island shows z. slight deficit. In the South Island the western and southern districts had below, but the whole of Canterbury, Nelson, and Marlborough, on the other hand, had considerably above, the average, portions of Canterbury along the coast having from 20 to as much as 99 per cent. The following table shows the difference, above or below the mean, for each month in the year :—

North Island Rainfall, 1911. Means for 1911, compared with the Averages for Six Previous Years.

Jan. Feb. Mar. April. May. | June. July- Aug. | ___ _ Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. + .. I 3-63 612 5-09 i 4-05 5-34 Av.3-92 2-99 5-50 3-62 4-96 4-61 6-00 4-52 4-23 4-60 3-28 3-58 - 1-61 1-25 4-08 547 2-75 3-16 344 + Above the avera] ;e- — Below the ave: la: te.