45

H.—3l

Mean Number of Days with Rain, compared with the Averages for Six Years.

South Island Rainfall, 1911.

Following on a somewhat dry December, the beginning of January, when precipitation was also lacking, caused some anxiety to the agriculturist, especially in the east coast districts of the South Is'and. After the Bth, however, this anxiety was relieved, for between this date and the 13th some copious downpours occurred on this coast, with the passage of a westerly low pressure across the country. Generally, the month of January was not visited by storms of any great intensity, cyclonic disturbances from northern latitudes not having developed for a longer period than usual, and westerly low pressures also showing a tendency to diminish. February also showed a generally low rainfall, but the east coast and about Cook Strait had more rainfall than is usual in February, this being accounted for by the Storms experienced being mostly confined to these districts, while the west coast of the South Island was only one-seventh the usual for this month, as there was an absence of westerly low pressure. Three disturbances of an extropical nature were in evidence, the centre of which passed through Cook Strait on two occasions, and once off East Cape. The most remarkable disturbance was a cyclone whose centre passed down the west coast of the North Island and through Cook Strait on the night of the 25th. This storm caused heavy rains and high winds over the North Island, the rainfall at Wellington for twenty-four hours —viz., 6-32 in.—being the greatest day's fall recorded for the fifty-four years since records had been taken. March was a dry and fine month, the barometer being above the normal for the month in all parts of the Dominion, owing both to the absence of low-pressure systems of any extent, and to anti-cyclonic conditions holding sway over the greater part of the month. April, on the other hand, was subject to frequent changes of atmospheric conditions. Extensive low-pressure areas from northern latitudes three times overspread the northern districts, bringing heavy rains in many parts of the North Island. No less than four westerly low-pressure areas passed southward of New Plymouth and Castlepoint, so that the rainfall was nearly everywhere above the average, but more especially over the North Island. Cloudy and foggy weather was much in evidence, but, on the other hand, owing to the prevailing winds being from warmer northern regions, the temperature was considerably above the average for this season of the year. Owing to a monsoonal depression between the Ist and 4th of May, and an extropical disturbance whose centre passed to the eastward of East Cape on the 19th, the rainfall in this month was slightly in excess of the average in the northern and east coast districts of the North Island, but elsewhere it was less than the average. Three anti-cyclones of short duration passed over the Dominion, the highest barometer readings being recorded in the vicinity of Cook Strait on the Bth, 16th, and 23rd. June was remarkable for two intense and extensive storm areas, one holding sway between the 7th and 13th, whose centre appeared to pass through Cook Strait on the 11th. Gales were frequent and widespread during this period, and most parts of the country reported one or more days of heavy rain. The second, a westerly " kfw," which passed in the south on the night of the 21st,

Jan. Feb. June. ; July, j Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Mar. April. I May. Dec. 17-2 !. ;■ i 18-3 174 + .. 8-3 Av. 10-5 8-0 124 12-6 14-8 15-8 I 17-8 144 16-3 16-0 12-5 12-1 I 6-6 5-7 12-7 15-6 15-1 13-3 M-L 13-1

iVlon ily Mea iy ■» eans compare ans compared witr wit h the Averages i .verages for Six F] :or .ix revious Y revious tears. Jan. Feb. Mar. April. J May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. ■ • • I 4-77 5-25 7-02 + .. 3-44 Av. 3-92 2-39 4-48 3-36 3-68 4-52 4-18 3-79 4-33 4-35 j 2-97 3-91 - 3-66 1-77 1-59 1-86 3-99 1-50 3-61 3-50 Mean Number of Days with Rain, compared wit] i the Averages fi 3r Six ears. I '~ I I ~"~ ~ ' I Jan. Feb. j Mar. i April. May. : June. July. ! _ _ + .. .. .. .. 13-6 i I Aug. [ Sept. Oct. I : NOV. Dec. 17-6 18-8 Av.12-5 7-4 12-6 12-3 12-1 13-7 14-0 14-2 15-5 15-9 12-6 13-6 - 11-0 6-3 7-2 8-4 13-5 11-6 ; 8-0 I . 14-0 12-2 ■age. — Below the avei i + Above the avei ■age.