September 1959: A mild month. Pasture growth was satisfactory in areas which had welcome rains mid-month, but parts of Canterbury remained too dry. On the 15th-16th northwesterly gales raged from Wellington to Otago, causing damage in parts of Westland and Canterbury.

Rainfall: Rainfall was only half average in Canterbury and Otago and 2/3 in Southland and in northern and western districts of the Auckland province. In the Christchurch-Ashburton area and on Banks Peninsula totals were mainly below 0.5”. Christchurch’s 0.78” for August-September combined was the lowest in nearly 100 years of record.  It was wetter than usual in western and northern districts of the South Island and also in Wellington and southern Manawatu. Heavy rain was reported about Cook Strait from the 17th-19th, with transport disruption just north of Wellington. In Nelson and Marlborough some stations reported 8-9”, and a site near Paekakariki recorded 7.21” for the 18th-19th.

Temperatures: Temperatures were above average, mainly by 1F-2F. Snow fell on the ranges of both islands about the end of the month.

Sunshine: Sunshine was below average in western and northern districts of the South Island and in the North Island south of Hamilton, mainly by about 30 hours. Nelson had one of its cloudiest Septembers, with 155 hours. Otago was favoured with 30-40 hours more than usual; and sunshine was also appreciably above average in Southland and Northland.

[Some totals: Te Hapua 187, Kaitaia 190, Kerikeri 185, Whangarei 174, Auckland 182, Tauranga 181, Whakatane 191, Taupo 134, Hamilton 168, New Plymouth 131, Masterton 128, Gisborne 172, Napier 176, Wairoa 180, Paraparaumu 131, Ohakea 130, Palmerston Nth 124, Levin 113, Wellington 138, Wanganui 140, Westport 113, Hokitika 107, Greymouth 100, Haast 123, Nelson 155, Blenheim 180, Grassmere 168, Mt Cook 103, Methven 180, Christchurch 172, Tekapo 195, Timaru 166, Waimate 147, Omarama 183, Dunedin 176, Queenstown 175, Alexandra 208, Invercargill 165, Campbell Is 65, Chatham Is 108].


Sources: NZ Met. Misc. pub. 107 (Climatological table, NZ Gazette) and NZ Met. Misc. pub. 109 (Meteorological Observations) - additional comments by the poster.