January.—A cool and humid month. Rainfall above normal except in parts of Taranaki, Canterbury, and Otago, and particularly heavy in the north-eastern and far northern portions of the North Island. Cyclonic depressions visited the northern part of the Dominion on three occasions. Easterly gales in association with one of these caused damage in the Auckland Province on the 14th and 15th. In the south, a series of deep westerly depressions passed between the 19th and 23rd and were accompanied by gales in many places. Pasture was abundant but rather soft. The milk yield was well maintained, but lambs did not fatten well-Shearing, which had been held over in some districts, was still further delayed, and the weather was rather unfavourable for crops.
February.—Cold and unsettled. In the North Island it was generally dry till towards the end of the month when heavy rains fell in Taranaki and western Wellington. Over the South Island the month was a very wet one. It was one of the coldest Februaries ever experienced. Frosts occurred on several occasions and snow fell on the ranges. The weather was controlled, principally, by a series of westerly depressions. Conditions were unfavourable for stock, and also for harvesting of crops. There was some sprouting of the wheat in the ear in Canterbury. Considerable mortality occurred amongst lambs. Floods were experienced in Taranaki, western Wellington, and Otago and Southland in the latter part of the month. In the South they were very severe.
March.—Cold in the first half but warm in the second. The weather was drier than in the preceding months, and conditions more favourable for stock. The harvesting of the wheat crop continued to be adversely affected, however, by damp conditions. The crop of grass-seed was a poor one. A cyclonic depression which had developed in the New Hebrides region passed Norfolk Island on the night of the 25th, causing heavy rain and hurricane winds, but finally died out to the west of New Zealand on the 27th.
April.—Warm, dry, and pleasant during the first half; cold and wet in the second. The cold weather checked the growth of vegetation and damage was done by early frosts. Snow fell on the mountains. Rainfall and temperature were both generally below average. Some deep westerly depressions passed in the latter part of the month.
May.—Cold during the first week ; mild thereafter. Rainfall generally above normal. There was unusual growth of pasture for the time of year, but conditions continued to be more favourable for the dairying industry than for fattening stock. There was more snow than usual on the ranges at the end of the first week. The last week, however, was almost summerlike and much of the snow disappeared.
June.—Cold and damp. The growth of vegetation practically ceased. Rainfall was below average, but there wore few drying winds. Many severe frosts occurred. Snow was down to low levels on the ranges. Conditions were unfavourable for agricultural work.
July.—Cold for the first eight days, but mild thereafter. Rainfall and mean temperature were again below average. Snow fell to low levels on the ranges on the 6th, and the 16th to 17th.
August.—Mild, pleasant, and springlike. Rainfall much below average. Sunshine also below normal.
September.—Cloudy, but comparatively mild. Rainfall was, on the whole, below average, especially in the South Island, but conditions generally were sufficiently moist for vegetation to put forward good growth. There was snow on the ranges on the 27th.
October.—Cool, windy, very dry and very sunny. Few places had less than 200 hours of sunshine. The atmosphere was clear and dry, and though the days were mild, the nights were cold. There was a good deal of snow on the ranges. Frosts were frequent but not specially severe, and, though garden crops were damaged, fruit trees were little affected. The growth of vegetation was generally poor, and rain was badly wanted at the end of the month. Stock were in good condition.
November.—Continued dry during the first half, but beneficial rains fell in the second half. The total rainfall was above normal over the northern half of the North Island, but below it everywhere else. The shortage was very great over the South Island. Temperature and sunshine were both above average. Except in Marlborough, Otago, and parts of South Canterbury, feed for stock was generally plentiful. Lambs were fattening very well. There was some frost damage to vegetables and fruit trees in the South Island.
December.—Very warm. Rainfall generally somewhat above average. In the North Island some very warm weather was experienced at the end of November and the beginning of December, and very high temperatures were recorded. On some of these occasions the atmosphere was extremely dry and very serious forest fires occurred. There was little wind. Crops and pastures generally fared well. There was a tendency for early flowering and seeding, especially of grasses, but many good crops of hay and ensilage were gathered. Lambs were not faring quite so well as previously, but otherwise stock were in good condition and the milk yield well maintained.
Year.—The outstanding feature of the year was the cold and wet summer of 1936-37. Though there was good growth of vegetation, flowering and fruiting processes were very adversely affected. One result was that plants tended later on to bud and blossom at abnormal times, whenever a spell of mild weather gave encouragement. The effects did not seem to have disappeared entirely twelve months later. The wheat crop suffered through damp conditions during harvest, and some sprouting in the ear took place. The apple crop was a poor one Autumn conditions were unfavourable for the production of fat lambs. The milk yield was, however, satisfactory. April and May were relatively milder than the preceding months, but there was another cold spell in the early winter which gave vegetation a setback. After the first week in July, mild, and generally dry weather prevailed. At one stage it appeared that there might be a shortage of pasture, but such rain as occurred came at opportune times, and ultimately there was abundant growth in most districts. The lambing season was an excellent one, but again the feed was rather too soft for fattening. The apple crop promised very well, but the wheat crop only moderately so.
THE NEW ZEALAND OFFICIAL YEARBOOK, 1939.
Share Topic
June 06, 2019, 05:03:29 PM