May 1975: A warm month and, like April, marked by more frequent winds from a westerly quarter than usual. These were particularly persistent in the 3rd week, which was also the warmest part of the month. Rain was especially welcome in the North Island, which had been rather too dry in April. Most farmers found May a favourable month but in some districts the ground became too wet.
Rainfall: Rainfall was above normal over most of the North Island. It was more than double the normal value in the Hauraki plains and parts of Coromandel, and also in an area extending northeast and southwest form Whangarei Aerodrome. By contrast, it was less than 1/4 of the average value in the Bay of Islands-Kaitaia area. In the South Island rainfall was above normal west of a line from Lake Rotoiti extending southwestward to Alexandra and then southward through Gore. It was less than 1/2 on the Canterbury Plains and Banks Peninsula, and also in parts of Marlborough and Nelson. A small depression which was nearly stationary over northern Northland on the 30th caused exceptionally heavy rain in some areas near Whangarei, with flooding and slips. The Aerodrome reported 309mm for the day, and nearly all of this fell in 12-15 hours.
408mm at Whangarei Aero (record for May), 213mm at Ruakura, 876mm at Stratford Mountain House, 9mm at Orari Estate.
Temperatures: Temperatures were above normal. North of Hokitika and Ashburton the departures were 1C-2C, but south of this they were only slightly above normal.
24.0C maximum at Tokomaru Bay on the 17th,
-7.5C minimum at Naseby on the 28th.
Sunshine: Sunshine was below normal over nearly all of the North Island and also on the west coast of the South Island north of Haast. The deficiency was mainly 20-30 hours but was up to 40-50 hours in the King Country, where Taumarunui had a record low total of 72 hours. East of the main ranges in the South Island sunshine was above normal, mainly by 25-55 hours.
[Some totals: Kaitaia 157, Dargaville 138, Whangarei 163, Auckland 119, Tauranga 137, Whakatane 140, Taupo 103, Hamilton 91, Taumarunui 72, New Plymouth 121, Masterton 95, Gisborne 135, Napier 108, Ohakea 101, Palmerston North 78, Wellington 115, Stratford 111, Wanganui 86, Westport 90, Hokitika 100, Haast 127, Riwaka 158, Nelson 168, Blenheim 183, Kaikoura 174, Mt Cook 85, Mt John 179, Christchurch 163, Timaru 154, Palmerston 158, Dunedin 126, Te Anau 94, Queenstown 106, Alexandra 163, Gore 125, Invercargill 106, Campbell Island 8].
Sources: NZ Met. Misc. pub. 107 (Climatological table, NZ Gazette) and NZ Met. Misc. pub. 109 (Meteorological Observations) - additional comments by the poster.
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February 12, 2012, 11:57:59 AM