The Weatheji. 91 



THE WEATHER 



Extracts from the Monthly Weather Report of the Chief 

 Meteorologist for the Union. 



May, 1922. 



Mean pressure above normal over the western half of the Union ; temperature 

 aboxit two degrees lower than usual, the deficit being equally divided between 

 the days and nights; frosts principally during the first week and the middle 

 of the month; an excess of rainfall over the greater part of the Transvaal, the 

 north and north-east of the Free State, Natal, and the south and south-east 

 coastal areas of the Cape Province — a deficiency elsewhere; an unusual number 

 of hailstorms of light intensity; snow in parts of the Orange Free State, Natal, 

 Kaffraria, portions of the north-east, and the Karroo, most widely from 14th- 

 16th; a numbei' of thunderstorms over the centre and east; such were the 

 leading features of the weather of May, 1922. 



The moJith presented certain peculiarities : The Cape Peninsula was mostly 

 under fine summer conditions with a few days of unsettled showery weather, 

 there was a failure of the usual rains in Namaqualand as well as a general 

 shortage over the winter rainfall area, whilst a good portion of the summer 

 rainfall area experienced an excess of iirecipitation. Except in the south-west 

 find north-east, the rainfall was in excess over the Transvaal by amounts vary- 

 ing ))etween a few hundredths and IJ inch (1.31 inch at Pretoria). A small 

 surplus occurred in the north and east of the Orange Free State, whilst at 

 !51oemfontein the rainfall was equal to the average; in the west and south, 

 precipitation was sub-normal by quantities between 0.10 inch and 0.60 inch. 

 An excess was general in Natal, ranging from half an inch to about 2i inches. 

 There was, however, a small deficit in Zululand. In the Cape Province a supra- 

 normal rainfall was confined to a comparatively narrow belt parallel with the 

 south and south-east coasts from Mossel Bay to Kokstad, portion of the south- 

 west, and to a few stations over the northern border, e.g. Upington and Kuru- 

 man! I'hese excesses were mostly small in the south and over the northern 

 border, but exceeded one inch over the south-east and Kaffraria. Elsewhere 

 there were deficits increasing from a few hundredths of an inch over parts of 

 the northern border and the northern Karroo to over an inch in the south- 

 west, increasing to over 2 inches over the Cape Peninsula. The rainfall was 

 mostlv light, and occurred chiefly between the 10th and 15th over the greatei" 

 part of the western half of the Cape Province, but exceeding 2 inches in places 

 along the south coast, and 5 inches in Kafltraria on the 14th. Showers of rain 

 or snow also occurred towards the end of the month between the 29th and 

 81st, being heaviest in Natal on the 30th, where quantities of 2-4 inches were 

 recorded in some areas. Similar quantities were registered, but more generally 

 in that Province on the 15th. Over the Transvaal rain fell over limited areas 

 between the 1st and 3rd, but more widely on the 11th, 30th, and 31st. These 

 latter rains on the 11th, 30th, and 31st also affected the Orange Free State, 

 and were accompanied bv wide-spread thunderstorms with frequent falls of hail, 

 whilst snow covered the" ground at Caledonia (District Harrismith) to a depth 

 of 6 inches on the 31st. Snow also fell over parts of the eastern section of the 

 Cape Province, Kaffraria, and at some stations in the south of Natal on the 

 15th The snow attained a depth of 6 inches in the town of Kokstad itself, 

 but was reported as 3-5 feet deep (probably in drifts) on surrounding farms; it 

 was also 12 inches deep at Kilcullen (Barkly East), and 5 feet on the Drakens- 

 berg Mountains; the subsequent cold caused serious losses in stock, which were 

 in poor condition as a result of drought. Hills to the south-west of Cradock 

 were topped with snow from 17th to 22ud. Hail (apparently mostly soft hail ■ 

 of medium size with occasional larger stones) was a common accompaniment ot 

 the thunderstorms of this month, particularly those of the 31st. In Durban the 

 rain was peculiarlv local— on tho 31st, 1.74 inch was registered at '^ Hie 

 Point " and 4 inches at one part of the town. Taken as a whole, although 

 temperature has been lower tlian usual, there wns n marked nbsence of extremely 

 low temperatures. 



