April Weather

By Ernest E. Bush

OH to be in England, now that April’s here!”

We in Apia were beginning to join with Browning, in his desire to be any where but where he was. April conjured up for the poet balmy days, pleasant spring-time scenes, light spring showers.

Memories of April in 1951 conjure up for us in Samoa thoughts of thunder and lightning—terrifying storms that even in retrospect cause a shudder. And the heat!

Old timers say it has been a hot sum mer. It was no use saying the sun had passed the Equator, and it would be cooler now. The sun may have passed the Equator—but it wasn’t any cooler. We had bright, sunny, cloudless days (the thunder-storms and rain usually came at night).

Steadily, wavering only slightly, the thermometer held to its mark. Lazily, the breeze stirred the coconut fronds. All else was still. Daily we said we could ex pect the Trades any time now.

With yearning gaze, we looked to the south-east. A stirring caused us jubi lantly to say, “At last! The Trades!” But it was a false alarm. The trades just wouldn’t blow.

AND now the official meteorological report and summary has been pub lished. It doesn’t give us much measure to know that two records have been made. Lugubriously we read that we had 15 days of thunder and lightning, with an additional four days with light ning only; and that this meteorological outburst creates a record for this month “since 1890, when observations began.”

Nor are we consoled to read that “the extreme maximum temperature of 90.2 deg. Fahr. is the highest temperature re corded since 1922, when 91.2 deg. Fahr. was reached.”

The thermometer wavered a few de grees either side of 87.1 deg. Fahr. by day. and 75.4 deg. by night, giving a mean of 80.9. The average wind velocity was 3.6 miles per hour, though we had one easterly that came with a rush of 33 mph.

And sunshine—227 hours are recorded; the normal for April is 209.4 hours. Apia will be able to advertise in newspapers of the world—“ Come to Samoa for the Winter. 227 hours of sunshine in April!”

Twenty-four days had more than 6 hours of sunshine, although rain fell on 19 days, giving a total of 11 in.

The records, therefore, only confirm what we know from experience—that it was a hot month, flavoured with violent thunderstorms.

THE summary, however, has one con soling feature. Under “Miscel laneous Phenomena,” it records that no waterspouts occurred in April.