In many respects the climate of the region favours such intensive cropping, for Gisborne records a mean daily maximum temperature of 75.7° F for January, an average of 2,220 hours of sunshine, and a rainfall of 39.8 in. spread over an average of 158 days. The mean daily minimum for July is 39.5° F and, of the major meteorological stations, Gisborne has the third highest mean temperature of 57.0° F. Intense downpours are, however, common, especially when depressions are centred off the East Cape, and against them the deteriorated pastures offer no adequate protection for the easily eroded rock denuded of its native forest cover. Consequently the region is one of the worst affected by accelerated soil erosion. The frequent flooding of the Poverty Bay flats was, until recent years when flood control and soil-protection measures have become effective, but one of the more damaging and spectacular consequences of misused land.