308

information has been extracted: The master of the barque "A. H. Badger," during a passage from Newcastle, N.S.W., to Lyttelton reports that:

"On July 29th, in latitude 35° 50' S, longitude 156° 56' E, barometer 29'60, fell in with a heavy gale of wind from S.E., accompanied with thunder and lightning and heavy rain. July 30 — hard gale, with terrific squalls, drizzling rain and vivid lightning; barometer 29'70; wind veering from S.E. to S. Still hove-to. July 31 — still hard gale, terrific squalls and incessant rain through first part, midday and later; fine and dry; wind steady at S. Latitude observed, 34° 51' S, longitude, 180° 43' E.; barometer, 29'97. August 1 — still hard gale with violent squalls, incessant heavy rain for most part; wind steady from south. August 2 — still hard gale; wind veered to S.S.W., with violent squalls and heavy rain. Barometer, 29'85. Still hove-to. August 3 — still hard gales with violent squalls and lightning to eastward, wind S.S.W.; at midnight wind and sea moderated: set sail, barometer, 29'90. But all through up to August 9 had strong winds at times, amounting to a smart gale with violent squalls and thick weather. On this day barometer down to 29'80; wind S.S.W., blowing a complete hurricane up to midnight, when it veered to S.E., light, with fine weather."

At Newcastle, N.S.W. Master of the "Cantero" reports fine weather with light variable breezes during the same period.

At Chatham Islands, the master of the "Despatch" describes the weather as very fine, with light S.E. winds, until the 3rd or 4th August, when it blew a heavy S.W. gale. Barometer down to 28'28 inches.

South of the Steeples the schooner "Wild Wave" fell in with a terrific gale from the south, on the 30th July.

At Christchurch, the stormy wet weather having subsided on the 4th of August, several bright, warm days followed, with a strong dry N.W. wind and cloudless sky, except over the mountains in the interior, in which direction bright sheet lightning was often visible at night during the same period. On the evening of the 5th there fell at Christchurch a very heavy shower of hail, followed at night by a hard frost, which caused a thick crust of ice in the streets next morning. Two very fine days again succeeded, after which cold showery weather prevailed until the 17th. From the 18th to the close of the month the sky was in general cloudless. Frequent but (except on the 21st) not strong N.W. winds blew in this interval, and occasionally sheet lightning was visible at night over the mountains in that direction. There was besides a thick, damp fog for two hours on the evening of the 26th, and a very slight thunder storm on the 30th, with showers of rain and hail.

The mean direction of the wind during the month was S.E. by S. The mean temperature was slightly above the average, or 44°·6 to 43°·9; the other conditions also closely agreed with the mean of previous years, except the rainfall, which was much in excess, namely, 3'91 inches compared to 1'88 inches. Number of frosty nights, 20. Range of temperature in shade 39°·4, or from 66°·8 to 27°·4. Mean daily range, 16°·8 against 17°·0, the average. Highest and lowest mean daily temperature, 53°·0 and 38°·5. Lunar halos were seen on the 10th and 12th. Gales, or very high winds on the 2nd, S.W.; 6th and 21st, N.W.; and 14th, E. Rainfall from January 1st to August 31st each year, as follows:

Rainfall at Lyttelton, in August (Captain Gibson) 5'80 inches on thirteen days.

Rainfall at Christchurch during the winter months, June, July, and August, compared with previous years, as follows:

Note: The returns for 1858 to 1861 inclusive, are extracted from tables of observations taken by I. T. Cookson, Esq., in Heathcote Valley, but the particulars of the character of gauge and its height above ground are not stated.

Hokitika.

At this station on the West Coast, the 1st and 2nd days of the month were fine and nearly calm, but the weather broke on the 3rd, just when it began to moderate on the east side of the Province, and six days of the very roughest weather followed. There were heavy gales from W. and S.W. on the 4th, 5th, and 6th, with thunder and lightning, rain and hail. On the 7th and 8th the wind fell, but the rain and hail continued, mingled with snow or sleet. From the 9th to the 17th it was fine in general, also from the 23rd to the 26th. The remainder of the month was very unsettled, with frequent showery or wet days, and gales from N.W. on the night of the 21st, and from S.W. on the 22nd. Total rainfall, 9'60 inches on 18 days; maximum fall, 1'22 inches on the 27th. The greatest velocity of wind in 24 hours, 458 miles, on the 6th. Mean temperature in shade, 45°·5, or about one degree higher than in Christchurch. Number of frosty nights, 11. Coldest night (exposed thermometer), 22°. Range of temperature for month, 33°, or from 61° to 28°. Mean direction of the wind, S.S.W.

Rainfall from January 1 to August 31 each year as follows:

R. L. HOLMES,
Meteorological Observer,
Christchurch.