80

at which hour 2.195 inches had been col- | were very fine and clear. The heaviest
lected in the previous 22 hours, a quantity | rainfall was 3.070 inches in 24 hours, ending
which has been exceeded though very seldom | 9.30 a.m. on the 4th. The mean tempera-
in Christchurch, without causing any re- | ture of the month was 53°.7 or 5°.8 below
markable flood. The wind which on Sunday | Christchurch. Total rainfall 11.223 inches
the 2nd was S.W., changed at night, when | on 16 days, making the total since January
rain began to S.E., from which point it | 1st 24.707 inches on 34 days.
blew steadily for 24 hours, rising to a gale | The disastrous floods which occurred in
the morning, and for a short time in the the beginning of the month of February
evening of the 3rd. The | throughout the eastern portion of the Pro-
Barometer which had been high and steady | vince were caused by a tremendously heavy
for a fortnight previous, read 29.998* on | fall of rain on the 3rd, commencing generally
the morning of the 1st, and 29.880 on the | an hour before midnight on the 2nd. The
morning of the 2nd. It continued to fall | heaviest rain appears to have fallen on the
steadily on that day, but more rapid as the | eastern slopes of the mountains bordering
evening approached; at 9.30 a.m. on the 3rd | the plains, and to have extended northwards
it read 29.424, and at 6.30 p.m. 28.915, the | and southwards into the neighbouring pro-
minimum observed. The 4th, 5th, and 6th | vinces. Near Mount Peel, on the Rangitata,
days of the month were remarkably fine; | J. B. Acland, Esq., registered the rainfall in
but on the night of the latter day there was | that period with the following results. The
again a heavy fall of rain equal to 0.90 inches | rain commenced to fall there at midnight on
in five hours; after which the weather was | the 2nd, with a southerly wind:—
unsettled until the 11th. From the 12th | At 10 a.m., on the 3rd, 2.40 in. were collected
to the 24th bright weather prevailed, but | „ 4 p.m. „ 2.00 „
very hot on the 20th when the thermometer | „ 5 „ „ 0.50 „
in shade registered 85°.3. Heavy rain fell | „ „ „ 3.18 „
all day on the 25th and 26th equal to 1.042 | Or a total of 8.08 inches in 24 hours, quite
inches, and 1.080 inches respectively. | sufficient to account for the destructive and
The remainder of the month was very fine, | unparalleled floods which followed. Total
with the exception of the evening of the 28th | rainfall at Mount Peel for the month was
when there was some thunder and vivid | 11.195 inches on 14 days.
lightning, accompanied by a slight shower of |
rain. The mean temperature of the month was | At Nelson, Henry Churton, Esq., Meteor-
3° below the average, or 59.5 compared to | ological observer, gives the following parti-
62.5. The rainfall was far above, namely | culars of the rainfall on February:—On the
5.664 inches on 15 days, against 1.259 inches | 3rd, 1.40 in.; on the 4th, 4.48 in.; and on
on 8 days. There was one gale of wind, as | the 5th, 7.03 in.—or 12.91 in three days;
already stated, on the 3rd; and a strong hot | and for the whole month, 19.75 ins. At
northwester on the 20th. Sheet lightning | 9.30, on the morning of the 4th, there was,
was seen on the evenings of the 6th, 20th, | moreover, a very heavy fall of hail, the
and 21st. The exposed thermometer on | pieces of ice measuring 1½ inches by 1 inch,
grass fell below freezing point on the nights | and weighing upwards of two drachmas. At
that station, the barometer reached its mini- | that station, the barometer reached its mini-
mum, viz.: 28.682m., at 2 p.m. on the 3rd. | mum, viz.: 28.682m., at 2 p.m. on the 3rd.

In Southland, at the other extreme of the | In Southland, C. R. Morten, Esq., Meteorological
island, C. R. Morten, Esq., Meteorological | Observer, reports a gale from S.E. on the
Observer, reports a gale from S.E. on the | 3rd, but without rain. Barometer, min.
3rd, but without rain. Barometer, 29.32 | 29.32 on the 4th, just before a very severe
on the 4th, just before a very severe | thunder-storm, which lasted for four hours,
thunder-storm, which lasted for four hours, | but the rainfall on that day was also very
but the rainfall on that day was also very | slight. At Waikiri, in the same district,
slight. At Waikiri, in the same district, | there occurred a similar thunder-storm to
a similar thunder-storm occurred to the | the Nelson one, when angular pieces of ice
the Nelson one, when angular pieces of ice | the size of walnuts fell, and did much
the size of walnuts fell, and did much | damage.

damage.

BEALEY.
At this station the weather was very fine | R. L. HOLMES,
on the 1st; but at 11 p.m. on the 2nd a | Meteorological Observer, Christchurch.
S.W. gale commenced with heavy rain, | Meteorological Office,
which continued until the evening of the | Christchurch, March 14, 1868.
4th. The three following days were more |
or less wet, also the 10th and 11th; but the
remaining days until the 19th were in general | * Such a fall of 8.08 inches gives 177,760 gallons, or 3,292
y fine. A week’s broken weather oc- | hogsheads, or 29,330 cubic feet of water to every acre.
cured then again, with frequent showers of |
rain, and a fall of several inches of snow on | CHRISTCHURCH:
the 26th. The three last days of the month |
were fine. | Printed under the authority of the Provincial Government
of the Province of Canterbury, at the Lyttelton Times Office, Gloucester Street, by Crossbie Ward and William Reeves, Official Printers for the
time being to the said Government.