Canterbury Provincial Gazette – 1869 – No. 21

Page 86

✨ Meteorological Observations

86

RESULTS OF METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS

DEDUCED FROM DAILY REGISTERS KEPT AT THE

Government Station, Christchurch, for JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH and APRIL, 1869.

Latitude, 43° 32' 16" S.; Longitude, 172° 38' 59" E.; Height above Sea, 21 feet; Distance from Sea, 5 miles.

	JANUARY	FEBRUARY	MARCH	APRIL
Barometer and reduced to 32° F.
Mean	29.817	29.939	29.900	29.959
Highest in Month	(3rd) 30.160	(8th) 30.434	(16th) 30.333	(23rd) 30.330
Lowest in Month	(20th) 29.196	(28th) 29.445	(24th) 29.097	(29th) 29.388
Registering Thermometers (in Shade and protected)
Mean Temperature of Atmosphere	61.3	61.6	58.0	53.2
Mean of Highest Daily Temperature	70.9	67.9	68.0	60.8
Mean of Lowest Daily Temperature	52.8	55.1	48.1	47.9
Highest in Month	(11th) 88.8	(25th) 82.3	(8th) 81.2	(10th) 73.4
Lowest in Month	(1st) 40.7	(15th) 47.6	(26th) 36.4	(24th) 39.2
Mean Daily Range	18.0	12.7	19.1	13.7
Self-registering Thermometer in Sun
Mean Maximum (on Grass)	130.6	122.1	126.4	104.0
Highest in Month	(11th) 157.7	(25th) 144.0	(8th) 141.1	(14th) 131.3
Minimum (on Grass)
Mean	42.3	45.9	38.0	37.3
Lowest	(1st) 23.2	(8th) 31.9	(25th) 20.8	(24th) 26.4
Hygrometer
Mean Temperature of Evaporation	56.8	58.1	54.2	51.4
Mean Temperature of Dew Point	52.5	55.2	50.8	48.7
Mean Tension of Vapour	0.396 in.	0.436 in.	0.371 in.	0.344 in.
Mean Humidity (saturation = 100)	72	81	77	81
Mean Weight of a Cubic Foot of Air	528.6 grs.	530.7 grs.	534.1 grs.	539.3 grs.
Mean Weight of Vapour in a Cubic Foot of Air	4.3	4.8	4.2	3.9
Mean Weight required to saturate a Cubic Foot of Air	1.8	1.3	1.2	0.9
Rain
Total amount collected, in Inches	1.135	3.508	1.015	6.195
Greatest Fall in one Day	(28th) 0.488	(28th) 1.708	(1st) 0.441	(29th) 1.350
Number of Days it fell	8	12	6	15
Wind
Mean Velocity in Miles per Day	204	181	146	159
Greatest Velocity in Miles per Day	(3rd) 400	(24th) 361	(24th) 262	(5th) 422
Cloud
Mean Amount (0 = clear, 10 = overcast)	6.4	7.1	3.8	5.8
Evaporation
Total	7.647 in.	4.996 in.	5.585 in.	2.743 in.

REMARKS

January fully maintained its reputation as being one of the windiest months of the year. The weather was, however, as a rule, fine. On the night of the 2nd, a strong easterly gale occurred, accompanied by rain, and on the afternoon of the 27th, the wind having shifted to the S.W., cold and rainy weather was experienced to the 30th. About 11 o’clock p.m., a fine Aurora Australis was observed.

There was a considerable amount of rough weather during February; the last three days in particular were very unsettled, upwards of two and a half inches of rain falling during that period. A thunderstorm occurred on the afternoon of the 6th, and a smart shock of earthquake was felt about 10:15 a.m. of the 11th.

March was an extremely fine and clear month throughout.

With the exception of a very fine interval from the 18th to the 26th, the weather during April was unsettled. The total rain-fall during the month was larger than that of any month since the commencement of 1864; the total depth being 6.195 inches, the nearest approach to which was that of June 1867, when the total depth was 6.084 inches. During the 20th, 27th, 28th, and 29th alone nearly three inches fell.

R. MAINWARING, Observer, Christchurch.

CHRISTCHURCH:

Printed under the authority of the Provincial Government of the Province of Canterbury, at the Press Office, Cashel street, by JOHN STREET GUTCHEN, Official Printer for the time being to the said Government.