New Zealand Gazette – 1857 – No. 30

Page 183

✨ Meteorological Report Continuation



THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 183

Mean Average Temperature Day and Night Average Pressure. Fall of Rain. Inches. Fair Days. Rainy Days. Frosty Nights.
1852 . . . . 53.7 29.82 85.7 247 119 14
1853 . . . . 50.8 29.78 45.1 242 123 40

WINDS.

N.N.E. to N.N.W. N.W. to W. S.W. S.E. to N.E. Calms. Gales.
1852 . . . . 110 35 62 99 60 28
1853 . . . . 107 34 45 96 83 21

PHENOMENA.

Thunder or Lightning. Days. Earthquakes. Solar Halo. Lunar Halo. Meteors. Snow on the Low Hills. Days.
1852 . . . . 15 3 0 4 0 5
1853 . . . . 18 12 0 0 0 2

N.B.—These observations were made in the town of Nelson, 120 feet above the sea levél.

EAST COAST OF THE MIDDLE ISLAND.
Cape Campbell to Cape Saunders.

About Lyttelton nearly central in this district, we find the summer sea breezes blow from the
N.E. with hazy weather, occasionally changing to N.W. for two or three days. The summer
sea breeze dies away at sunset, and is succeeded by a light S.W., springing up about midnight,
which lasts until 9 a.m.

In winter the prevailing winds are S.E, at sea, but at Lyttelton and Canterbury the wind
is S.W., while at sea it is S.E. In spring and autumn the winds are variable from N.E., for two
or three days, with very fine weather; then light winds for a day, shifting to N.W., blowing a
`gale from twelve to forty-eight hours; then a sudden shift to S.W., strong wind and rain for
three days, when it comes round again to N.E. along shore.

Fortunately it seldom blows strong from east, but even light winds from that quarter pro-
duce a heavy swell in Port Cooper. This wind is accompanied by fog and misty rain.

The violent S.W. wind in this harbour off the land is accompanied with more danger to
shipping than any wind that has blown in. In December we experienced a south-easter between
Canterbury and Otago. It fell calm for an hour, when the S.S.E. wind came up suddenly and
with little warning; it veered to S.S.W. This S.W. wind corresponds to the south-eastern of
Cook Strait.

It is very necessary to be aware of the prognostics of the sudden changes along this coast,
especially the north wester, which comes on at once to blow furiously. The most unmistakeable
sign is a remarkable transparency of the atmosphere, which is very clear indeed.

The N.W. wind of this district resembles the sirocco of the Mediterranean; it comes on
suddenly, and changes the temperature in a few minutes from 12 to 20 degrees. This change
in the temperature perhaps arises from the rapid melting of snow in crossing the Southern Alps,
or from crossing heated plains.

The S.W. wind is preceded by heavy, hard-edged, dark oumuli in that quarter. At sea this
is probably S.S.E.

Again, the mountains are clouded in a south-easter, and partially in a south-wester :—while
all distant objects, including the Kaikoras, are distinct, with a fine blue tint, on the approach of
the N.W. wind. The finest months are December, January, February, and March. Rains and
gales are chiefly in June, July, and August. The rainy quarter is N.W. to S.W. The hot
north-wester in summer frequently terminates in wet. There is also a wet and a dry south-
wester. In autumn or winter the barometer rises very high, with light east winds, producing
fogs and me rain, lasting ten or fourteen days.



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Online Sources for this page:

VUW Te Waharoa — PDF NZ Gazette 1857, No 30




✨ LLM interpretation of page content

🎓 Meteorological Observations and Statistics for Nelson (continued from previous page)

🎓 Education, Culture & Science
13 November 1857
Meteorology, Statistics, Nelson, Winds, Rainfall, Temperature, Barometric pressure

🎓 Weather Prognostics for the East Coast of the Middle Island

🎓 Education, Culture & Science
Weather patterns, Winds, Lyttelton, Port Cooper, Cape Campbell, Cape Saunders, Prognostics, Climate