THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 245

ABSTRACT of METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, New Zealand, for the Month of February, 1868.

BAROMETER.

TEMPERATURE FROM SELF-REGISTERING
INSTRUMENTS, READ IN MORNING
FOR TWENTY-FOUR HOURS PREVIOUS.

COMPUTED
FROM
OBSERVATIONS.

RAIN.

WIND.

WIND.

CLOUD.

STATIONS.

Mean
Reading
Extr'me
Range
Mean
Temp.
Shade.
Mean
Daily
Range
of
Temp.
Extr'me
Temp.
Max.
Temp.
in Sun's
Rays.
Mean
Temp.
Grass.
Mean
Elastic
Force
of
Vapour.
Mean
Deg. of
Satu-
ration
=100.
Total
Fall
in
Month
(inches)
No. of
Days
on
which
Rain
Fell.
Average
Daily
Velocity
for
Month.
Maximum
Velocity
for any
24 hours.
Mean
Amount
(0to10).

TARANAKI
... 29-890 1.630 62.2 20.8 41.0 108.0 44.0 .436 78 6.070 12 249.9 884, 3rd 7.3
Same month previous 4 years 29-960 66.7 ... .517 68 3.677 9

WELLINGTON
... 29-876 1.397 60.8 12.3 29.8 147.6 27.2 .391 74 8.760 15 116.5 489, 20th 5.7
Same month previous 4 years 29-876 63.9 ... .398 66 3.280 8

NELSON
... 29-817 1.487 63.0 22.0 35.0 ... .386 67 19.950 9 149.0 286, 25th 6.0
Same month previous 4 years 29.937 64.3 ... .551 80 6.430 5

CHRISTCHURCH
29-818 .949 59.5 15.2 43.8 152.0 26.6 .385 76 5.664 15 183.0 301, 13th 5.2
Same month previous 4 years 29-846 62.5 ... .452 74 1.258 5

HOKITIKA
29-834 1.220 56.7 11.7 25.0 93.5 36.5 .427 93 9.500 16 147.7 351, 4th 6.8
Same month previous 2 years 29-896 62.2 ... .546 89 11.420 14
'67 only '67 only

DUNEDIN
29-865 .899 56.2 15.2 38.0 148.0 31.0 .339 74 5.074 16 188.0 560, 4th 6.0
Same month previous 4 years 29-873 58.9 ... .352 67 2.351 14

SOUTHLAND
... 29-782 .930 55.3 18.1 46.7 ... .309 70 3.548 11 221.0 470, 20th 5.1
Same month previous 3 years 29-795 57.9 ... .302 70 3.920 11

• For twenty-four days only.

NOTES.

Taranaki. On the 1st, a smart shock of earthquake was felt at 8 a.m., Barometer, 30-07, weather fine and calm. On the
2nd, at 9:30 a.m., the Barometer fallen to 29-628, wind S.E., but scud coming from E. and N.E., threatening, rain and
wind; at 3 p.m., Barometer falling, wind S.E. and rising, evening, wild looking, with heavy rain; and at 10 p.m.,
Barometer, 28-80. Monday the 3rd, gale from S.E., with thunder and lightning, about two inches of rain fell during
the night; at 9:30 a.m., Barometer, 28-664, a dead calm; at 10 a.m., Barometer, 28-60, suddenly at this time a violent
gale sprung up from the S.W. which broke the cups of the Anemometer: a maximum pressure of eighteen pounds to the
square foot was registered, at the same time the Barometer commenced to rise; 4 p.m., gale still continued, but veered
back to N.W.; at 9 p.m., Barometer, 29-20. Tuesday, 4th, gale continued all night, with heavy squalls of rain, hail,
thunder, and lightning, but moderated towards morning; at 9:30 a.m., Barometer, 29-49, wind N. and again rising to high
gale; 10 a.m., Barometer, 29.54, maximum pressure on square foot, ten pounds; 4 p.m., Barometer, 29-45, wind still N.
but moderating. On the 5th, there was strong wind from N.W., and thunder and lightning. On the 6th, the wind changed
to S.W., and continued stormy from that direction up to the 8th. There were strong winds also on the 17th, 21st, 22nd,
26th and 27th, and thunder on 26th; fog on the 16th, with calm weather.

Wellington. On the 1st of this month, two sharp shocks of earthquake at 7:57 a.m., calm and almost cloudless. Very low
Barometer on the 3rd, strong wind from E., the Barometer kept falling all day, it was 28-754 at 3 p.m. and still falling, at
4.15 p.m. it rose rapidly, the wind having shifted round to the S. through E. There was thunder on the 2nd. High
wind on 20th, from N. Heavy hail on morning of 4th. On the 27th, the rainfall for the previous twenty-four hours was
3.72-the greatest fall yet recorded in Wellington during the same period. The weather at this station was very wet and
stormy during the month; the prevailing wind was from the N.

Nelson. A storm commenced on the 3rd, wind from the S.E. On the 4th, the wind blew from the N.E., and on the 5th, N.;
the rainfall on the 5th for twenty-four hours previous was 7.03; from the 3rd up to the 5th, the rainfall was 12.88 inches.
Hail fell on the 4th. The Barometer fell to 28-83 on the 3rd. On the 26th, the rainfall was 5.04 inches, and on 27th, 1.80.
Total fall for month, 19.95 inches.

Christchurch. Disastrous and unparalleled floods occurred throughout the eastern portion of the Province of Canterbury on the
2nd, 3rd, and 4th. The rainfall at Mount Peel, registered by J. B. A. Acland, Esq., was 8.08 inches in twenty-four hours,
ending at 12 p.m. on Monday the 3rd. In Christchurch, the rain was heavy at this time but not nearly so severe as the
above, the total for the month being only 5.664 inches. Thunder on the 28th. On the 2nd, the wind was S.W.; on the
3rd, S.E.; on the 4th, N.E., and on the 5th, S.W. again, when the storm had ceased and the weather was fine.

Hokitika. On the 3rd, a very heavy S.E. gale came on about 10.30 a.m., and continued during the day and following night.
Stormy also on the 4th, but from N.E. No remarkable rainfall during the month. Thunder on 23rd; hail on 7th and
21st; and fog on 2nd and 20th.

Dunedin. On the 3rd, a storm from the S.E. The rainfall on the 4th for the twenty-four hours previous was 1.370 inches.
There were great floods all over the Province, doing much damage. Thunder on the 6th. The latter part of the month was
very agreeable.

Southland. Gale occurred on the 3rd and 4th, from E.S.E., but no rain. On the 8th and 20th, there were high winds from the
S. and N.W. The greatest rainfall in the month was 882, on the 7th. Thunder on the 4th, 20th, and 21st; hail on the
21st; fog on the 3rd.

GENERAL REMARKS.

During this month the average temperature for the Islands was (as in January) several degrees lower than that of previous
years, and the Barometer and amount of moisture in the atmosphere higher than the previous averages. The rainfall, especially
in the earlier part of the month, was excessive in some districts. A storm which commenced on the 3rd, appears to have backed
round from North through East, when the rainfall from this unusual quarter was productive of the most disastrous floods which
have been recorded in the Colony, and which devastated the eastern districts of the South Island.

JAMES HECTOR,
Inspector of Meteorological Stations.