210
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
ABSTRACT of METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, New Zealand, for the Month of MARCH, 1869.
STATIONS.
BAROMETER.
TEMPERATURE FROM SELF-REGISTERING
INSTRUMENTS, READ IN MORNING
FOR TWENTY-FOUR HOURS PREVIOUSLY.
COMPUTED
FROM
OBSERVATIONS.
RAIN.
WIND.
CLOUD.
Mean
Mean
Extr'me Max.
Min.
Mean
Extr'me Temp. Range
Reading Range. in
Shade.
of
of in Sun's on
Temp. Temp. Rays. Grass.
Mean Deg. of Total
Fortic Moist.
of
in
(Satu- Month
Vapour. ration (inches)
No. of Average Maximum Mean
Days Daily Velocity Amount
for
Month
which
Rain
fell.
for
Month.
in Miles in any
24 hours,
and date, (0to10).
MONGONUI
30-119
556
66.1
16-2
28-5
480
75.
180
7
135.0 347, 1st 6.0
Same month previous 2 years 30-040
64.0
394
73.
2.140
7
AUCKLAND
30-087
652
63.9
15-8
29-6 141.1
32.6 451
76
305
9
325.0 989, 25th 6.0
Same month previous 4 years 29-868
67.1
509
75.
3-822
9
TARANAKI
30-038 1.655
61.0
16.7
32.0 141.0
431
80°
1.260
7
242.0 500, 16th 5.6
Same month previous 5 years 30.024
62.5
443
71.
2-622
7
NAPIER
30-021
920
64.2
17.9
34.2 135-2
412
68.
060
3
258.0 620,24th 3.0
Samemonth previous 2 years
57.5
1.660
4
WELLINGTON
30-036
928
60-2
15.0
32.0 124.0 38.0
352
73-
1-458
9
207-5 860, 27th 3.6
Same month previous 5 years 29-962
60.2
363
69.
2-740
8
NELSON
30-002
857
60.0
22-0
36-0 157
369
71-
-560
2
151.0
5.0
Same month previous years 29-973
60.5
462
74.
2-400
5
CHRISTCHURCH
29-927 1-235
58.0
19.9
44.8 141.1 20.8
371
77-
1-015
6
146.0 262,24th 3.8
Same month previous 5 years 29-949
57.7
-383
75.
2-102
8
HOKITIKA
30-048
791
56.0
11.4
26.9 86.5
396
88-
7.460 14
167-7 361,22nd 7.5
Same month previous 3 years 30-036
56-6
442
90.
6-480 14
BEALEY
29-811
687
136.0 21-5
4-126 15
148-0 400, 25th 4.8
Same month previous year 29-952
3.701 11
DUNEDIN
29-937 1-185
55.2
16.0
43.0 133.0 22-0
290
70.
2-876 16
166.0 740, 24th 6.0
Samemonth previous 5 years 30-009
55.4
313
69.
2-314 12
SOUTHLAND
29-864
959
54.9
20.0
46.0 140.0
29.0
323
74.
5-670 13
236.0 680, 24th 5.6
Same month previous 4 years 29-851
53-5
301
75.
3-127 11

• Means for one year only.

NOTES.
Mongonui.—Fine weather during the month; small rainfall; light winds.
Auckland.—Strong gale on the 1st from S.W.; also high wind on the 23rd and 24th from same quarter, which increased to a gale
on 25th. On the whole, fine weather with little rain.
Taranaki.—Fine weather generally; thunder on the 11th; fog on the 3rd; earthquakes on 4th, 10th, and 15th—all slight.
Napier.—Fresh gales on 23rd, 24th, and 25th, from W., but no rain. Fine clear weather; very slight rain; strong winds
occasionally.
Wellington.—Stormy and unpleasant weather on 4th and 5th, from N.W.,—very dry; on 8th strong N.W. wind and drizzling
rain. Severe gale on night of 26th, from N.W., with rain; velocity of wind recorded on morning of 27th, for previous
twenty-four hours, was 860 miles; very heavy rain on the 10th,—1·030 inches registered at 9.30 a.m. on 11th. The rainfall
on the whole is considerably below the average for same month in previous years, and, with the above exceptions, the wind
was moderate and the weather pleasant. There were twenty-one days of N.W.
W. wind.
Nelson.—Fine weather at this station; unusually small rainfall; winds moderate.
Christchurch.—Fine bright clear weather generally during this month; slight rainfall and very light winds. On the 24th, there
was a strong N.W. gale with clear sky.
Hokitika.—Gale from S.W. on 2nd; strong S.W. wind on 10th, accompanied with heavy rain and thunder; gale from S.W.,
with rain, on 21st, also on 24th; hail on 19th. Wet, cold, and unpleasant weather generally, although fine in the middle
and towards end of the month.
Bealey.—Gale on 18th from N.W., with heavy rain, up to morning of 19th; also gale from same quarter on 24th and 25th. Fine
weather generally in the early part of this month, but wet and stormy towards the end; heavy rain on 19th,—1·346 inches
in twenty-four hours.
Dunedin.—On the whole, fine clear weather, with light winds and little rain, up to the 21st; on 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, stormy
weather from N.W. and W.; snow fell on 24th; thunder on the 4th and 8th; fog on 26th and 30th. The latter part of
the month was rather wet and unpleasant.
Southland.—The Observer remarks that "the weather was very fine, dry, and warm, until the 21st; temperature in shade on the
16th, 80°, the highest recorded in March since 1862; on 21st, equinoctial gales set in from W. and N.W., with violent
squalls of hail and rain, and some severe thunder-storms on 23rd and 24th; there was also thunder on 21st and 22nd,
though not so heavy; storms lasted without cessation until 25th. Remainder of month showery and unsettled. On 27th,
air saturated for thirty-six hours, mean temperature of air and evaporation being identical; on 31st, range of temperature
only 6°. There were seventeen days of N.W. wind, and twelve of W. Rainfall greater than that for same month in
previous years. The maximum fall of rain for twenty-four hours was on 24th, 1·22 inches. Hail fell on 21st, 23rd, and
24th."

GENERAL REMARKS.

The weather was unusually fine and pleasant at all the stations in the North Island during this month; the fall of rain was
considerably below the average for previous years, and although there were a few gales from N.W., yet the mean velocity of
wind was low; the barometer readings for the month are high in every case in the North Island. On the West Coast of the
South Island, and south of Christchurch, the weather was not so fine; several severe storms from S.W. and N.W. occurred,
accompanied with hail, thunder, and heavy rain.

R. B. GORE
(for the Inspector of Meteorological Stations).

Printed under the authority of the New Zealand Government, by GEORGE DIDSBURY, Government Printer, Wellington.