276
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
ABSTRACT of METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, New Zealand, for the Month of APRIL, 1869.

STATIONS. BAROMETER. Corrected and Reduced to Sea Level. TEMPERATURE FROM SELF-REGISTERING INSTRUMENTS, READ IN MORNING FOR TWENTY-FOUR HOURS PREVIOUSLY. COMPUTED FROM OBSERVATIONS. RAIN. WIND. CLOUD.
Mean Mean Extr'me Temp. Range Reading Range. Shade. Mean Daily Extrme Temp. Temp. of in Sun's Rays. Max. Min. Mean Elastic Mean Deg. of Total Fall No. of Average Maximum Mean Temp. Temp. on Grass. Force of (Satu- in Month Days Daily Velocity Force in Miles Amount on Grass. Vapour. ration Month which in Miles for 24 hours, for Month =100.) (inches) on Rain for Month and date. (0to10). fell. Month.
MONGONUI ... 30.093 .882 62.3 16.6 36.0 *431 77. 3.060 11 144.0 387, 29th 4.7
Same month previous 3 years 30.159* 62.8 *415* 77.* 2.823 10

AUCKLAND 30.073 1.059 61.7 15.8 36.3 137.4 32.2 399 75. 3.738 13 324.0 777,28th 4.5
Same month previous 4 years 29.975 63.6 459 75. 2.702 10

TARANAKI 30.027 1.178 58.7 14.4 35.0 131.0 397 80. 4.770 10 229.0 604, 28th 6.7
Same month previous 5 years 30.059 59.5 430 76. 2.670 11

NAPIER 30.009 1.063 60.4 14.5 32.5 135.2 388 73. 1.610 9 242.2 472, 5th 4.3
Same month previous 2 years 55.8 1.240 5

WELLINGTON 30.048 1.067 56.9 9.8 26.7 121.0 37.0 389 78. 5.147 20 198.0 415, 5th 6.4
Same month previous 5 years 30.006 57.7 341 70. 2.428 8 and 25th

NELSON 29.675 1.085 56.1 20.3 39.0 149.0 353 77. 5.510 6 116.7 380, 27th 5.6
Same month previous years 30.038 57.5 405 78. 3.128 5

CHRISTCHURCH 29.986 942 54.2 12.7 34.2 131.3 26.4 344 81. 6.195 15 159.0 422, 5th 5.8
Same month previous 5 years 29.955 54.6 340 75. 0.927 4

HOKITIKAT 30.010 1.106 53.3 13.5 28.2 87.4 375 92. 8.900 17 143.3 300, 12th 7.1
Same month previous 3 years 30.031 53.5 410 91. 8.430 16

BRALEYS§ ... 890 126.6 18.5 9.680 18 90.0 404,25th 6.2
Same month previous year 29.854 8.340 20

DUNEDIN 30.030 890 51.2 12.1 35.0 127.0 25.0 270 81. 3.034 18 83.0 485, 5th 6.0
Same month previous years 29.998 53.1 288 69. 1.509 13

SOUTHLAND 29.958 1.037 50.7 14.8 39.0 127.0 22.0 319 87. 2.840 20 105.0 410, 4th 6.6
Same month previous 4 years 29.866 51.0 285 75. 3.787 14

• For the year 1864 only.
  † HOKITIKA.-From 21st to 27th no observations with Dry and Wet Bulb Thermometers; and the velocity of wind only recorded for twenty-one days.
  There was a strong gale on the 25th, but no register of the velocity given; had it been recorded, there would probably have been a higher register on
  that date than on the 12th (300 as above).
  § BEALEY is situated at an altitude of 2,104 feet above the sea level. Aneroid observations, when reduced, appear exceptionally low.

NOTES.
Mongonui. Fine weather at this station, light winds.

Auckland. Strong S.W. wind with slight rain on 4th, and thunder on 5th; tolerably fine weather until the 26th, when there was
stormy weather from N.W. and S.W., with heavy rain, for the remainder of the month, the rainfall for the 27th and 28th
being 3.15 inches; there was also thunder on the 27th; the maximum force of wind was 777 miles on 28th for twenty-four
hours.

Taranaki. On the 5th and 6th there was a strong S.E. gale, lasting for twenty-four hours, without rain; the weather was then
fine up to the 25th, when a strong N.E. gale set in and lasted until the 28th; the rain and wind registered on morning of
28th, for twenty-four hours previous, was 2.25 inches and 604 miles respectively. The rainfall and degree of moisture are far
above the average. Slight earthquake on night of 20th.

Napier. On the 5th and 6th unpleasant squally weather from the South, with rain; hail and thunder on the 6th; thunder also on
the 16th and 30th, and fog on the 22nd; on the 28th it was stormy from the N.E., with rain; otherwise the weather was on
the whole fine.

Wellington.-Dull threatening weather on 2nd, wind N.W.; wind changed at night to S.E., and set in wet on 3rd, and it con-
tinued to be cold, wet, and stormy weather, from the same quarter, until the 6th; on the night of the 4th the gale was for a
time very severe; very stormy on night of 13th, with rain; also heavy rain on night of 16th (1.120 inches), and strong S.E.
wind; stormy on the 24th and 25th from N.W.; fog on the 10th, 26th, and 30th. The weather on the whole during this
month has been very unpleasant, cold, and damp, and at times stormy; the rainfall far exceeds the average for same month
in previous years, and the temperature is rather lower.

Nelson.-N.W. gale on the night of the 27th, with rain; rain registered on mornings of 26th and 27th 3.15 and 1.10 inches
respectively; otherwise the weather was tolerably fine during the month-wind moderate.

Christchurch. Strong S.W. wind on the 4th, with rain and heavy gale on night of 5th from same quarter. The weather on the
whole was very wet and disagreeable during this month; there were thirteen days of S.W. wind.

Hokitika. The weather at this station was generally remarkably wet and unpleasant, although the winds were moderate; there
was, however, a gale from the N. on the 25th, with rain, lasting for about twenty-four honrs.

Bealey. There was a strong gale on the 24th, with heavy rain in night; the total rainfall recorded from the 24th to the morning
of 27th was 6.133 inches; snow fell on the 15th, 16th, and 27th; fog on the 3rd and 28th. From the 10th to 14th, and
from the 24th to the 29th, the weather was excessively wet, but the remainder of the month was pleasant.

Dunedin. The total rainfall at this station has been unusually great for this month, although there have been no heavy falls at
any one time; at times the weather was most agreeable. Fog occurred on the 12th, 13th, 14th, and 28th. The mean
temperature was low, and the winds moderate.

Southland. The Observer remarks, that "the weather during this month has been wholly different from that experienced at any
other time during the past ten years. Rain without wind, and dull cloudy weather without rain, are almost unknown here;
yet it has been so for the last five weeks almost without interruption. The atmosphere has been so densely saturated with
moisture that the readings of the dry and wet bulbs have often been identical for thirty-six to forty-eight hours together, and
the range has been as low as 4 in twenty-four hours; light drizzling rain, total for twenty days only 2.84 inches. Barometer
high and steady, and the degree of humidity highest yet recorded; wet fog on 28th, the fourth instance of such an occur-
rence in ten years. Hail on 14th."

GENERAL REMARKS.
This month has been characterized by two gales. First, from South on the 4th to 6th; felt most in the North, Nelson
and the mountain station at Bealey appearing to have escaped it. Second, from North to South-west on 26th to 28th; felt every-
where but in the South; there, however, unusual calm moist weather has prevailed, which is singular, as the rainfall is not
excessive as at all other stations, and to be accounted for by the absence of high winds.

JAMES HECTOR,
Inspector.

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