542

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

ABSTRACT of METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, New Zealand, for the Month of JULY, 1871.

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.

MONGONUI ... 29.903 1.098 53.9 10.4 24.5 125.0 ... .343 82 5.970 23 290 875,9th 6.0
Same month previous 5 years 29.950 53.1 .343 79 6.318 20

AUCKLAND ... 29.828 1.246 52.5 11.1 22.3 108.0 19.5 .329 83 5.632 25 422 1029, 5.8
Same month previous 7 years 29.828 51.8 .327 82 4.481 20 17th

TARANAKI ... 29.730 1.084 50.5 13.7 34.0 118.0 23.0 .266 73 9.630 29 311 550,21st 6.9
Same month previous 6 years 29.896 50.5 .317 83 5.211 14

NAPIER ... 29.670 1.097 52.4 14.2 30.0 113.0 15.0 .313 80 1.930 12 309 609,10th 2.0
Same month previous 3 years 29.831 49.6 .296 75 4.276 8

WELLINGTON ... 29.564 1.521 48.9 10.2 23.7 105.0 27.0 .269 78 5.850 16 209 445,19th 6.0
Same month previous 7 years 29.897 48.2 .247 72 5.088 14

NELSON ... 29.596 1.372 45.7 17.9 31.0 137.0 .243 79 5.500 14 203 390,22nd 6.4
Same month previous 6 years 29.997 46.6 .259 75 5.594 8

CHRISTCHURCH 29.528 1.507 42.9 14.7 38.6 101.5 12.0 .234 85 1.687 14 148 300,21st 4.7
Same month previous 7 years 29.899 42.9 .232 83 2.425 9

BEALEY ... 29.508 1.070 37.5 10.4 28.1 102.0 3.8 .199 88 23.769 17 222 780, 18th 6.0
Same month previous 2 years 29.870 35.4 .180 87 9.739 13

HOKITIKA ... 29.339 1.462 45.5 11.8 27.1 68.4 26.3 .281 93 17.270 25 315 520, 20th 4.0
Same month previous 5 years 29.947 45.1 .278 90 9.418 16

DUNEDIN ... 29.464 1.467 43.1 11.1 30.0 81.0 11.0 .212 76 1.222 15 247 690,23rd 5.0
Same month previous 7 years 29.932 43.4 .215 77 2.221 12

SOUTHLAND ... 29.410 1.659 42.1 16.3 36.0 103.0 10.0 .214 80 6.300 17 152 486,22nd 6.9
Same month previous 6 years 29.812 42.8 .216 79 3.703 14

NOTES.

Mongonui. Squally and unsettled weather; rainfall about the average. Strong southerly winds on 8th, 9th, and 10th, with rain
and thunder on 9th. On 16th, S.W. gale, with squalls of rain and thunder on 17th. Strong N.W. wind on 20th, and
showery; and on 26th, N.E. gale, with heavy rain. 1.64 inch registered on morning of 26th. Fog on 31st. Prevailing
winds from S.W. and N.W. Maximum temperature on 2nd, 64.0.

Auckland.--Remarkably stormy month. High winds are recorded on eleven, thunder on nine, and hail on six days.
On 16th and 17th a storm of unusual violence took place from S.W., with rain, thunder, and hail, one of the wind-gauges
being broken during the gale. Rain was not greatly in excess of previous years; the highest fall was recorded on 26th, 0.758.
Fog on 4th. Prevailing wind from S.W., fifteen days. Maximum temperature on 20th, 62.2.

Taranaki. Most disagreeable, stormy, wet weather during month. Strong S.W. storms on 2nd, 5th, 8th to 11th, 16th, 17th, and
20th; and from N.W., 19th, 21st, and 22nd, and 27th to 29th, accompanied in many cases with thunder and lightning.
There are eleven days of thunder recorded. Maximum rain on 26th, 1.46 inch. Fog on 18th. Prevailing wind from S.W.
Maximum temperature on 2nd, 66.0.

Napier. Fine weather for time of year; very little rain. Stormy on 9th from S.W., and on 17th from same quarter very strong.
Fog on 29th. Greatest rainfall recorded on 1st, 0.860 of inch. Slight earthquake on 25th at 10 a.m. Prevailing winds
from S.W. and W., and generally strong during month. Maximum temperature on 20th, 65.0.

Wellington-From 1st to 6th fine pleasant N.W. weather, though strong wind on 3rd and 4th. Wet, cold, and disagreeable on
7th, and dull and threatening on 8th, with lightning at night. Fine and clear, with frosty nights, from 9th to evening of
15th, when it changed to unpleasant, wet, and stormy weather from N.W., but cleared up on 16th. Lightning on night of
16th; barometer 28.726 on 16th. Fine, but cold, on 17th. Night of 18th severe storm from N.W., with rain, vivid
lightning, and distant thunder; continued unsettled showery weather and stormy up to 21st from same quarter. On morning
of 21st, severe squall, with thunder, lightning, and rain from N.W., clearing off during day. At noon on 22nd, sudden
change to S.W., and squall of hail and rain; fine afternoon and frosty night. Fine during 23rd, 24th, and 25th, but on
night of 25th, heavy rainfall. Maximum for month, 1.200 inch, recorded on morning of 26th. Stormy on 26th and 27th
from N.W., with rain. From 28th to end of month wet and unpleasant from S.E. Altogether, weather severe and unsettled
during month. Twenty days of N.W. wind. Maximum temperature on 19th, 58.5. Aurora on 22nd. Lunar balo on 25th.

Nelson. Very unpleasant weather; frequent high winds and rain. On 1st and 2nd, strong westerly winds, and on 7th from N.E.,
with rain. Lightning on 10th and on 16th, with distant thunder. On 19th, severe thunder-storm, very loud. On 22nd,
23rd, and 25th, strong W. winds, and on 30th, stormy from N.E., with hail and showers. Greatest rainfall recorded on
26th, 2.80 inches; wind E. Prevailing wind from S.W. Maximum temperature on 19th, 61.0.

Christchurch. Pleasant weather, with little rainfall for month, though frequent light showers. Wind moderate, and prevailed
from N.E. and S.W. Hail on 9th and 10th, and thunder on 18th. Low barometer generally, especially on 15th, 28.734,
though nothing remarkable in weather. Highest rainfall recorded on 15th, 0.435 of inch. Maximum temperature on 19th,
65 1.

Bealey. Very severe wet weather generally during the month. Excessive rainfall, and at times strong gales; occasionally bright
and clear. On 1st and 3rd, strong N.W. wind and rain. Thunder on 9th. On 15th, S.E. storm with rain and snow; and
17th, stormy, from N.W. with rain and thunder; and on 18th, stormy from same quarter, with thunder, rain, and hail; hail
and thunder also on 19th. Snow on 4th, 7th, 9th, and 20th. Fog on 29th; 4.785 inches of rain recorded on 19th.
Prevailing wind from N.W. Maximum temperature on 19th, 53.5.

Hokitika: Very wet, stormy month. Very heavy rainfalls; the greatest recorded on 16th, 3.75 inches. Thirteen days of
stormy weather, chiefly from S.E. and N.W.; very violent from 19th to 23rd. Thunder on 20th. Hail on 17th. Fog on
14th, 28th, and 31st. Low barometer on 16th, 28.903. Prevailing wind from S.E. Maximum temperature on 1st, 58.3.

Dunedin.-Fine at this station. Very light rainfall, though frequent slight showers. Stormy on 22nd and 23rd from W. and
S.W. Snow on 22nd. Greatest rainfall on 28th, 0.288 of inch. Barometer 28.720 on 16th. Prevailing wind W.
Maximum temperature on 19th, 62.0.

Southland. Constant bad weather, with rain, hail, thunder, lightning, and a little snow, but no high wind, up to the 23rd; the
remaining eight days uninterruptedly fine and bright. Barometer extremely low during month, the mean, 29.410, being the
least recorded in thirteen years. On 18th it fell to 28.55, lowest on record (except 15th October, 1868, when it fell to 28.32).
Hail, rain, and thunder, and snow followed this low reading on 18th, but nothing more than bad winter weather. Greatest
rainfall on 6th, 0.750. Prevailing wind from W. Maximum temperature on 12th, 59.0.

GENERAL REMARKS.

Month characterized by an abnormal depression of the atmospheric pressure, especially in the Southern part of the Colony,
due to the prevalence of N.W. winds; the rainfall at Hokitika and Bealey, which are influenced by the Southern Alps, being,
from the same cause, greatly in excess of the usual average; while at Christchurch and Dunedin it was below the average.

JAMES HECTOR, Inspector.