132
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

ABSTRACT of METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, New Zealand, for the Month of DECEMBER, 1872.

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

MONGONUI
Same month previous 7 years
... 65.2 ... ... ... 478 72 2.202 10

AUCKLAND
30.088 774 67.9 14.4 37.3 155.5 30.1 509 75 915 4 285 534, 18th 6.7
Same month previous 8 years 29.897 65.3 466 74 3.429 14

TARANAKI
30.097 853 66.1 18.3 38.0 151.0 42.0 380 60 3.750 10 179 425, 3rd 7.0
Same month previous 8 years 29.911 62.6 446 74 4.938 12

NAPIER
30.041 782 69.6 17.4 39.0 141.0 489 67 1.220 7 216 500, 3rd, 2.0
Same month previous 4 years 29.847 65.0 493 77 4.518 6 4th, 10th

WELLINGTON
29.972 745 65.7 13.4 39.0 142.0 37.0 426 70 222 6 300 615, 3rd 5.5
Same month previous 8 years 29.832 60.3 380 71 3.566 12

*WANGANUI
30.210 800 65.8 18.1 37.0 148.0 20.0 426 69 2.290 4 259 535, 4th 5.0
Same month previous 7 years 2.870 11

NELSON
30.001 804 66.5 21.2 39.0 150.0 34.0 485 75 2.070 5 6.5
Same month previous 8 years 29.841 61.4 458 75 1.461 8

CHRISTCHURCH
29.929 815 66.2 17.4 50.5 157.6 27.0 483 75 770 7 133 276, 30th 6.4
Same month previous 8 years 29.804 60.1 393 72 1.477 8

*BEALEY
29.851 645 59.9 16.6 42.5 142.6 14.6 410 81 13.350 12 6.1
Same month previous 4 years 29.671 52.4 312 77 11.835 18

HOKITIKA
30.020 758 61.0 11.8 37.2 103.0 35.2 475 90 16.380 16 158 288, 13th 5.0
Same month previous 6 years 29.874 57.7 434 79 11.515 19

DUNEDIN
29.817 751 60.4 17.0 46.0 184.0 33.0 385 73 1.148 8 171 580, 4th 6.0
Same month previous 8 years 29.823 55.9 327 72 3.194 14

*QUEENSTOWN
29.707 779 62.5 20.0 43.9 156.2 323 58 1.610 13 126 212, 13th 5.5

SOUTHLAND
29.747 791 55.2 23.0 45.0 162.2 26.0 301 70 890 4 197 621, 30th 6.0
Same month previous 7 years 29.747 56.5 313 67 2.880 11

• Altitude of Bealey, 2,104 feet; Queenstown, 1,070 feet. The stations marked thus * are furnished with Ancroid barometers only.

NOTES FOR DECEMBER, 1872.

Auckland.—Exceedingly hot weather and very small rainfall, the maximum fall for twenty-four hours being 74 inch on 3rd;
winds chiefly from N.E., and moderate; rather strong winds registered on 18th from N.E. and N. Maximum temperature
in shade, 89°-2; minimum, 51°-9.

Taranaki.—Fine, but very warm and oppressive; very light winds prevailing from N. and N.E.; heavy rain recorded on
18th—2.41 inches. Maximum temperature in shade, 83°; minimum, 45°.

Napier.—Fine throughout, though occasional light showers at night; maximum fall on 19th, 77 inch; prevailing wind N.E.
and moderate; strong breeze on 2nd and 3rd from N., and on 9th and 10th from N.E. Maximum temperature in shade, 87°;
minimum, 48°.

Wellington.—Remarkably dry hot weather almost throughout the month, and at times very oppressive; twenty-one days of
N.W. wind, and frequently strong, especially on 1st, 2nd, and 19th; flashes of lightning on night of 3rd; often dense black
clouds gathered and threatened rain, but blew over, and bright and clear again. Maximum temperature in shade, 83°;
minimum, 44°.

Wanganui.—Hot sultry weather; heavy fall of rain on 18th and 19th, amounting to 1.70 inch, which was much needed in
district; wind prevailed from S.W. and N.W., and generally moderate; fresh on 3rd and 4th from N.W.; high temperature at
nights. Maximum temperature in shade, 83°; minimum, 46°.

Nelson.—Remarkably fine, with little rain; greatest fall on 18th—1.34 inch; winds light, and generally from N.W.;
rather strong S.E. wind on 10th, and on 17th strong south-wester; on 22nd, sheet lightning and distant thunder. Maximum
temperature in shade, 84°; minimum, 45°.

Christchurch.—Very warm dry weather, with slight rain; maximum fall on 26th, 59 inch; winds prevailed from N.E.,
and at times fresh; fog on 21st. Maximum temperature in shade, 92°3; minimum, 41°8.

Bealey.—Heavy rain, especially during latter part of month; greatest fall recorded on 25th—3.1 inches, from N.W.;
intervals of fine bright days; twenty-eight days of N.W. wind, and frequently very strong; thunder-storm, with rain, on 21st.
Maximum temperature in shade, 78°5; minimum, 36°.

Hokitika.—Wet, squally weather, with occasional fine days; on 11th and 12th strong S.W. wind, with rain; maximum
rainfall on 25th—2.94 inches; fog on 20th; wind prevailed from N.; thunder on 18th. Maximum temperature in shade, 78°4;
minimum, 41°-2.

Dunedin.—Very warm dry weather during month, often oppressively hot; maximum rainfall on 3rd, 750 inch; wind
variable and moderate; rather strong on 3rd from S.W. and W.; thunder on 9th, 18th, and 20th. Maximum temperature in
shade, 88°; minimum, 42°.

Queenstown.—Beginning of month unusually cold, and snow fell on 3rd; rest of month very hot, with slight rain, maximum
fall being only 46 inch; prevailing wind N.W. and moderate. Maximum temperature in shade, 83°-2; minimum, 39°-3.

GENERAL REMARKS.

Temperature about 5º above the usual average, accompanied by excessive drought at all stations except Hokitika and Bealey,
where rain was in excess. Atmospheric pressure above the average, and especially high from 6th to 8th all over the Colony.
Maximum temperature in shade 92°-3 at Christchurch, on the 25th. The range of temperature between night and day unusually
great. Earthquakes on 1st, at Greytown, slight, at 3.30 a.m.; on 13th, at Wellington, very slight, at 1.51 p.m.; on 16th, at
Bluff, slight, at 1.30 p.m.; on 26th, at Taranaki, slight; Nelson, smart, at 5.3 a.m., and at Blenheim, two rather smart shocks,
at 5.15 and 5.20 a.m.

JAMES HECTOR, Inspector.