218
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

ABSTRACT of METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, New Zealand, for the Month of DECEMBER, 1873.

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

MONGONUI ... 30-014 .548 68.3 16.4 34.0 149.0 ... .569 83 4.880 9 131 316, 7th 6.0
Same month previous 7 years 29-945 ... 65.2 ... ... ... ... ... .478 72 2-202 10 ... ...

AUCKLAND ... 30-043 .631 66.4 14.4 28.7 159.8 25.6 .503 78 1-180 8 298 570,23rd 7.4
Same month previous years 29-918 ... 65.6 ... ... ... ... ... .471 74 3-149 13 ... ...

TARANAKI ... 30-027 .640 63.8 18.3 36.0 184.0 ... .436 77 2-680 8 213 455, 21st 5.8
Same month previous 9 years 29-931 ... 62-3 ... ... ... ... ... .439 72 4.806 12 ... ...

NAPIER ... 29-975 .828 66.2 19.4 36.0 140.0 ... .474 74 .230 4 230 539,23rd 2.0
Same month previous 6 years 29-879 ... 65-8 ... ... ... ... ... .493 75 3-993 6 ... ...

WELLINGTON ... 29-963 .859 61.1 13.6 28.2 135.0 36.0 .410 77 3-693 9 287 845, 18th 4.7
Same month previous 9 years 29-850 ... 60.9 ... ... ... ... ... .385 71 3-195 11 ... ...

*WANGANUI ... 30-170 .750 62.0 25.0 43.0 140.0 40.0 .377 68 3-060 7 266 534, 17th 4.0
Same month previous year 30-210 ... 65-8 ... ... ... ... ... .426 69 2-290 4 ... ...

NELSON ... 29-901 .956 63-2 24.7 43.0 154.0 ... .397 68 3-260 6 116 265,28th 4.9
Same month previous years 29-858 ... 62-0 ... ... ... ... ... .461 75 4-195 7 ... ...

CHRISTCHURCH ... 29-888 .993 62-9 17.9 39.6 160.0 30-2 .409 71 .550 6 158 309, 21st 5.0
Same month previous 9 years 29-818 ... 60.0 ... ... ... ... ... .403 72 1.399 8 ... ...

*BEALEY ... 29-720 .780 56-3 19.3 41.0 13.0 ... .343 75 8-040 13 196 362,26th 5.0
Same month previous 5 years 29-707 ... 53.9 ... ... ... ... ... .327 77 12-138 16 ... ...

HOKITIKA ... 29-958 .863 58-8 12-2 29.0 98.3 30.4 .422 83 8 030 16 216 381, 1st 2.0
Same month previous 7 years 29-908 ... 58.1 ... ... ... ... ... .440 85 12-210 19 ... ...

DUNEDIN ... 29-645 1-178 57.2 18.6 39.0 158.0 33.0 .324 69 1-294 10 178 565, 4th 5.7
Same month previous 9 years 29-822 ... 56-4 ... ... ... ... ... .334 72 2-966 13 ... ...

*QUEENSTOWN ... 30-030 1.250 59.2 19.7 40.9 155-7 33-2 .308 61 4-190 8 134 239, 2nd 5-2
Same month previous year 29-707 ... 62-5 ... ... ... ... ... .323 58 1.610 13 ... ...

SOUTHLAND ... 29-780 1.420 58.0 17.0 44.0 155.0 ... .296 61 1.920 15 284 550,27th 70
Same month previous 8 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 Aneroid barometers only.

NOTES FOR DECEMBER, 1873.

Mongonui-Tolerably fine on the whole, but at times heavy rain; maximum fall on 9th, 1.82 inch; prevailing easterly wind
and at times strong; thunder on 14th, 16th, 21st, and 22nd; fog on 11th; generally very oppressive. Maximum tempera-
ture, 88°; minimum, 54°.

Auckland.--Hot and sultry, with little rain; the maximum fall recorded on 2nd, 51 inch; very pleasant at times, with light
showers; stiff S.W. breeze on 23rd; winds prevailed from N.E. and N.W., and moderate. Maximum temperature, 80-6°;
minimum, 51.9°.

Taranaki. Fine month; maximum rainfall recorded on 23rd, 1.27 inch, otherwise little rain; prevailing westerly winds and
moderate. Maximum temperature, 80°; minimum, 44°.

Napier. Fine weather, but very hot; very slight rainfall, the maximum on 22nd, 08 inch'; prevailing wind N.E., strong on
22nd. Maximum temperature, 86°; minimum, 50°.

Wellington. Very fine bright and pleasant weather up to 15th, with only a few light showers. Stormy weather commenced on
the 16th from N.W., and the barometer fell; threatening rain and very stormy all day of 17th; at night heavy rain and very
severe gale; 83 inch recorded on 18th, and 845 miles of wind, the maximum force being 60 miles per hour, oppressive,
and barometer down to 29.4; stormy on 18th, but abated during the day, still raining; in afternoon wind shifted to S.E., and
heavy squall of wind and rain, barometer rose slightly, but fell again; rain ceased during night and wind fell, changing to
N.W. and fine. Strong gale again on 20th from N.W. with rain, but of short duration; very stormy on morning of 21st
but no rain; heavy rain on night of 22nd, 70 inch recorded on 23rd, light N.W. wind; stormy on 27th, N.W., and at
night heavy rain, 90 inch falling, the maximum for month; changed to S.E. and moderated; stormy on night of 30th and
31st, but no rain; some very pleasant days during latter part of month; sheet lightning on 11th and 14th; twenty-three
days of N. W. wind. Maximum temperature in shade, 75°; minimum, 46-8°.

Wanganui. Excessively hot dry weather; a few showers during middle of month, 1.65 inch recorded on 23rd; several stiff
gales from N.W. and S.W. occurred, especially on 16th. Maximum temperature, 83°; minimum, 40°.

Nelson. Exceedingly fine, light westerly winds; pleasant showers of rain during latter part, 1.52 inch on the 18th, being the
maximum; very hot at times. Maximum temperature, 86°; minimum, 43°.

Christchurch.-Fine weather, very hot at times; prevailing N.E. winds and light; on 21st strong N.W. wind; thunder on 14th ;
maximum rainfall recorded on 11th, 31 inch. Maximum temperature, 83°; minimum, 43°.

Bealey. Very fine, dry, warm, bright weather up to 15th; remainder of month wet, with occasional fine days; maximum rain
registered on 21st, 2-82 inches; thunder-storm on 16th; twenty-five days of N.W. wind, and gales on eleven days. Maximum
temperature, 78°; minimum, 37°.

Hokitika. Rather finer than is usual at this time of year; rain below average; the maximum fall recorded on 17th, 182 inch;
prevailing S.W. wind, and at times strong. Maximum temperature, 71.3°; minimum, 42.3°.

Dunedin. Generally fine, but with high winds chiefly from W.; maximum rainfall on 15th, 54 inch; atmospheric pressure
low. Maximum temperature, 80°; minimum, 41°.

Queenstown.Fine up to 13th, but very warm and oppressive, and light winds; remainder of month showery and cooler;
maximum rainfall recorded on 27th, 1:48 inch for previous twenty-four hours; thunder on 16th and 20th. Maximum
temperature, 80°; minimum, 39-1°.

Southland. Very dry month, the greatest rainfall recorded being '75 inch on 27th; very strong winds occurred, chiefly from
N.W., very violent on 27th, with heavy rain; thunder on 17th. Maximum temperature, 79°; minimum, 35°.

GENERAL REMARKS.

Tolerably fine weather during this month; temperature rather above the average, rainfall on the whole less than usual;
prevailing N.W. winds, and at some stations strong gales occurred; exceedingly hot and oppressive at times. Earthquakes
reported on the 6th at Taranaki, 5.15 p.m., slight; on 8th, at Taranaki, 3.30 a.m.; Wanganui, 3.30a.m.; Wellington, 2.23 a.m.;
Hawera, 3.45 a.m.; Patea, 3.28 a.m.; Mana Island, 3.30 a.m.,-generally slight; on 16th at Wanganui, 12.10 p.m.; Foxton,
12.14 p.m.; Bull's, 12.15 p.m.; Hawera, at 12.14 p.m.; and Wellington, 12.15 p.m., described as sharp; on 29th a slight shock
felt at Mana Island at 12.40 a.m. Brilliant meteor observed at Wanganui on 28th at 9.20 p.m., direction N. and S., and
exploding like a rocket.

JAMES HECTOR, Inspector.

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