THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 303

ABSTRACT of METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, New Zealand, for the Month of FEBRUARY, 1874.

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.

STATIONS.
Mean
Reading

Extr'me
Range.

Mean
Temp.
in
Shade.

Mean
Daily
Range
of
Temp.

Mean
Extr'me
Temp.

Max.
Temp.
in Sun's
Rays.

Min.
Temp.
on
Grass.

Mean
Elastic
Vapour.

Mean
Deg. of
Ration
=100.

Total
Fall
in
Month
(inches)

No. of
Days
Rain
fell.

Average
Daily
Velocity
in Miles
for
Month.

Maximum
Velocity
in Miles
in any
24 hours,
and Date.

Mean
Amount
(Oto10).

MONGONUI ... 29.974 .786 70.3 20.1 38.0 160.0 .576 78 4.480 9 94 171, 10th 4.7
Same month previous 7 years 29.929 68.2 .573 82 7.470 12
AUCKLAND 29.994 .797 68.7 19.4 39.1 158.0 23.1 .485 69 740 4 277 702, 8th 5.0
Same month previousl0yrs. 29.772 68.8 .531 74 4.816 12
TARANAKI 30.011 .748 64.4 21.5 48.0 177.0 33.0 .441 75 2.770 8 196 460,14th 5.0
Same month previousl0yrs. 29.928 65.5 .470 70 4.846 10
NAPIER 29.988 .901 66.1 19.2 41.0 142.0 .501 79 1.990 6 205 390,26th 2.0
Same month previous7 years 29.908 67.3 .495 73 3.301 6
WELLINGTON 30.004 .874 62.2 15.3 34.7 135.0 29.0 .410 74 3.642 6 240 485, 1st 4.3
Same month previous 10 yrs. 29.911 62.8 .410 73 4.071 10
WANGANUI 30.220 .720 62.1 24.1 46.0 145.0 38.0 .394 71 1.640 5 216 480, 3rd 4.0
Same month previous 2 years 30.119 63.6 .422 72 2.970 9
NELSON 29.941 .790 63.7 26.4 51.0 159.0 .434 74 1.370 3 84 152,26th 4.1
Same month previous10yrs. 29.912 64.5 .488 75 7.441 6
CAPE CAMPBELL 29.630 1.340 65.0 16.2 34.5 .391 63 1.770 5 392 600, 1st 6.0
Same month previous 10 yrs. 29.875 61.8 .431 79 1.700 10
CHRISTCHURCH 29.979 1.064 61.3 17.6 41.7 155.0 28.2 .424 79 2.363 8 136 254, 12th 6.2
BEALEY 30.040 1.120 57.4 21.3 53.8 6.0 .360 76 2.810 7 169 315, 6th 4.3
Same month previous 6 years 29.771 55.8 .334 74 8.977 14
HOKITIKA 29.975 1.138 57.7 14.7 29.8 97.0 32.6 .405 87 5.410 7 149 271,14th 4.9
Same month previous years 29.908 60.4 .453 86 9.217 13
DUNEDIN 29.773 .947 57.8 18.4 47.0 157.0 29.0 .356 74 2.590 16 151 460,27th 6.0
Same monthprevious10 yrs. 29.887 57.7 .350 72 2.809 14
*QUEENSTOWN 30.110 .950 59.6 19.5 46.0 172.7 32.0 .287 57 1.390 8 133 230,26th 5.1
Same month previous 2 years 30.114 60.4 .273 62 1.420 7
SOUTHLAND 29.920 .980 55.5 23.0 55.0 154.0 .302 70 4.420 13 200 382,11th 6.0
Same month previous 9 years 29.823 57.2 .339 72 4.052 11

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

NOTES FOR FEBRUARY, 1874.

Mongonui.—Fine weather; small rainfall, the maximum on 26th, 1.75 inch; prevailing easterly winds, and moderate. Maximum
temperature in shade, 89°; minimum, 51°.

Auckland.—Very hot and often oppressive, with small rainfall; the maximum on 8th, only 38 inch. A heavy gale experienced
on nights of 7th and 8th, commencing from S.E. and changing to N.E.; barometer rather high; great damage done in
harbour; it was not much felt north of Tiri Tiri; a brisk southerly gale on morning of 27th; winds prevailed from N.E.
Maximum temperature, 87.9°; minimum, 48.8°.

Taranaki.—Very hot dry weather; winds light and generally westerly; on 14th it blew rather strong from S.E.; maximum
rainfall on 2nd, 1.29 inch. Maximum temperature, 89°; minimum, 41°.

Napier.—Generally fine and hot, with occasional light showers at night; greatest rainfall recorded on 8th, 69 inch; moderate
winds, and prevailed from N.E.; thunder on 13th. Maximum temperature, 87°; minimum, 46°.

Wellington.—The strong N.W. wind which occurred on night of 31st January changed to S.E. on the 1st and brought heavy
rain, 1.5 inch falling; very cold, and low barometer, then fine weather until the 8th, when it rained heavily from N.E., one
inch falling in about half an hour, also thunder and lightning, and very oppressive; generally fine and pleasant from 9th to
24th; winds changeable and moderate, very warm at times; on 25th, stiff N.W. wind and rain; also showery on 26th from
South; bright and calm on 27th and 28th; wind prevailing during month from N.W. Maximum temperature, 78.7°;
minimum, 44°.

Wanganui.—Fine during the month and pleasant, moderate winds from S.W. and N.W.; on the 3rd it blew fresh; maximum
rain recorded on 2nd, 98 inch. Maximum temperature, 84°; minimum, 38°.

Nelson.—Very fine, a scarcity of rain, only falling on three days, the maximum being 1.05 inch on 9th; winds generally
westerly and light; on the 8th a severe thunder-storm. Maximum temperature, 88°; minimum, 37°.

Cape Campbell.—Very small rainfall, the maximum for twenty-four hours being on 2nd, 69 inch; winds prevailed from S.E.
and N.W., and often strong; bright clear weather generally; hail on 27th. Maximum temperature, 81.5°; minimum, 47°.

Christchurch.—Small rainfall for month, the greatest fall occurred on 13th for previous twenty-four hours, 48 inch; winds
generally from N.E. and S.W., and moderate; thunder with rain on 9th and 12th. Maximum temperature, 81.8°;
minimum, 40.1°.

Bealey.—Pleasant throughout, with occasional rain, but much below average; maximum fall on 26th, 1.4 inch; prevailing N.W.
winds, and rather stormy on 16th and 17th; snow and hail on 26th. Maximum temperature, 84.8°; minimum, 31° in shade,

Hokitika.—On the whole fine and pleasant, with moderate winds prevailing from S.W.; maximum rain recorded on 1st, 1.9 inch,
Maximum temperature, 68.7°; minimum, 38.9°.

Dunedin.—Fine, with frequent light showers; maximum rainfall on 2nd, 48 inch; prevailing westerly winds, and generally
moderate; squally on 26th with snow and hail; thunder on 9th. Maximum temperature, 85°; minimum, 38°.

Queenstown.—Fine weather until last few days, when cold winds with rain and snow (on 25th) occurred; maximum rainfall on
26th, 66 inch; prevailing N.W. winds and light; thunder on 8th. Maximum temperature, 84.6°; minimum, 38.6°.

Southland.—Very warm in early part of month; frequent showers and heavy at times; maximum fall on 10th, 90 inch;
moderate winds from N.W. and S.W.; hail on 26th. Maximum temperature, 87°; minimum, 32°.

GENERAL REMARKS.

The temperature throughout is about the average for this month, but the rainfall is considerably less. With the exception
of the severe S.E. and N.E. gale which occurred in Auckland on 7th and 8th, the winds have been moderate. Earthquakes
reported on 1st at Dunedin and Queenstown, slight; also on 4th two distinct shocks at Dunedin, and on 2nd slight shocks at
Riverton and Bluff, at night; on the 8th, rather a severe shock at Riverton; on 28th, at 3 a.m., a severe shock was felt at
Lyttelton and Tauranga.

JAMES HECTOR, Inspector,