THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
749

ABSTRACT of METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, New Zealand, for the Month of FEBRUARY, 1877.

STATIONS.
BAROMETER.
Corrected and
Reduced to Sea
Level.
TEMPERATURE FROM SELF-REGISTERING INSTRUMENTS,
READ IN MORNING FOR TWENTY-FOUR HOURS
PREVIOUSLY.
In Shade.
Extremes.
Mean Extr'me
Reading Range. Mean
Mean
Daily
Range.
Max.
Temp.
Min.
Temp.
Range.
Max.
Temp.
in Sun's
Rays.
Min.
Temp.
Grass.
COMPUTED
FROM
OBSERVATIONS.
Mean
Elastic
Vapour.
Mean
Deg. of
Moist.
(Satu-
ration
=100.)
RAIN.
Total
Fall
in
(inches)
No. of
Days
on
which
Rain
fell.
WIND.
Average
Daily
Force
in Miles
Month.
Maximum
Velocity
in Miles
for
24 hours,
and Date.
CLOUD.
Mean
Amount
(0 to 10).

MONGONUI ... 29.954 620 68.8 17.7 82.0 53.0 29.0 154.0 ... 574 81 3.500 9 149 528, 4th 5.8
Previous 9 years ... 29.942 69.1 ... ... 555 79 5.464 11.
AUCKLAND ... 29.970 666 66.5 14.9 80.4 53.0 27.4 145.1 44.0 515 79 4.825 15 260 566, 4th 7.0
Previous 13 years ... 29.883 68.6 ... ... 524 81 4.124 11
TARANAKI ... 29.938 600 63.8 16.3 81.0 46.0 35.0 147.0 43.0 477 81 6.870 12 257 640, 10th 7.8
Previous 13 years ... 29.943 65.4 ... ... 462 70 4.158 9
NAPIER ... 29.917 526 68.4 14.5 83.0 55.0 28.0 137.0 52.0 471 67 13.980 9 192 400, 10th 3.0
Previous 10 years ... 29.946 66.0 ... ... 489 74 3.689 8
WELLINGTON ... 29.938 532 63.7 13.6 80.0 51.0 29.0 144.0 40.0 400 68 7.400 10 217 600, 24th 5.2
Previous 13 years ... 29.925 62.9 ... ... 407 71 3.699 9
WANGANUI ... 29.990 -600 64.2 18.8 81.0 42.0 39.0 128.0 34.0 434 73 3.420 9 225 350, 8th 6.0
Previous 5 years 30.132 63.6 ... ... 422 75 2.366 6
NELSON ... 29.891 556 62.9 22.9 80.0 46.0 34.0 14.0 431 75 6.750 8 125 193, 28th 5.2
Previous 13 years ... 29.916 64.4 ... ... 475 74 5.981 5
CAPE CAMPBELL 30.000 460 63.9 10.2 82.3 52.0 30.3 ... 470 79 4.060 9 447 878, 9th 7.0
Previous 3 years ... 29.886 66.0 ... ... 444 69 +1.360 +5
CHRISTCHURCH 29.945 578 61.0 18.8 86.0 39.8 46.2 141.0 29.2 399 75 3.990 9 188 354, 7th 6.1
Previous 13 years ... 29.905 61.6 ... ... 428 76 2.072 7
BEALEY ... 29.727 -531 55.1 15.6 84.0 37.2 46.8 151.0 31.4 271 63 11.100 14 244 532, 15th 6.0
Previous 9 years 29.842 56.7 ... ... 342 74 6.570 11
HOKITIKA ... 29.924 -648 59.8 12.1 70.1 45.4 24.7 144.0 39.0 437 86 15.850 20 5.0
Previous 11 years ... 29.932 60.3 ... ... 441 185 7.670 11
DUNEDIN ... 29.708 543 58.5 18.3 83.0 42.0 41.0 121.0 33.0 353 72 6.241 10 117 285, 28th 6.0
Previous 13 years ... 29.861 57.8 ... ... 352 72 2.409 13
QUEENSTOWN 29.860 460 59.2 17.7 84.9 38.8 46.1 121.2 38.2 308 61 2.700 13 94 196, 23rd 5.3
Previous 5 years ... 29.981 60.4 ... ... 307 59 1.815 7
SOUTHLAND ... 29.830 580 57.0 20.0 82.0 34.0 48.0 148.0 ... *351 75 3.280 13 7.0
Previous 12 years §29.862 §57.1 ... ... §340 §73 3.636 11

NOTE.—Altitude of Bealey, 2,104 feet; Queenstown, 1,070 feet. The stations marked thus are furnished with aneroid barometers only.
8 years. +2 years. 10 years. || 4 years. § 11 years.

NOTES FOR FEBRUARY 1877.

Mongonui.—First half of month unsettled, rain and thunder on 11th, 12th, and 13th, wind northerly, strong on 3rd; maximum rain
recorded on 5th, 2.20 in.; fine during latter part; prevailing wind from N.

Auckland.—Up to 14th very wet and stormy; strong wind on 4th from N.; thunder on 5th, 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th; maximum rain
recorded on 5th, 2.390 in.; hail on 5th and 10th, and fog on 3rd; remainder of month fine and warm; wind, generally light,
from N. and S.W.

Taranaki.—Very wet and unpleasant in early part, especially from 3rd to 10th, from N.W. and S.E.; maximum rain recorded on 5th,
2.80 in.; on 6th, 1.17 in.; moderated on 12th, and tolerably fine for remainder of month; strong winds on 4th and 6th, N.W., and
on 9th, 10th, and 11th, from S.E.; prevailing S.W. and N. winds.

Napier.—Very heavy rain from 5th to 13th; the maximum registered on 9th, 6.54 in. in 24 hours; on 10th, 4.22 in., and on 11th, 1.94 in.;
thunder on 9th; latter part fine; winds variable and moderate.

Wellington.—During the night of the 2nd it rained heavily, wind changed from N.W. to S.E., 80 in. recorded on 3rd; rain continued
on 3rd, wind in morning S.E., changing in evening to N.W., and again at night to S.E., raining still, and barometer falling; 2.25 in.
rain registered on 4th; constant rain during 4th, wind still S.E.; rain ceased at night, but towards morning of 5th showery again,
barometer down to 29.675; 2.35 in. rain recorded at 9.30 a.m. on this date, showers continued, becoming heavy at night, and
62 in. registered on 6th; during 6th cleared off at times, but at night there was another heavy fall; 82 in. registered on 7th at
9.30 a.m., making a total fall of 6.84 in. during this period. The weather remained showery from S.E. up to 11th, from which date
it was fine and bright to the end of the month. Prevailing N.W. winds, and strong on 1st, 19th, 20th, and 21st; very severe gale on
23rd from this direction, especially at night; also strong on 24th.

Wanganui.—Fine first few days; wet from 4th to 13th; maximum fall recorded on 5th, 1.13 in.; fine remainder of month; stormy on
1st, 8th, and 9th from W. and S.W.; thunder on 12th; fog on 16th and 28th; prevailing winds north-westerly.

Nelson.—Very heavy continuous rain early part; 1.88 in. registered on 4th, and 1.56 in. on 6th; middle and latter part fine and pleasant;
prevailing westerly winds.

Cape Campbell.—From 3rd to 11th gales of wind from S. and S.E., with much rain; the maximum recorded on 4th, 2.62 in.; remainder
fine and dry, with N.W. winds, strong on 20th, 22nd, and 24th; prevailing N.W. and S.E. winds.

Christchurch.—Very wet up to 10th from S.W.; 1.34 in. on 3rd, and 1.27 in. on 4th, for 24 hours previous; from 10th to end fine,
nights very close at times; strong S.W. wind on 7th, from which quarter the wind prevailed.

Bealey.—Very wet up to 10th from S.E., then fine until 21st, when rain commenced, and continued to 26th, wind N.W.; strong gales on
1st, 14th, 21st, and 23rd, from N.W., the prevailing wind; thunder on 2nd and 21st; fog on 4th, 5th, and 6th; maximum rain
recorded on 3rd, 3.330 in.; also 3.06 in. on 4th, 1.36 in. on 22nd, and 1.155 in. on 24th.

Hokitika.—From 9th to 14th tolerably fine, otherwise very showery month; winds chiefly N.E.; maximum rain recorded on 3rd, 4.03 in.,
also 3.15 in. on 4th, 2.14 in. on 22nd, and 1.47 in. on 24th; strong winds on 4th, 9th, and 21st, from N.E.; thunder on 2nd; six days
of fog.

Dunedin.—Heavy rain from 5th to 8th; the maximum, 2.18 in., recorded on 6th, after which fine to end of month; winds prevailed S.W.,
but moderate.

Queenstown.—Wet during early and latter part, but fine in middle of month; maximum rain recorded on 6th, 77 in.; prevailing N.W.
winds, and light; snow on hills on 5th and 6th.

Southland.—Showery dull weather generally, but rain not excessive; maximum recorded on 6th, 1.18 in.; heavy thunder on night of
18th; prevailing N.W. and S.W. winds, and moderate.

GENERAL REMARKS.

During the first half of month the weather throughout was exceedingly wet and stormy, with thunder; floods occurred at several
places throughout the colony; the latter part was fine generally. Earthquakes reported by observers at Wellington on 9th, at 6.49 p.m.,
slight, 4 secs. from S.E., and on 10th, at 8.49 a.m., slight, 2 secs. from E.; at Manawatu, 5th, 10.24 p.m., sharp, preceded by slight
noise; Governor's Bay, 2nd, at 10.10 p.m., S.W.; Wanganui, night of 7th, loud rumble.

J. HECTOR, Inspector.