1554

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

ABSTRACT of METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, New Zealand, for the Month of AUGUST, 1878.

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.

In Shade.
Extremes.

STATIONS.
Mean
Reading
Mean Extr'me
Range.
Mean
Temp.
Mean
Daily
Range.
Max.
Temp.
Min.
Temp.
Max.
Temp.
in Sun's
Rays.
Min.
Temp.
on
Grass.
Mean
Vapour.
Deg. of
Moist.
(Satu-
ration
=100.)
Total
Month
(inches)
No. of
Days
on
which
Rain
fell.
Average
Daily
Force
in Miles
for
Month.
Maximum
Velocity
in 24 hours,
and Date.
Mean
Month
(0 to 10)

MONGONUI
... 29.736
.915
53.5
13.6
66.0
36.0
30.0
134.0
.277
69
4.600
26
240
468,30th
6.0
Previous 12 years
... 29.919
53.7
.330
80
4.020
21

AUCKLAND
... 29.749
.929
50.1
11.1
61.1
38.6
22.5
116.8
30.2
.303
84
4.485
28
370
703,22nd
7.3
Previous 14 years
... 29.867
52.6
.320
80
4.905
20

TARANAKI
... 29.682
1.010
49.0
15.3
61.0
31.0
30.0
113.0
.286
81
6.240
29
289
530, 5th
7.4
Previous 14 years
... 29.895
50.5
.250
76
6.052
20

NAPIER
... 29.597
1.113
50.8
15.0
67.0
35.0
32.0
116.0
31.0
.284
77
1.770
9
250
424, 6th
2.0
Previous 10 years
... 29.905
50.7
.290
77
4.114
11

WELLINGTON
... 29.575
1.172
47.1
13.3
62.3
31.5
30.8
125.0
29.0
.253
79
4.350
17
223
510,30th
4.6
Previous 14 years
... 29.849
48.4
.260
77
5.398
17

WANGANUI

... 29.720
1.100
47.4
17.6
63.0
32.0
31.0
104.0
26.0
.234
71
5.460
24
315
649, 23rd
6.0
Previous 6 years
... 30.010
48.1
.236
71
4.926
16

NELSON
... 29.601
.901
45.2
20.5
63.0
29.0
34.0
115.0
.243
80
5.520
15
180
418,30th
5.5
Previous 14 years
... 29.876
47.6
.267
77
7.174
8

CAPE CAMPBELL
... 29.690
1.050
48.6
12.4
60.0
37.0
23.0
.243
73
1.270
4
491
905, 10th
5.0
Previous 4 years
... 29.896
51.4
.236
76
1.694
14

CHRISTCHURCH
... 29.517
1.140
43.2
20.4
69.0
23.6
45.4
116.2
11.9
.190
68
.820
8
141
407,30th
5.2
Previous 14 years
... 29.856
44.2
.239
80
2.362
10

*BEALEY
... 29.327
1.157
35.7
12.5
49.0
14.2
34.8
.133
64
10.100
21
210
366, 29th
6.0
Previous 10 years
... 29.787
37.3
.191
88
10.021
17

HOKITIKA
... 29.608
1.172
43.1
13.2
55.1
27.9
27.2
112.5
24.0
.245
88
11.750
29
8.0
Previous 12 years
... 29.856
45.8
.276
87
9.309
17

DUNEDIN
... 29.438
1.112
41.7
12.8
60.0
28.0
32.0
90.0
.188
72
3.729
18
208
510, 1st
6.0
Previous 14 years
... 29.810
43.6
.221
77
3.000
14

*QUEENSTOWN
... 29.443
1.100
39.1
14.3
61.0
21.1
39.9
.164
70
4.340
17
104
151, 21st
6.4
Previous 6 years
... 29.772
40.2
.191
73
2.330
10

SOUTHLAND
... 29.750
1.150
.219
77
6.870
26
228
383, 4th
7.0
Previous 13 years
... 29.740
43.4
.219
77
3.931
13

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

NOTES FOR AUGUST, 1878.

Mongonui.—Squally wet month; the maximum rain recorded on 17th, 65 in.; prevailing S.W. winds, and frequently stormy; a few fine
days in beginning and end of month.

Auckland.--Bleak and stormy throughout, and frequent rain; the maximum recorded on 26th, 545 in.; prevailing westerly winds, and
generally stormy; slight thunder on 1st, 4th, 14th, and 23rd; short, violent squalls of hail on 1st, 5th, and 22nd.

Taranaki.—A very stormy wet month, with prevailing S.W. wind; greatest rain registered on 21st, 56 in.; thunder on 2nd, 3rd, and
22nd; hail on 4th, 5th, 21st, and 22nd.

Napier.—Fine weather, occasional showers at nights; greatest rain recorded on 24th, 61 in.; prevailing wind westerly and moderate;
light fall of snow on morning of 2nd.

Wellington.—Generally fine up to 12th; strong wind on 3rd, N.W.; on evening of 4th lightning; from 13th to end of month showery
generally, but with intervals of fine, bright, and pleasant weather; on 21st strong S.E. wind, with hail and rain, very cold; on 23rd,
sudden squall of rain and hail at night from S.E.; 29th stormy from N.W., with rain, increasing to a severe gale at night; maximum
rain recorded on 19th, 1.500 in.; prevailing N.W. winds; snow on opposite hills on 21st and 23rd.

Wanganui.—A wet and generally stormy month, with prevailing N.W. winds; the greatest rain recorded on 4th, 75 in.; thunder on 2nd
and 3rd; hail on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.

Nelson.—Rain in beginning and middle of month, otherwise tolerably fine; maximum rain recorded on 11th, 1.06 in.; prevailing wind
S.W. and strong, on 16th, 29th, and 30th; thunder on 19th.

Cape Campbell.—Very dry and stormy from N.W. and W. up to 18th; latter part cold and rather showery; 68 in. rain recorded on
26th, small total fall.

Christchurch.—Opened fine; on 3rd barometer fell to 28.698 from 29.332 previous day, continued low till 5th, threatening from S.W.;
hail, rain, and snow fell in small quantity, then cleared; continued fine until 13th, when there was a storm from N.W.; then
generally fine to 21st, when it was stormy, with rain, hail, and snow from S.W.; on 29th, storm from N.W., increasing to gale at
night; early on 30th, heavy rain from S.W.; also stormy on 31st, and cold; low barometer prevailed; maximum rain recorded on
30th, 41 in.; small total fall; generally fine for time of year.

Bealey.—Very cold, wet, dull weather, with an occasional bright day; greatest rain recorded on 30th, 3.480 in.; prevailing winds from N.
and N.W., and generally strong; snow on 10 days; thunder and hail on 29th.

Hokitika.—Very wet, stormy month; wind from S.W.; frequent gales; rain fell on every day but two; the maximum fall recorded on
11th, 1.91 in.; thunder on five days; snow on five days; hail on three days, and fog on three days; twenty days of S.W. wind.

Dunedin.—Very cold, severe weather; ten days of snow and frequent frosts; prevailing S.W. winds and strong on 1st, 6th, 7th, and 31st;
maximum rain recorded on 23rd 580 in.

Queenstown.—Stormy and wet generally; wind principally from S.W. and N.W.; maximum rain recorded on 30th, 1.35 in.; snow on
eleven days; hail on 21st.

Southland.—A wet, stormy month; wind generally from westward; maximum rain recordel on 5th, 74 in.; snow fell on six days, and
hail on eight days.

GENERAL REMARKS.

The weather was generally wet and stormy, principally from S.W.; frequent gales occurred; also snow and hail storms;
low atmospheric pressure prevailed, and temperature below the average for same month in previous years. Earthquakes, Taranaki, 8th, at
8 a.m.; at Wellington, on 8th, at 7.53 a.m., slight double shock; at Wanganui, on 8th, at 8.10 a.m. heavy; at Lawrence and Arrow, on
24th, rather severe; at Queenstown, on 23rd, at 7.35 p.m., slight, and a heavy shock on 24th, at 2:38 p.m.; at Southland, a sharp shock
on 25th, at 2:40 p.m.

J. HECTOR, Inspector.