498

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

[No. 13

Rainfall for January, 1905—continued.

Station. Observer. Total Fall, in Days Maximum Fall, and Inches. with Rain. Date.

SOUTH ISLAND—continued.

(H.) SOUTH ASPECT. CAPE SAUNDERS TO PUYSEGUR POINT.

Eweburn Nursery, Ranfurly .. A. W. Roberts .. 1.98 12 0.80 on 25th Kokonga .. R. W. Glendinning .. 2.06 13 1.02 on 24th Oaversham(a) .. G. M. Burlinson .. 5.64 23 1.20 on 18th Gladbrook St’n, Middlemarch A. Mackenzie .. 3.25 11 0.77 on 24th St. Bathan’s J. Ewing .. .. .. Tarras T. McWhirter .. 2.98 7 1.34 on 24th Queenstown A. H. Hiddlestone .. 4.14 14 0.83 on 17th Clyde J. S. Dickie .. 2.31 11 0.75 on 25th Roxburgh Dr. J. R. Gilmour .. 3.09 15 0.645 on 25th Balclutha J. W. Brame .. 5.18 16 1.84 on 17th Tapanui Nursery .. R. G. Robinson .. 4.40 16 1.32 on 17th Waikawa Valley .. J. H. Buckingham .. 5.31 16 1.45 on 17th Toi Toi Estate, Waimahaka .. W. R. Baird .. 4.815 19 0.75 on 16th Woodlands .. J. Mehaffey .. 5.99 10 2.08 on 17th Centre Hill Station, Mossburn R. Gray .. .. .. Dipton E. R. D. MacLachlan .. 3.61 13 1.23 on 18th Birchwood, Nightcaps Mrs. R. McKenzie .. .. .. Nightcaps James Ritchie .. 4.45 14 1.345 on 17th Otautau N. A. McLaren .. 6.29 18 2.30 on 17th

(I.) ISLANDS.

Chatham Islands(b) .. A. Shand .. 4.95 20 1.50 on 22nd Stewart Island .. W. Traill .. 6.82 19 1.43 on 18th

Late returns—

(a) December, 1904 .. .. .. 4.38 17 0.81 on 30th (b) .. .. .. .. 5.49 24 0.93 on 31st

A. HAMILTON, Director.

GENERAL SUMMARY FOR JANUARY, 1905.

In the rainfall returns the “aspects” of New Zealand—not of isolated stations—have been retained, but the stations themselves have been rearranged in geographical order from north to south and from the interior to the coast, following in most cases the watersheds of the rivers, as shown in the latest report of the Lands and Survey Department. It is believed that this order will be more readily followed, and lead to useful comparisons between different districts. It may be noticed that in some cases the new rule of placing the rainfall to the previous day has not yet been observed. The reason, it may be explained, for this almost universal rule is that the usual hours for observation of rainfall are 8 or 9 a.m., and there is a collection of rain for fifteen or sixteen hours of the previous day against eight or nine hours of the day of measurement. Moreover, the hours of the former day have been more or less under observation, while the weather of the night is usually of less importance to human industry, and does not offer such useful meteorological comparisons as the records of the day.

The returns from the third-class stations, it may be gratefully observed, are now generally fuller; in many cases the notes are very valuable, and the records themselves will in time furnish much useful information concerning the climate of different localities. It must be admitted that in the past meteorologists as a rule have not attached sufficient importance to non-instrumental observations for the estimation of climate, while to the public, at least, statistics alone have little or no meaning. January is usually the height of summer in New Zealand: this year it was a month of unusual extremes with regard to temperature. Night and day, week and week, presented very marked differences. The first week was somewhat wet, very cold, and boisterous in most parts of both Islands. In the afternoon of the 1st, when the barometric pressure was lowest, thunder, accompanied by hail and lightning, was rather prevalent from the Waikato to Stewart Island. These electrical storms were also common on the 2nd and 3rd, and evidently caused rain in other remote parts. Snow fell on Mount Egmont, and on the ranges and at Moawhango on the 3rd. On these three days a westerly gale was severely felt in Taranaki, and in other parts farther inland. The wind was strong S.W. at this time on the N.E. coast of the South Island, and in some places further north it was remarkably squally. From the 8th to the 17th anticyclonic conditions prevailed. It was intensely sultry in many places between the 12th and 16th. Burning-off went on in the bush at this time, and much haze on the horizon was the result of the smoke. Shearing was completed, and haymaking was in full swing. A frost occurred in some places on the night of the 12th. Between the 15th and 18th heavy rains prevailed to the south of Dunedin. Flooding took place at Balclutha, Invercargill, and elsewhere. A smart thunderstorm, with hail, occurred at Balclutha at 1 a.m. on the 19th. Heavy fogs were recorded on the west coast of the South Island, and about Cook Strait. The highest temperatures were recorded generally on the 21st and 22nd, but were at night followed by very low ground temperatures, from which potatoes especially suffered. The last week of the month was unsettled—electrical storms were much in evidence, especially in the middle and southern part of the North Island, and some exceptionally heavy rainfalls are to be noticed in the returns. The rain was, however, warm, and generally most welcome to the farmers. Orari, in Canterbury, reports on the 27th and 28th, “Very heavy weather in the mountains. The Orari River was dry on the evening of the 27th, but next afternoon running the highest flood for eighteen months.”

The effects of the weather on the crops were very marked; the season is late, but prospects were much brighter at the end of the month than at the beginning. The warmth induced phenomenal growth on the backward crops. Feed was everywhere abundant, and live-stock most profitable to the pastoralists and dairy-farmers. Cereal crops are reported as very varied—heavy and ripening slowly on the whole, but light and disappointing in some parts. Turnips and rape, feed crops, have done well, but one careful observer in the North Island reports, “Turnips are not doing well, for many were eaten off by the turnip-fly as soon as they appeared above the ground, and insufficient rain has hindered their growth.”

Fruit was fairly plentiful and in good condition in a few districts, as Nelson and Central Otago, which were protected from the destructive gales and salt-spray storms of previous months. Gardens made wonderful progress during the month.

D. O. BATES, F.R.Met.Soc.

Meteorological Office, Colonial Museum, Wellington, 13th February, 1905.