SEPT. 14.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2777

Notice to Mariners No. 112 of 1911.

Marine Department,
Wellington, N.Z., 2nd September, 1911.

THE following Notice to Mariners, received from the Board of Trade, London, is published for general information.

J. A. MILLAR.

SPECIAL NOTICE.—WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY.
Transmission of Reports in regard to Derelicts and Weather Conditions.

SPECIAL arrangements have been made by the Postmaster-General for transmission, on and after 1st July, 1911, of radio-tels. between ships fitted with wireless-tel. apparatus and British coast stations, in regard to the position of drlcts. dangerous to nav., and weather and meteorological reports.

1. Drlets.—Whenever a drlct. is obser. lying in the track of ships, and dangerous to nav., its position should be notified by means of wireless tel. to the nearest British coast station. Upon receipt of the information steps will immediately be taken to notify the Admiralty, Lloyd’s, and the Meteorological Office, and to forward the particulars by wireless tel. to ships proceeding on the N. Atlantic, S. Atlantic, and North Sea routes, as the case may be, for a period of four days after the receipt of the information. No shore station or inland charge will be made for this service.

2. Weather Reports.—Reports in regard to the local weather conditions prevailing at the Post Office wireless coast stations at Caister, Seaforth, N. Foreland, Malin Head, Niton, Rosslare, Bolt Head, Crookhaven (Brow Head), Lizard, or Lloyd’s sig.-stations at Southend, Dover, Dungeness, Beachy Head, Horse Sand Fort, Portland Bill, Prawle Pt., Scilly, Lundy Isl., Barry Isl., Smalls, Tuskar, Roches Pt., Old Head of Kinsale, Fastnet, Inishtrahull, Torr Head, Kildonan, Butt of Lewis, Cape Wrath, Dunnet Head, St. Abbs Head, Tynemouth, Flamboro Head, Spurn Head, Aldeburgh, can be obtained by sending a radio-tel. to the nearest wireless station in the following form: “Indicate weather at . . . Captain . . .” The shore-station charge for the radio-tel. and its reply will be 5s. If the inquiry necessitates the transmission of a tel. to another station an additional charge will be made at the ordinary inland rate for the tel. and the reply. The abbreviations used in the reply radio-tel. are shown below.

3. Meteorological Reports.—Information as to (1) the state of the weather in various parts of the ern. Atlantic, the United Kingdom, and the Continent; (2) weather forecasts for any part of the British coasts; or ice in the Atlantic, can be obtained by wireless tel. through the Post Office coast stations from the Meteorological Office. The radio-tel. of inquiry should be worded as follows: “Indicate (1) Weather or (2) Forecast, or (3) Ice at . . . Meteorological. Captain . . .” The shore-stn. and Meteorological charge for the radio-tel. and its reply will be 5s. 6d., in addition to the cost of the inland tel. to the Meteorological Office and of the reply. All radio-tel. sent to the coast stations in connection with these services must be forwarded in the name of the captain of the ship, and the shipowner will be held responsible for the charge incurred under sections 2 and 3. The Meteorological Office is open between the hours of 8.30 a.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays and between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Sundays. Forecasts are prepared at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily, and during the summer months at 2 p.m. also. In order to furnish the information in the most convenient form the reply message will—if no special particulars are required—be sent as in the following examples:—

(1) S.W. 7, b. c. q., sea 5, fog 0.
(2) Calm, b, sea 0, fog 1.

These would indicate:—

(1) S.W. wind, strength 7; blue sky, detached clouds, squally; rough sea; no fog or mist.
(2) Calm, blue sky, sea calm, mist.

The abbreviations denoting the state of the weather and force of the wind will be as follows:—

STATE OF THE WEATHER.

b Blue sky. p Passing showers.
c Clouds (detached). q Squalls.
d Drizzling rain. r Rain.
e Wet air without rain. s Snow.
f Fog. t Thunder.
g Gloom. u Ugly (threatening sky).
h Hail. v Visibility, objects at a distance unusually visible.
l Lightning. w Dew.
m Mist. z Haze.
o Overcast sky.

NOTE.—A figure preceding a letter shows how many hours that style of weather had prevailed since last obser.—thus, “4 r” means four hours rain, “2½ 1” means two and a half hours of vivid lightning, &c. It is well to bear in mind that “w” means dew, but “d” means drizzle; and “e” wet without rain, “p” passing showers of rain; and “q” squalls, but “s” snow; “h” hail, but “z” haze.

Scale of Fog Intensity.

Sea Disturbance Scale.

Wind Force.

INDIAN OCEAN.

COLOMBO HARB. ENTR.—1. A temp. occ. red lt. every 5 secs., elev. 29 ft., R. 7 miles, exh. from an iron pillar 23 ft. high, has replaced the F. red lt. in 6° 57′ N., 79° 50½′ E., on nrn. end of S.W. breakwater extension, marking the head of the works. This lt. is to be discontinued when the works are recommenced towards the end of the year. 2. The lt.-buoy, brown, exh. an occ. red lt., close nrd. of end of S.W. breakwater extension-works, has been withdrawn. July.

RANGOON RIVER ENTR.—The pilots’ cruising-ground is now in 16° 14′ N., 96° 16′ E., about 4 miles S. 60° E. from China Bakir Lt.-h. July.

On 17th May, 1911, the occ. white lt. of Hastings Shoal lt.-buoy, 8 cables S. 40° E. from the extr. of Monkey Pt.