✨ Meteorological Observations
May 3.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1871
Government Meteorological Observatory.
METEOROLOGICAL Observations, Wellington, for the month of March, 1917. Observations taken 9 a.m.
Altitude of Observatory, 8 ft.
| Date. | Barometer reduced and corrected in Inches to Lat. 45°. | Max. Temp. in Shade. | Min. Temp. in Shade. | Mean Temp. in Shade. | Solar Radiation. | Terrestrial Radiation. | Veloc. Wind in Miles. | Amount of Cloud, 0 to 10. | Direction of Wind. | Rainfall in Points (100 to 1 Inch). |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30·182 | 70·3 | 50·3 | 60·3 | 129·0 | 59·5 | 185 | 0 | Calm | |
| 2 | 30·119 | 70·0 | 59·6 | 64·8 | 129·0 | 55·5 | 195 | 9 | E.N.E. | |
| 3 | 30·292 | 68·4 | 57·0 | 62·7 | 127·0 | 55·1 | 338 | 2 | S.S.E. | |
| 4 | 30·166 | 68·0 | 48·0 | 58·0 | 124·0 | 37·0 | 95 | 2 | N.E. | |
| 5 | 30·335 | 69·9 | 56·6 | 63·2 | 136·0 | 55·5 | 288 | 9 | S.S.E. | |
| 6 | 30·411 | 66·1 | 54·1 | 60·1 | 134·0 | 49·7 | 195 | 6 | S. | |
| 7 | 30·410 | 66·9 | 48·7 | 57·8 | 131·0 | 37·3 | 162 | 4 | S. | |
| 8 | 30·387 | 67·3 | 48·6 | 57·9 | 131·0 | 38·6 | 150 | 0 | Calm | |
| 9 | 30·516 | 72·0 | 54·0 | 63·0 | 132·0 | 43·3 | 161 | 7 | S.E. | |
| 10 | 30·510 | 68·0 | 55·6 | 61·8 | 132·0 | 52·2 | 267 | 8 | E. | |
| 11 | 30·289 | 69·5 | 51·0 | 60·2 | 134·0 | 44·5 | 139 | 7 | N.E. | |
| 12 | 30·013 | 69·9 | 52·2 | 61·0 | 135·0 | 43·4 | 160 | 4 | S. | |
| 13 | 30·270 | 65·9 | 58·1 | 62·0 | 129·0 | 55·9 | 258 | 4 | Calm | |
| 14 | 30·354 | 69·0 | 46·7 | 57·8 | 136·0 | 35·7 | 129 | 0 | N. | |
| 15 | 30·222 | 70·9 | 61·7 | 66·3 | 129·0 | 58·3 | 289 | 6 | N. | |
| 16 | 30·038 | 67·0 | 62·1 | 64·5 | 134·0 | 59·4 | 432 | 3 | NNW | |
| 17 | 30·060 | 68·3 | 62·1 | 65·2 | 131·0 | 58·4 | 345 | 8 | N. | |
| 18 | 30·193 | 70·5 | 51·0 | 60·7 | 134·0 | 41·0 | 121 | 1 | N. | |
| 19 | 30·051 | 74·6 | 60·0 | 67·3 | 132·0 | 55·4 | 212 | 7 | N.W. | |
| 20 | 29·894 | 70·7 | 62·3 | 66·5 | 135·0 | 58·3 | 301 | 10 | N. | |
| 21 | 29·897 | 69·0 | 61·2 | 65·1 | 128·0 | 57·7 | 234 | 10 | N. | |
| 22 | 29·783 | 69·5 | 62·1 | 65·8 | 130·0 | 57·7 | 209 | 6 | NNW | |
| 23 | 29·855 | 72·5 | 64·6 | 68·5 | 135·0 | 61·7 | 331 | 6 | N.W. | |
| 24 | 29·937 | 70·6 | 64·0 | 67·3 | 132·0 | 59·7 | 384 | 10 | N.W. | 111 |
| 25 | 29·704 | 68·5 | 65·0 | 66·7 | 115·0 | 62·0 | 303 | 10 | N. | 9 |
| 26 | 30·110 | 67·3 | 53·0 | 60·1 | 125·0 | 48·9 | 435 | 10 | S. | 5 |
| 27 | 30·290 | 59·2 | 52·4 | 55·8 | 117·0 | 49·2 | 354 | 7 | S. | |
| 28 | 30·299 | 59·4 | 43·6 | 51·5 | 126·0 | 32·3 | 138 | 1 | Calm | |
| 29 | 30·084 | 65·0 | 51·7 | 58·3 | 120·0 | 42·0 | 64 | 0 | N.E. | |
| 30 | 30·042 | 71·3 | 48·3 | 59·8 | 123·0 | 36·9 | 82 | 0 | Calm | |
| 31 | 29 964 | 69·6 | 60 3 | 64·9 | 124·0 | 57·1 | 320 | 10 | NNW | 22 |
| * | 30·151 | 68·5 | 55·7 | 62·1 | 129·3 | 50·3 | 235 | 5·4 | ... | 147 |
| † | 30·029 | 66·8 | 54·0 | 60·5 | 117·1 | 47·1 | 238 | ... | ... | 384 |
- Means, &c. † Means previous years.
DIRECTION OF WIND.
N. N.E. E. S.E. S. S.W. W. N.W. Calm.
10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 | .. | .. | 3 | 5
Note.—The weather during the month has been bright and sunny, with temperatures and barometric pressure well above the average. The total rainfall for March was recorded between the 24th and 31st of the month, and was 57 per cent. below the mean of previous years. Total bright sunshine, 216 hours 26 minutes; giving an average of 7 hours per diem. Mean earth-temperature at 1ft. was 66·9°, and 67·2° at 3 ft. Mean dew-point, 52·8°; mean elastic force of vapour, 0·4 in.; mean relative humidity, 72 per cent. of saturation.
CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE.
MEANS AND TOTALS FROM THE CHIEF STATIONS.
March, 1917.
| Name of Station and Observer. | Altitude above Sea-level. | Absolute Mean Temp. Air in Shade. | Extremes. | Mean Max.Temp. | Mean Min. Temp. | Total Rainfall (100 Points to the inch). | Days with Rain (3 Point or more). |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NORTH ISLAND. | Ft. | Deg. | Deg. | Deg. | Points. | Dys. | |
| AUCKLAND .. F. A. F. Burnett | 125 | 64·1 | 70·4 | 57·8 | 272 | 11 | |
| TE AROHA.. G. F. McGirr | 46 | 62·0 | 73·7 | 50·4 | 172 | 3 | |
| ROTORUA .. S. R. Edwards | 925 | 60·1 | 70·7 | 49·6 | 241 | 9 | |
| WAHIHI .. P. A. Clifford | 340 | 61·6 | 73·1 | 50·2 | 509 | 9 | |
| TAURANGA .. C. J. Butcher | .. | 60·6 | 71·2 | 50·1 | 330 | 7 | |
| NEW PLYMOUTH .. W. W. Smith | 160 | 64·9 | 74·1 | 55·8 | 227 | 3 | |
| MOUMAHAKI .. T. W. Lonsdale | 250 | 59·9 | 72·3 | 47·5 | 16 | 2 | |
| TAIHAPE .. A. R. Fannin | 2080 | 56·7 | 66·4 | 47·0 | 85 | 5 | |
| PALMERSTON NORTH . J. E. Vernon | 100 | 61·0 | 71·9 | 50·1 | 131 | 3 | |
| GREYTOWN .. W. C. Davies | 186 | 60·4 | 72·5 | 48·3 | 105 | 5 | |
| MASTERTON Wm. Hood | 377 | 61·0 | 74·1 | 47·9 | 52 | 9 | |
| GREENMEADOWS, NA- PIER | 70 | 63·0 | 72·6 | 53·5 | 35 | 3 | |
| WELLINGTON .. T. B. McBreen | 10 | 62·1 | 68·5 | 55·7 | 147 | 4 | |
| SOUTH ISLAND. | Deg. | Deg. | Deg. | Points. | |||
| NELSON .. J. R. Dart | 34 | 63·2 | 72·1 | 54·3 | 57 | 3 | |
| HANMER SPA* .. Miss M. Stewart | 1220 | 57·7 | 69·0 | 46·5 | 136 | 4 | |
| CHRISTCHURCH .. H. F. Skey | 25 | 59·8 | 67·9 | 51·7 | 154 | 6 | |
| LINCOLN .. L. J. Wild | 42 | 60·3 | 69·6 | 51·0 | 200 | 4 | |
| RAKAIA .. Miss A. Hardy | .. | 60·2 | 70·1 | 50·3 | 219 | 5 | |
| TIMARU .. Caretaker of Domain | 130 | 59·4 | 69·0 | 49·9 | 157 | 8 | |
| WAIMATE .. F. Akhurst | 200 | 57·7 | 66·4 | 49·1 | 115 | 7 | |
| DUNEDIN .. D. Tannock | 300 | 58·2 | 65·3 | 51·1 | 212 | 12 | |
| GORE .. H. Dolamore | 245 | 57·8 | 68·7 | 47·0 | 390 | 14 | |
| HOKITIKA .. F. T. Sandford | 12 | 59·0 | 66·0 | 52·0 | 1254 | 14 | |
| INVERCARGILL .. L. Lennie | 12 | 55·7 | 64·6 | 46·8 | 492 | 15 |
- Hanmer for January, 1917 .. .. .. 157 2
SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH, 1917.
March proved an extremely dry month for most parts of New Zealand, the only districts having an excessive rainfall being Westland and Southern Otago.
About the 22nd and 23rd, depressions of moderate intensity passed both north and south of the Dominion, chiefly benefiting the northernmost districts of the North Island and the West Coast, and southern parts of the South.
On the night of the 24th a small “low” passed in the neighbourhood of Cook Strait, and was responsible for heavy, welcome rains generally. Some stations, especially in the north, reported severe thunder-storms on this day.
The weather during the month was chiefly governed by anti-cyclones—fair, mild, and calm days and cool nights being the rule. The first frosts of the season occurred on the 28th.
D. C. BATES, Director.
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Online Sources for this page:
VUW Te Waharoa —
NZ Gazette 1917, No 78
NZLII —
NZ Gazette 1917, No 78
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🎓 Meteorological Observations for Wellington, March 1917
🎓 Education, Culture & ScienceWeather, Temperature, Barometer, Wind, Rainfall, Wellington
- D. C. Bates, Director
🎓 Climatological Table for Chief Stations, March 1917
🎓 Education, Culture & ScienceClimate, Temperature, Rainfall, Weather Stations, New Zealand
23 names identified
- F. A. F. Burnett, Observer at Auckland
- G. F. McGirr, Observer at Te Aroha
- S. R. Edwards, Observer at Rotorua
- P. A. Clifford, Observer at Wahihi
- C. J. Butcher, Observer at Tauranga
- W. W. Smith, Observer at New Plymouth
- T. W. Lonsdale, Observer at Moumahaki
- A. R. Fannin, Observer at Taihape
- J. E. Vernon, Observer at Palmerston North
- W. C. Davies, Observer at Greytown
- Wm. Hood, Observer at Masterton
- T. B. McBreen, Observer at Wellington
- J. R. Dart, Observer at Nelson
- Miss M. Stewart, Observer at Hanmer Spa
- H. F. Skey, Observer at Christchurch
- L. J. Wild, Observer at Lincoln
- Miss A. Hardy, Observer at Rakaia
- Caretaker of Domain, Observer at Timaru
- F. Akhurst, Observer at Waimate
- D. Tannock, Observer at Dunedin
- H. Dolamore, Observer at Gore
- F. T. Sandford, Observer at Hokitika
- L. Lennie, Observer at Invercargill
- D. C. Bates, Director