✨ Meteorological Observations
SEPT. 5.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 3135
Government Meteorological Observatory.
METEOROLOGICAL Observations, Wellington, for the month of July, 1918. Observations taken 9 a.m.
Altitude of Observatory, 8 ft.
| Date. | Barometer reduced in and corrected to Lat. 48°. Inches to 1st. 48°. | From Self-registering Instruments, for Twenty-four Hours previously. | Rainfall, in Points (100 to 1 Inch). | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | |||
| 1 | 29·564 | Fah. 54·3 | Fah. 43·3 | Fah. 48·8 | Fah. 101·0 | 34·0 | 57 | 10 | Calm | 40 |
| 2 | 29·656 | 52·4 | 41·2 | 46·8 | 86·0 | 29·2 | 46 | 10 | S. | 69 |
| 3 | 30·102 | 48·2 | 42·6 | 45·4 | 55·0 | 41·2 | 542 | 9 | S. | 66 |
| 4 | 30·221 | 47·7 | 43·7 | 45·7 | 87·0 | 41·0 | 544 | 7 | S. | Trace |
| 5 | 30·099 | 49·2 | 32·1 | 40·6 | 82·0 | 19·0 | 184 | 3 | NNE | 2 |
| 6 | 29·740 | 53·4 | 46·3 | 49·8 | 115·0 | 41·0 | 384 | 10 | N.W. | 33 |
| 7 | 29·569 | 54·8 | 41·8 | 48·3 | 75·0 | 30·0 | 271 | 4 | Calm | 110 |
| 8 | 29·311 | 59·0 | 47·7 | 53·3 | 107·0 | 42·8 | 241 | 6 | N.W. | .. |
| 9 | 29·421 | 57·7 | 39·0 | 48·3 | 110·0 | 29·0 | 75 | 8 | N.W. | 9 |
| 10 | 29·416 | 55·0 | 47·5 | 51·2 | 105·0 | 44·0 | 312 | 2 | N.W. | 34 |
| 11 | 29·076 | 57·6 | 50·1 | 53·8 | 109·0 | 47·3 | 369 | 8 | N.W. | 3 |
| 12 | 29·685 | 52·8 | 42·6 | 47·7 | 87·0 | 30·8 | 89 | 0 | S.W. | .. |
| 13 | 29·917 | 58·0 | 31·2 | 44·6 | 101·0 | 24·0 | 450 | 0 | Calm | Trace |
| 14 | 29·562 | 56·1 | 47·9 | 52·0 | 103·0 | 47·1 | 369 | 5 | NNW | 29 |
| 15 | 28·980 | 56·2 | 50·5 | 53·3 | 92·0 | 46·0 | 360 | 8 | N.W. | 2 |
| 16 | 29·091 | 54·0 | 36·9 | 45·4 | 103·0 | 26·5 | 152 | 1 | WNW | 23 |
| 17 | 29·320 | 50·2 | 32·3 | 41·2 | 89·0 | 20·9 | 155 | 5 | Calm | Trace |
| 18 | 29·650 | 52·5 | 34·1 | 43·3 | 104·0 | 22·5 | 100 | 4 | S. | 13 |
| 19 | 29·764 | 51·4 | 38·3 | 44·8 | 77·0 | 36·3 | 348 | 2 | SSW | .. |
| 20 | 29·705 | 46·6 | 32·8 | 39·7 | 102·0 | 22·4 | 294 | 0 | Calm | 2 |
| 21 | 29·546 | 51·0 | 38·8 | 44·9 | 103·0 | 32·0 | 338 | 9 | S.W. | 17 |
| 22 | 29·526 | 44·2 | 34·1 | 39·1 | 99·0 | 32·0 | 419 | 10 | S.W. | 9 |
| 23 | 29·754 | 45·8 | 34·6 | 40·2 | 102·0 | 32·5 | 463 | 7 | S.W. | 3 |
| 24 | 29·991 | 47·6 | 41·0 | 44·3 | 95·0 | 37·8 | 465 | 7 | S.W. | .. |
| 25 | 30·051 | 49·0 | 42·2 | 45·6 | 105·0 | 38·3 | 384 | 3 | S. | .. |
| 26 | 30·118 | 48·0 | 42·2 | 45·1 | 102·0 | 39·9 | 419 | 9 | S. | 2 |
| 27 | 30·171 | 47·4 | 30·1 | 38·7 | 90·0 | 17·7 | 154 | 0 | Calm | .. |
| 28 | 30·105 | 50·5 | 35·0 | 42·7 | 102·0 | 25·0 | 51 | 5 | Calm | 3 |
| 29 | 29·866 | 51·0 | 31·3 | 41·1 | 104·0 | 21·0 | 179 | 9 | S. | 30 |
| 30 | 29·941 | 46·6 | 39·0 | 42·8 | 89·0 | 35·4 | 407 | 8 | SSW | .. |
| 31 | 29·864 | 51·2 | 32·4 | 41·8 | 101·0 | 24·7 | 129 | 0 | N.W. | Trace |
| * | 29·703 | 51·6 | 39·4 | 45·5 | 96·3 | 32·6 | 282 | 5·4 | .. | 499 |
| † | 29·906 | 52·9 | 42·1 | 47·5 | 86·5 | 34·9 | 198 | .. | .. | 596 |
- Means, &c. † Means previous years.
DIRECTION OF WIND.
N. N.E. E. S.E. S. S.W. W. N.W. Calm
2 .. .. .. 9 5 1 7 7
NOTE.—A cold and showery month, with strong south and south-west winds prevailing. Barometric pressure and temperatures were below the mean of previous years. The minimum reading of the barometer at 9 a.m. was 28·980 in. on the 15th. Total bright sunshine, 127 hours 24 minutes, and one sunless day. Frost was recorded on the grass on sixteen mornings, the lowest reading being 17·7° on the 27th. Thunderstorm on the 16th, snow fell on the 21st and 22nd, and hail on the 16th, 21st, and 29th. Mean earth-temperature at 1 ft. was 45·7°, and 48·5° at 3 ft. Mean dew-point, 38·6°; mean elastic force of vapour, 0·234 in.; and mean relative humidity, 77 per cent. of saturation.
CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE.
MEANS AND TOTALS FROM THE CHIEF STATIONS.
July, 1918.
| Altitude above Sea-level. | Name of Station and Observer. | Absolute Mean Temp. Air in Shade. | Extremes. | Total Rainfall (100 Points to the Inch). | Days with Rain (½ Point or more) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deg. | Mean Max. Temp. | Mean Min. Temp. | Points. | Dys. | ||
| Ft. 125 | NORTH ISLAND. | |||||
| AUCKLAND .. | 49·4 | 55·6 | 43·2 | 594 | 23 | |
| F. A. F. Burnett | ||||||
| 46 | TE AROHA .. | 44·5 | 57·4 | 31·6 | 349 | 20 |
| G. F. McGirr | ||||||
| 925 | ROTORUA .. | 42·3 | 50·6 | 34·0 | 329 | 10 |
| W. Penno | ||||||
| 340 | WAIHI .. | 45·5 | 54·5 | 36·5 | 475 | 21 |
| P. A. Clifford | ||||||
| .. | TAURANGA .. | 44·2 | 54·3 | 34·1 | 193 | 16 |
| C. J. Butcher | ||||||
| 160 | NEW PLYMOUTH | 48·3 | 54·8 | 41·8 | 728 | 24 |
| W. W. Smith | ||||||
| 250 | MOUMAHAKI | 44·0 | 51·7 | 36·4 | 474 | 22 |
| T. W. Lonsdale | ||||||
| 2080 | TAHAPÉ .. | 37·9 | 43·1 | 32·7 | 474 | 26 |
| A. R. Fannin | ||||||
| 100 | PALMERSTON NORTH .. | 43·0 | 50·7 | 35·3 | 437 | 16 |
| J. E. Vernon | ||||||
| 186 | GREYTOWN .. | 42·9 | 50·3 | 35·5 | 750 | 26 |
| W. C. Davies | ||||||
| 377 | MASTER TON | 42·4 | 50·4 | 34·5 | 622 | 25 |
| Wm. Hood | ||||||
| 70 | GREENMEADOWS, NA- | 46·7 | 54·4 | 39·0 | 332 | 7 |
| PIER | ||||||
| T. B. McBreen | ||||||
| .. | TRENTHAM MILITARY | 43·7 | 50·2 | 36·3 | 738 | 26 |
| CAMP | ||||||
| Lieut.-Col. Leahy | ||||||
| 10 | WELLINGTON | 45·5 | 51·6 | 39·4 | 499 | 20 |
| SOUTH ISLAND. | ||||||
| .. | BRIGHTWATER | 42·7 | 52·4 | 33·0 | 235 | 12 |
| Ven. Archdeacon | ||||||
| Kempthorne | ||||||
| 34 | NELSON .. | 44·2 | 51·1 | 37·3 | 199 | 10 |
| J. R. Dart | ||||||
| 1220 | HANMER SPA | 35·6 | 43·9 | 27·4 | 653 | 6 |
| Miss M. Stewart | ||||||
| 25 | CHRISTCHURCH | 39·6 | 46·9 | 32·4 | 686 | 20 |
| H. F. Skey | ||||||
| 42 | LINCOLN .. | 40·1 | 47·9 | 32·4 | 616 | 18 |
| L. J. Wild | ||||||
| 1220 | KISSELTON .. | 35·2 | 44·6 | 25·8 | 204 | 9 |
| A. R. Blackwood | ||||||
| .. | RAKAIA .. | 39·3 | 47·0 | 31·7 | 378 | 8 |
| Miss A. Hardy | ||||||
| 130 | TIMARU .. | 40·1 | 48·2 | 32·0 | 60 | 8 |
| Caretaker of Domain | ||||||
| 200 | WAIMATE .. | 40·2 | 47·8 | 32·7 | 65 | 7 |
| F. Akhurst | ||||||
| 300 | DUNEDIN .. | 40·3 | 45·7 | 35·0 | 307 | 15 |
| D. Tannock | ||||||
| 245 | GORE .. | 36·4 | 42·8 | 30·0 | 453 | 22 |
| H. Dolamore | ||||||
| 12 | HOKITIKA .. | 41·4 | 49·9 | 33·0 | 799 | 18 |
| W. H. Fleming | ||||||
| 12 | INVERCARGILL | 38·3 | 44·5 | 32·1 | 485 | 22 |
| L. Lennie |
SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF JULY, 1918.
The month of July proved one of the coldest and stormiest winter months experienced for many years. Rainfall, however, was not excessive, totals above the average only being recorded north of Auckland, and in the Wanganui, North Canterbury, and Otago districts.
Atmospheric disturbances were so numerous that hardly a day passed without one either enveloping or being within effective distance of the Dominion.
On the 1st of the month the shallow depression, mentioned in the June summary, was still in evidence, and further heavy snowfall occurred in North Canterbury.
The most severe storm was one which ruled between the 15th and 24th, and which caused a widespread snowfall between the 19th and 22nd. Very stormy weather, with south-west gales, was experienced generally about this time, and snow was recorded at many places in the North Island where it had not occurred since August, 1904.
A comparison of these two storms brings out some interesting facts. The one on the 1st was a shallow cyclone accounting for a heavy local snowstorm in North Canterbury, with south-east winds. The latter was an intense westerly area of low pressure which apparently remained stationary for several days, with its central area in the vicinity of Chatham Islands. The winds were distinctly south-west, and the snowfall was more general.
The stormiest weather is experienced with an intense and extensive depression, but, as in this instance, a small, shallow disturbance invariably proves the more dangerous when its effects are confined to a comparatively small area.
D. C. BATES, Director.
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Online Sources for this page:
VUW Te Waharoa —
NZ Gazette 1918, No 120
NZLII —
NZ Gazette 1918, No 120
✨ LLM interpretation of page content
🎓 Meteorological Observations for Wellington, July 1918
🎓 Education, Culture & ScienceWeather, Temperature, Rainfall, Wind, Wellington
- D. C. Bates, Director
🎓 Climatological Table for Chief Stations, July 1918
🎓 Education, Culture & ScienceClimate, Temperature, Rainfall, Stations
25 names identified
- F. A. F. Burnett, Observer at Auckland
- G. F. McGirr, Observer at Te Aroha
- W. Penno, Observer at Rotorua
- P. A. Clifford, Observer at Waihi
- C. J. Butcher, Observer at Tauranga
- W. W. Smith, Observer at New Plymouth
- T. W. Lonsdale, Observer at Moumahaki
- A. R. Fannin, Observer at Tahapé
- J. E. Vernon, Observer at Palmerston North
- W. C. Davies, Observer at Greytown
- Wm. Hood, Observer at Masterton
- T. B. McBreen, Observer at Greenmeadows, Napier
- Lieut.-Col. Leahy, Observer at Trentham Military Camp
- Ven. Archdeacon Kempthorne, Observer at Brightwater
- 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
- A. R. Blackwood, Observer at Kisselton
- Miss A. Hardy, Observer at Rakaia
- F. Akhurst, Observer at Waimate
- D. Tannock, Observer at Dunedin
- H. Dolamore, Observer at Gore
- W. H. Fleming, Observer at Hokitika
- L. Lennie, Observer at Invercargill
🎓 Summary for the Month of July, 1918
🎓 Education, Culture & ScienceWeather Summary, Storms, Snowfall
- D. C. Bates, Director