New Zealand Gazette – 1918 – No. 64

Page 1722

✨ Meteorological Observations



1722 THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. [No. 64

Government Meteorological Observatory.

METEOROLOGICAL Observations, Wellington, for the month of March, 1918. Observations taken 9 a.m.

Altitude of Observatory, 8 ft.

Date. Barometer reduced and corrected in inches to Lat. 45°. From Self-registering Instruments for Twenty-four Hours previously. Max. Temp. in Shade. From Self-registering Instruments for Twenty-four Hours previously. Min. Temp. in Shade. From Self-registering Instruments for Twenty-four Hours previously. Mean Temp. in Shade. From Self-registering Instruments for Twenty-four Hours previously. Solar Radia-tion. From Self-registering Instruments for Twenty-four Hours previously. Terrestrial Radiation Veloe. Wind in Miles. Amount of Cloud, 0 to 10. Direction of Wind. Rainfall, in Points (100 to 1 inch).
Fah. Fah. Fah. Fah.
1 30.257 57.9 55.0 56.4 129.0 50.0 331 10 S S E ..
2 30.162 62.8 48.4 55.6 135.0 35.5 147 2 S.E. 76
3 30.200 63.0 57.0 60.0 134.0 56.0 302 9 S. ..
4 30.103 69.3 58.2 63.7 138.0 54.6 373 10 S.E. 21
5 29.922 66.5 58.8 62.6 103.0 58.0 509 7 S.E. 2
6 29.909 66.9 60.7 63.8 129.0 59.3 471 8 S.E. 3
7 29.835 66.2 60.2 63.2 131.0 60.3 377 0 SSE ..
8 29.769 76.3 63.7 70.0 135.0 58.3 163 4 Calm ..
9 30.182 75.9 57.2 66.5 139.0 53.8 423 9 S. ..
10 30.290 61.2 57.0 59.1 128.0 52.0 294 10 S. ..
11 30.036 65.2 45.8 55.5 130.0 34.3 98 1 Calm 4
12 30.136 69.6 54.7 62.1 134.0 52.9 261 9 S. ..
13 30.247 60.6 45.2 52.9 130.0 34.2 111 8 Calm ..
14 30.251 64.7 52.3 58.5 128.0 42.2 161 10 S. ..
15 30.128 67.2 51.8 59.5 135.0 39.0 141 1 Calm ..
16 29.934 70.6 51.0 60.8 139.0 33.0 126 5 N. Trace
17 29.949 68.6 60.5 64.5 135.0 58.0 277 10 N. Trace
18 29.589 68.4 60.8 64.6 145.0 57.1 229 10 N. 66
19 29.000 71.0 59.0 65.0 122.0 56.2 166 10 N. 6
20 29.269 69.8 60.2 65.0 115.0 54.9 498 8 WNW 7
21 29.962 65.8 53.3 59.5 122.0 47.9 305 3 SSW ..
22 30.009 65.5 50.7 58.1 121.0 39.8 245 7 N.W. ..
23 29.915 67.9 52.9 60.4 133.0 42.0 191 6 N. ..
24 30.287 70.5 54.5 62.5 131.0 51.0 310 8 S. ..
25 30.350 61.7 43.7 52.7 126.0 31.6 127 0 N.E. ..
26 30.303 67.4 56.7 62.0 126.0 45.9 149 0 N. ..
27 30.208 75.0 57.7 66.3 132.0 45.1 139 9 N.E. ..
28 30.044 67.2 60.2 63.7 118.0 56.5 198 10 N. 133
29 29.865 67.3 55.8 61.5 99.0 55.3 234 10 S. 2
30 30.200 60.3 54.5 57.4 93.0 53.1 441 10 S. ..
31 30.064 58.9 51.3 55.1 105.0 43.8 148 9 N. 30
* 30.031 66.7 55.1 60.9 126.0 48.9 257 7.2 .. 350
† 30.029 66.8 54.0 60.5 117.1 47.1 238 .. .. 337
  • Means, &c. † Means previous years.

DIRECTION OF WIND.

N. N.E. E. S.E. S. S.W. W. N.W. Calm.
8 2 .. 4 11 .. 1 1 4

NOTE.—The weather during the month has been fair to cloudy, with moderate to strong southerly winds predominating. The rainfall was slightly above the mean of previous years, the greater portion falling during the first and last weeks of the month. Total bright sunshine, 149 hours 31 minutes, and four sunless days. Frost was recorded on the grass on one morning. Mean dew-point, 53.2°; mean elastic force of vapour, 0.406 in.; and mean relative humidity, 76 per cent. of saturation.

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE.

MEANS AND TOTALS FROM THE CHIEF STATIONS.

March, 1918.

Altitude above Sea-level. Name of Station and Observer. Absolute Mean Temp. Air in Shade. Extremes. Mean Max. Temp. Extremes. Mean Min. Temp. Total Rainfall (100 Points to the Inch). Days with Rain (1/4 Point or more).
Ft. NORTH ISLAND. Deg. Deg. Deg. Points. Dy.
125 AUCKLAND .. F. A. F. Burnett 65.7 72.0 59.4 538 17
46 TE AROHA .. G. F. McGirr 61.6 71.9 51.4 321 13
925 ROTORUA .. W. Penno 59.1 66.6 51.6 554 11
340 WAIHI .. P. A. Clifford 63.1 73.1 53.2 1139 15
.. TAURANGA .. C. J. BUTCHER 62.5 72.2 52.9 800 15
160 NEW PLYMOUTH .. W. W. Smith 62.8 72.9 52.8 601 10
250 MOUMAHAKI .. T. W. Lonsdale 59.8 69.1 50.5 180 3
2080 TAIHAPE .. A. R. Fannin 56.0 63.7 48.3 292 10
100 PALMERSTON NORTH.. J. E. Vernon 61.0 70.5 51.5 317 7
186 GREYTOWN .. W. C. Davies 59.2 68.7 49.8 318 10
377 MASTERTON .. Wm. Hood 59.7 69.6 49.9 421 16
70 GREENMEADOWS, NA-PIER T. B. McBreen 61.4 68.6 54.2 207* 13
10 WELLINGTON 60.9 66.7 55.1 350 11
SOUTH ISLAND.
34 NELSON .. J. R. Dart 64.2 72.4 56.1 567 6
1220 HANMER SPA .. Miss M. Stewart 56.4 65.9 47.0 321 11
25 CHRISTCHURCH .. H. F. Skey 58.3 65.1 51.5 212 11
42 LINCOLN .. L. J. Wild 58.1 67.4 48.8 163 11
1220 KISSELTON .. A. R. Blackwood 56.0 67.8 44.3 171 5
.. RAKAIA .. Miss A. Hardy 57.9 67.6 48.3 222 10
130 TIMARU .. Caretaker of Domain 59.0 67.9 50.1 309 10
200 WAIMATE .. F. Akhurst 57.0 64.7 49.3 317 9
300 DUNEDIN .. D. Tannock 57.7 63.9 51.6 396 8
245 GORE .. H. Dolamore 56.8 67.7 45.9 419 11
12 HOKITIKA .. W. H. Fleming 59.8 67.1 51.9 886 9
12 INVERCARGILL .. L. Lennie 56.5 65.1 47.4 294 11
  • Napier rainfall.

SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH, 1918.

The outstanding meteorological feature of March was the intense cyclone which was responsible for very stormy conditions between the 18th and 20th. Of tropical origin, the centre apparently passed down from westward of Norfolk Island, and on the morning of the 19th was located off Farewell Spit. On the 20th it had passed to the south-east of the Dominion.

The worst effects were experienced generally on the 19th, but stormy conditions also prevailed in the northern districts on the 18th and in the southern districts on the 20th.

During the height of the storm on the 19th the heavy northerly gales caused bush fires to sweep over the district about Raetihi, resulting in most serious losses to the settlers.

The rainfall accompanying the storm was generally not as much as might have been expected, but the southernmost districts on the 20th, experienced some heavy precipitation, which caused floods in many of the rivers.

Our observer at New Plymouth, Mr. W. W. Smith, referring to the storm, says: "After inquiries among the oldest settlers in New Plymouth there can be no doubt that the cyclonic storm on the 19th and 20th was the severest known, alike to Europeans and Maoris, in their lifetime."

Many observers in different parts of New Zealand, also Mr. L. H. Steel, the observer at Chatham Islands, express a similar opinion.

Two other disturbances were in evidence during the month, both passing in the north—one which ruled between the 3rd and 9th, and the other from the 29th to the end of the month.

Some heavy rains were reported about these two periods, especially in the east coast districts of the North Island, and the former disturbance accounted for persistent south-east gales and very heavy seas between Cape Campbell and East Cape.

Between the 8th and 16th, and the 21st and 27th, anticyclonic conditions ruled, and fair weather was experienced generally.

Except in Westland, and at a few scattered places elsewhere, the total rainfall for the month was well above the average.

D. C. BATES, Director.



Next Page →



Online Sources for this page:

VUW Te Waharoa — PDF NZ Gazette 1918, No 64


NZLII — PDF NZ Gazette 1918, No 64




✨ LLM interpretation of page content

🏗️ Meteorological Observations for Wellington, March 1918

🏗️ Infrastructure & Public Works
Weather, Temperature, Rainfall, Wind, Wellington
  • D. C. Bates, Director

🏗️ Climatological Table for Chief Stations, March 1918

🏗️ Infrastructure & Public Works
Climate, Temperature, Rainfall, Stations
22 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 Taihape
  • 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
  • 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
  • D. Tannock, Observer at Dunedin
  • H. Dolamore, Observer at Gore
  • W. H. Fleming, Observer at Hokitika
  • L. Lennie, Observer at Invercargill

  • D. C. Bates, Director

🏗️ Summary of Meteorological Conditions for March 1918

🏗️ Infrastructure & Public Works
Weather, Cyclone, Storm, Rainfall
  • W. W. Smith, Observer at New Plymouth
  • L. H. Steel, Observer at Chatham Islands

  • D. C. Bates, Director