New Zealand Gazette – 1918 – No. 8

Page 229

✨ Meteorological Observations



JAN. 24.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 229

Government Meteorological Observatory.

METEOROLOGICAL Observations, Wellington, for the month of December, 1917. Observations taken 9 a.m.

Altitude of Observatory, 8 ft.

Date. Barometer reduced and corrected to 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).
Fah. Fah. Fah. Fah.
1 30.211 68.5 57.2 62.8 140.0 56.2 288 8 S S E ..
2 30.254 66.5 54.2 60.3 144.0 42.0 240 2 N. ..
3 30.201 76.0 55.3 65.6 141.0 42.4 100 2 N. 2
4 30.313 75.3 56.6 65.9 142.0 55.3 295 9 S.E. ..
5 30.234 64.7 48.2 56.4 134.0 34.5 208 0 Calm ..
6 30.143 74.7 56.1 65.4 141.0 49.8 193 6 WNW ..
7 29.891 70.8 61.1 65.9 140.0 56.2 254 9 N. ..
8 29.598 69.9 59.3 64.6 133.0 55.5 312 4 N.W. ..
9 29.695 74.0 66.0 70.0 140.0 53.5 316 0 NNW 9
10 29.710 72.7 56.0 64.3 139.0 53.2 278 10 Calm 45
11 29.386 68.6 56.4 62.5 137.0 52.6 131 4 N. 12
12 29.651 68.5 52.6 60.5 147.0 45.4 336 1 Calm ..
13 29.961 69.1 56.6 62.8 138.0 51.2 153 5 N. 8
14 29.482 64.3 56.9 60.6 143.0 54.3 514 9 N.W. ..
15 29.862 66.0 48.9 57.4 140.0 39.0 245 0 N. ..
16 29.796 70.5 57.8 64.1 135.0 49.2 265 1 Calm 38
17 29.996 71.2 45.2 58.2 139.0 43.5 276 10 S. 5
18 30.184 56.8 45.9 51.3 132.0 44.2 465 7 S. 15
19 30.072 65.1 45.2 55.2 131.0 35.8 240 10 SSE 10
20 30.015 61.0 51.8 56.4 120.0 50.1 469 0 SE. ..
21 29.503 65.9 56.5 61.2 130.0 54.3 288 10 N.W. 19
22 29.247 64.0 48.4 56.2 128.0 40.4 294 7 W. 48
23 29.449 67.6 48.0 57.8 139.0 46.0 443 0 S. 1
24 29.201 63.9 52.0 57.9 140.0 44.7 213 8 NNW 18
25 29.532 62.0 51.8 56.9 129.0 43.0 263 1 SSE ..
26 29.823 67.2 57.0 62.1 129.0 52.1 183 8 N.W. ..
27 30.056 66.6 55.6 61.1 148.0 50.7 133 9 Calm 3
28 30.047 68.1 57.7 62.9 126.0 56.0 25 10 E. 34
29 29.934 63.9 56.9 60.4 86.0 51.0 19 10 Calm Trace
30 29.992 71.8 55.9 63.8 141.0 47.0 89 10 Calm Trace
31 29.749 71.4 60.2 65.8 143.0 57.3 301 10 N.W. 19
* 29.845 67.9 54.4 61.1 135.3 48.6 253.5 8 .. 286
† 29.863 66.9 53.8 60.3 124.6 46.9 277 .. .. 329

* Means, &c.      † Means previous years.

DIRECTION OF WIND.
| N. | N.E. | E. | S.E. | S. | S.W. | W. | N.W. | Calm. |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 8 | .. | 1 | 2 | 6 | .. | 2 | 5 | 7 |

NOTE.—The weather during the earlier part of the month
was bright and sunny, while the latter portion was cloudy
and showery. Total bright sunshine, 217 hours 19 minutes,
and two sunless days. Mean earth-temperature at 1 ft. was
66°, and 64.7° at 3 ft. Mean dew-point 51.7°; mean elastic
force of vapour, 0.384 in.; and mean relative humidity,
71 per cent. of saturation.

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE.

MEANS AND TOTALS FROM THE CHIEF STATIONS.

December, 1917.

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 (1/100 Point or more).
Ft. NORTH ISLAND. Deg. Deg. Deg. Points. Dy.
125 Auckland — F. A. F. Burnett 63.5 70.4 56.7 136 10
46 Te Aroha — G. F. McGirr 59.5 70.8 48.2 170 9
925 Rotorua — W. Penno .. .. .. 220 8
340 Waihi — P. A. Clifford 62.3 71.9 52.7 297 14
.. Tauranga — C. J. Butcher 60.0 70.3 49.8 585 11
160 New Plymouth — W. W. Smith 60.1 70.0 50.3 360 14
250 Moumahaki — T. W. Lonsdale .. 68.5 .. 351 13
2080 Taihape — A. R. Fannin 55.4 64.2 46.7 305 15
100 Palmerston North* — J. E. Vernon 60.5 69.3 51.7 163 11
186 Greytown — W. C. Davies 60.9 72.5 49.3 319 15
377 Masterton — Wm. Hood 60.8 72.6 49.0 328 13
70 Greenmeadows, Napier — T. B. McBreen 62.7 70.9 54.6 212 9
10 Wellington 61.1 67.9 54.4 286 16
SOUTH ISLAND. Deg. Deg. Deg. Points. Dy.
34 Nelson — J. R. Dart 63.0 73.3 52.8 196 7
1220 Hanmer Spa — Miss M. Stewart .. .. .. 946 15
25 Christchurch — H. F. Skey 58.4 66.7 50.1 416 16
42 Lincoln — L. J. Wild 56.9 67.9 45.9 371 14
1220 Kisselton — 55.9 66.4 45.4 518 12
.. Rakaia — Miss A. Hardy 58.7 68.7 48.7 490 13
130 Timaru — Caretaker of Domain 59.0 68.9 49.2 483 16
200 Waimate — F. Akhurst 56.8 64.9 48.7 410 16
300 Dunedin — D. Tannock 55.1 62.6 47.7 448 19
245 Gore — H. Dolamore 54.9 65.0 44.8 427 17
12 Hokitika — W. H. Fleming 58.1 64.8 51.5 1054 17
12 Invercargill† — L. Lennie 54.6 63.8 45.4 423 18
.. *Palmerston North.. (November) 58.3 66.3 50.4 176 6
.. †Invercargill (October) 52.4 61.4 43.4 521 21

SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, 1917.

High atmospheric pressure and fair and warm weather prevailed during the first week of December. Thereafter,
until the close of the month, owing to the passage of various depressions over or in the neighbourhood of the Dominion,
conditions proved somewhat changeable, with frequent showers.

Between the 8th and 10th a small westerly "low" passed in the south, bringing rain to the west coast districts
of the South Island. This was followed by a cyclone the centre of which passed down the west coast on the 10th and
11th, and to the eastward of the South Island on the 12th. Dull and wet weather prevailed about this time, and on
the 11th boisterous conditions were experienced.

The night of the 14th was also boisterous, while a fast-moving disturbance passed in the south.

Between the 16th and 19th a stormy south-easterly ruled along the east coast of the North Island, owing to the presence
of a depression to the north-east of New Zealand, while high pressure ruled in the south.

On the 21st there was evidence of the development of a disturbance off the east coast of the South Island, and
low atmospheric pressure ruled in the south until the 25th, when a rapid increase took place.

From the 21st to the 24th conditions were very unsettled, and the last day of the year proved somewhat stormy in
and southwards of Cook Strait, with the passage of a westerly "low" in the south.

The total rainfall for the month in Canterbury was considerably above the average, but elsewhere a deficiency was
generally recorded.

D. C. BATES, Director.



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Online Sources for this page:

VUW Te Waharoa — PDF NZ Gazette 1918, No 8


NZLII — PDF NZ Gazette 1918, No 8




✨ LLM interpretation of page content

🏗️ Meteorological Observations for Wellington, December 1917

🏗️ Infrastructure & Public Works
Weather, Temperature, Rainfall, Wind, Wellington

🏗️ Climatological Table for Chief Stations, December 1917

🏗️ Infrastructure & Public Works
Climate, Temperature, Rainfall, Stations, December
21 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
  • 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

🏗️ Summary of Weather Conditions for December 1917

🏗️ Infrastructure & Public Works
Weather, Summary, Conditions, December
  • D. C. Bates, Director