✨ Meteorological Observations
Mar. 16.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 691
Government Meteorological Observatory.
METEOROLOGICAL Observations, Wellington, for the month of December, 1921. Observations taken 9 a.m.
Altitude of Observatory, 10 ft.
| Date. | Barometer reduced in and corrected in Inches to Lat. 45°. | From Self-registering Instruments, for Twenty-four Hours previously. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | Fah. | ||||||
| 1 | 29·842 | 65·8 | 53·6 | 59·7 | 136·0 | 47·5 | 270 | 10 | S. | .. |
| 2 | 29·781 | 64·7 | 43·3 | 54·0 | 138·0 | 32·5 | 168 | 0 | N. | .. |
| 3 | 29·627 | 68·0 | 53·0 | 60·5 | 141·0 | 45·5 | 205 | 1 | N. | .. |
| 4 | 30·076 | 70·0 | 50·0 | 60·0 | 139·0 | 49·0 | 309 | 9 | S. | .. |
| 5 | 30·063 | 64·8 | 42·5 | 53·6 | 138·0 | 30·5 | 138 | 2 | N.W. | .. |
| 6 | 29·973 | 66·6 | 57·3 | 61·9 | 132·0 | 52·0 | 237 | 10 | N. | 19 |
| 7 | 29·807 | 66·0 | 58·9 | 62·4 | 99·0 | 56·0 | 317 | 10 | N. | 41 |
| 8 | 30·007 | 65·0 | 57·3 | 61·1 | 121·0 | 52·7 | 327 | 4 | S. | 52 |
| 9 | 29·921 | 74·0 | 53·3 | 63·6 | 137·0 | 45·5 | 121 | 8 | N. | 52 |
| 10 | 29·843 | 79·6 | 59·9 | 69·7 | 145·0 | 57·6 | 273 | 10 | N. | 1 |
| 11 | 29·836 | 65·4 | 57·5 | 61·4 | 122·0 | 54·5 | 364 | 0 | N. | .. |
| 12 | 29·728 | 67·0 | 57·1 | 62·0 | 130·0 | 52·9 | 374 | 7 | N.N.W | 184 |
| 13 | 29·760 | 65·3 | 48·5 | 56·9 | 139·0 | 47·0 | 422 | 10 | S. | 1 |
| 14 | 30·014 | 60·7 | 42·2 | 51·4 | 118·0 | 34·0 | 206 | 6 | N. | .. |
| 15 | 30·093 | 64·6 | 56·0 | 60·3 | 136·0 | 52·0 | 307 | 9 | N.N.W | 6 |
| 16 | 29·936 | 63·0 | 56·2 | 59·6 | 136·0 | 52·5 | 402 | 9 | N.W. | 1 |
| 17 | 29·791 | 64·5 | 59·7 | 62·1 | 138·0 | 52·5 | 607 | 10 | N.W. | Trace |
| 18 | 29·777 | 64·0 | 57·5 | 60·7 | 112·0 | 53·5 | 518 | 8 | N.N.W | .. |
| 19 | 29·756 | 66·8 | 55·2 | 61·0 | 124·0 | 51·1 | 323 | 4 | N. | 12 |
| 20 | 29·963 | 66·3 | 48·5 | 57·4 | 129·0 | 45·3 | 334 | 1 | S. | .. |
| 21 | 29·917 | 65·1 | 51·8 | 58·4 | 134·0 | 47·2 | 173 | 2 | N.W. | .. |
| 22 | 29·688 | 63·0 | 55·0 | 59·0 | 129·0 | 50·0 | 427 | 1 | N.W. | .. |
| 23 | 30·184 | 66·2 | 51·3 | 58·7 | 127·0 | 47·0 | 319 | 9 | S.E. | .. |
| 24 | 30·288 | 62·8 | 43·2 | 53·0 | 132·0 | 32·0 | 199 | 2 | N.E. | .. |
| 25 | 30·196 | 69·0 | 57·5 | 63·2 | 130·0 | 52·5 | 253 | 8 | N.W. | 6 |
| 26 | 29·951 | 66·6 | 58·5 | 62·5 | 134·0 | 56·5 | 442 | 10 | N. | 86 |
| 27 | 30·089 | 63·0 | 57·5 | 60·2 | 113·0 | 56·0 | 290 | 10 | N. | 5 |
| 28 | 29·951 | 64·0 | 57·3 | 60·6 | 131·0 | 53·5 | 426 | 10 | N.W. | 9 |
| 29 | 30·284 | 64·3 | 51·9 | 58·1 | 119·0 | 46·0 | 303 | 0 | S. | .. |
| 30 | 30·145 | 67·2 | 44·1 | 55·6 | 127·0 | 32·2 | 158 | 8 | N.W. | 149 |
| 31 | 29·914 | 68·0 | 54·3 | 61·1 | 142·0 | 50·2 | 254 | 10 | S. | 95 |
| * | 29·942 | 66·2 | 53·2 | 59·7 | 129·9 | 48·0 | 305·3 | 6·4 | .. | 667 |
| † | 29·869 | 66·9 | 53·8 | 60·3 | 124·6 | 46·9 | 277 | 5·2 | .. | 319 |
- Means, &c. † Means previous years.
DIRECTION OF WIND.
N. N.E. E. S.E. S. S.W. W. N.W. Calm.
14 | 1 | .. | 1 | 7 | .. | .. | 8 | ..
NOTE.—The month has been cloudy and wet, with moderate to strong northerly winds prevailing, while precipitation was 109 per cent. above the mean of previous years. Total bright sunshine 204 hours 10 minutes, 44 per cent. of the possible, and six sunless days. Frost was recorded on the grass on two mornings. Mean earth-temperature at 1 ft. was 63·5°; and 61·1° at 3 ft. Mean dew-point, 50·5°; mean elastic force of vapour, 0·367 in.; and mean relative humidity, 72 per cent. of saturation.
CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE.
MEANS AND TOTALS FROM THE CHIEF STATIONS.
December, 1921.
| Altitude above Sea-level. | Name of Station and Observer. | Absolute Mean Air in Temp. Air in Shade. | Extremes. | Total Rainfall (100 Points to the Inch). | Days with Rain (½ Point or more). | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean Max. Temp. | Mean Min. Temp. | |||||
| Ft. | Deg. | Deg. | Deg. | Points. | Dys. | |
| 125 | NORTH ISLAND. AUCKLAND F. A. F. Burnett | 63·1 | 68·4 | 57·9 | 398 | 13 |
| 131 | RUAKURA FARM, HAMILTON EAST W. B. Monro | 61·8 | 72·2 | 51·4 | 485 | 16 |
| 46 | TE AROHA .. G. F. McGirr | 62·7 | 72·6 | 52·8 | 426 | 18 |
| 340 | WAIHI .. C. F. Sims | 63·0 | 72·3 | 53·8 | 480 | 17 |
| 100 | TAURANGA .. C. J. Butcher | 60·1 | 69·2 | 51·0 | 487 | 21 |
| 925 | ROTORUA .. W. E. Penno | 60·5 | 69·1 | 52·0 | 1600 | 19 |
| .. | NEW PLYMOUTH J. Simpson | 60·3 | 66·1 | 54·6 | 864 | 17 |
| 250 | MOUMAHAKE J. G. McFarlane | 56·2 | 65·2 | 47·2 | 185 | 11 |
| 2080 | TAIHAPE .. A. R. Fannin | 56·5 | 64·1 | 48·9 | 406 | 14 |
| 100 | PALMERSTON NORTH . J. A. Colquhoun | 60·7 | 69·0 | 52·4 | 611 | 15 |
| 119 | CENTRAL DEVELOPMENT FARM, WERAROA J. Beverley | 58·5 | 65·2 | 51·8 | 842 | 18 |
| 70 | GREENMEADOWS, NA- PIER | 64·2 | 72·4 | 56·0 | 172 | 12 |
| 377 | MASTERON R. Brown | 60·3 | 71·3 | 49·4 | 571 | 9 |
| 186 | GREYTOWN J. P. Eccleton | 60·3 | 69·9 | 50·7 | 873 | 11 |
| .. | TRENTHAM MILITARY HOSPITAL | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| 10 | WELLINGTON | 59·7 | 66·2 | 53·2 | 667 | 15 |
| .. | SOUTH ISLAND. BRIGHTWATER Ven. Archdeacon Kemphorne | 59·4 | 69·0 | 49·9 | 376 | 11 |
| 34 | NELSON .. Wm. C. Davies | 59·7 | 67·7 | 51·8 | 431 | 11 |
| 1220 | HANMER SPRINGS W. G. Morrison | 57·0 | 66·3 | 45·7 | 259 | 8 |
| 25 | CHRISTCHURCH H. F. Skey | 59·3 | 68·4 | 50·3 | 23 | 6 |
| 42 | LINCOLN .. Wm. O. Purdie | 58·1 | 69·1 | 47·1 | 87 | 7 |
| 1220 | KISSELTON .. A. R. Blackwood | 57·4 | 68·2 | 46·7 | 111 | 5 |
| .. | RAKAIA .. Miss A. Hardy | 58·6 | 70·9 | 46·4 | 101 | 5 |
| 130 | TIMARU .. Caretaker of Domain | 57·5 | 66·9 | 48·1 | 118 | 13 |
| 200 | WAIMATE .. F. Akhurst | 55·7 | 64·7 | 46·7 | 157 | 17 |
| 300 | DUNEDIN .. D. Tannock | 54·7 | 63·0 | 46·5 | 328 | 13 |
| 245 | GORE .. A. T. Newman | 53·1 | 63·5 | 42·8 | 454 | 17 |
| 12 | HOKITIKA .. J. A. Chesney | 55·9 | 62·7 | 49·1 | 1352 | 23 |
| 12 | INVERCARGILL L. Lennie | 53·2 | 61·3 | 45·1 | 573 | 22 |
SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, 1921.
December was remarkable for very changeable weather. Except on east coast of both Islands, where rainfall was deficient, showery conditions with occasional heavy rain accounted for an aggregate precipitation generally much above normal. The greatest difference above occurred about Cook Strait, when some places experienced over double the average; while the greatest deficiency was in Canterbury, Christchurch reporting the driest December for the past twenty years.
Atmospheric pressure was very unstable, high and low alternating with unusual frequency. There were, however, few disturbances of any marked intensity. The most notable one in this respect was a westerly area of low pressure which passed in the south on the 17th. It brought boisterous westerly winds, especially in and southwards of Cook Strait, and heavy rain in districts with a westerly aspect.
A secondary “low” passing through Cook Strait on the night of the 12th was responsible for a severe southerly gale in districts surrounding the Strait.
In most parts of the Dominion an abundant growth in vegetation took place during the month.
D. C. BATES, Director.
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Online Sources for this page:
VUW Te Waharoa —
NZ Gazette 1922, No 20
NZLII —
NZ Gazette 1922, No 20
✨ LLM interpretation of page content
🏗️ Meteorological Observations for Wellington, December 1921
🏗️ Infrastructure & Public WorksWeather, Temperature, Rainfall, Wind, Wellington
- D. C. Bates, Director
🏗️ Climatological Table for Chief Stations, December 1921
🏗️ Infrastructure & Public WorksClimate, Temperature, Rainfall, Stations
22 names identified
- F. A. F. Burnett, Observer at Auckland
- W. B. Monro, Observer at Ruakura Farm, Hamilton East
- G. F. McGirr, Observer at Te Aroha
- C. F. Sims, Observer at Waihi
- C. J. Butcher, Observer at Tauranga
- W. E. Penno, Observer at Rotorua
- J. Simpson, Observer at New Plymouth
- J. G. McFarlane, Observer at Moumahake
- A. R. Fannin, Observer at Taihape
- J. A. Colquhoun, Observer at Palmerston North
- J. Beverley, Observer at Central Development Farm, Weraroa
- R. Brown, Observer at Masterton
- J. P. Eccleton, Observer at Greytown
- Archdeacon Kemphorne (Ven.), Observer at Brightwater
- Wm. C. Davies, Observer at Nelson
- W. G. Morrison, Observer at Hanmer Springs
- H. F. Skey, Observer at Christchurch
- Wm. O. Purdie, Observer at Lincoln
- A. R. Blackwood, Observer at Kisselton
- A. Hardy (Miss), Observer at Rakaia
- J. A. Chesney, Observer at Hokitika
- L. Lennie, Observer at Invercargill
- D. C. Bates, Director