1286

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

[No. 37

Government Meteorological Observatory.

METEOROLOGICAL Observations, Wellington, for the month of March, 1922. Observations taken 9 a.m.

Altitude of Observatory, 10 ft.

• Means, &c. † Means previous years.

DIRECTION OF WIND.

N. N.E. E. S.E. S. S.W. W. N.W. Calm. 6 2 1 .. 6 .. 6 10 ..

NOTE.-A wet unsettled month, with precipitation 111 per cent. above the mean of previous years, and barometric pressure, temperatures, and sunshine below the average, while strong N.W. winds prevailed. Total bright sunshine 180 hours 54 minutes, 47 per cent. of the possible, and two sunless days. Mean earth-temperature at 1 ft. was 62·5°, and 62·9° at 3 ft. Mean dew-point, 51°; mean elastic force of vapour, 0·374 in.; and mean relative humidity, 72 per cent. of saturation.

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE.

MEANS AND TOTALS FROM THE CHIEF STATIONS.

March, 1922.

| 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 | 125 | 64·2 | 70·3 | 58·2 | 620 | 20 |
| F. A. F. Burnett | 131 | 60·2 | 70·4 | 50·1 | 846 | 21 |
| RUAKURA FARM, HAMILTON EAST | .. | W. B. Monro | 46 | 61·7 | 70·5 | 52·9 | 551 | 19 |
| TE AROHA | .. | G. F. McGirr | 340 | 62·2 | 70·2 | 54·3 | 676 | 20 |
| WAIHI | .. | C. F. Sims | .. | 61·0 | 70·7 | 51·4 | 789 | 20 |
| TAURANGA | .. | C. J. Butcher | 100 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 14 |
| ROTORUA | .. | W. E. Penno | 925 | 60·0 | 69·1 | 51·0 | 1021 | .. |
| NEW PLYMOUTH | .. | J. Simpson | 250 | 58·1 | 64·9 | 51·3 | 633 | 26 |
| MOUMAHAKI | .. | J. G. McFarlane | .. | 54·5 | 61·4 | 47·7 | 495 | 22 |
| TAIHAPE | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| A. R. Fannin | 100 | PALMERSTON NORTH | .. | 59·6 | 67·6 | 51·7 | 586 | 22 |
| J. A. Colquhoun | .. | CENTRAL DEVELOPMENT FARM, WERAROA | 119 | 59·0 | 65·2 | 52·8 | 577 | 18 |
| J. Beverley | 70 | GREENMEADOWS, NAPIER | .. | 63·0 | 71·9 | 54·1 | 163 | 9 |
| MASTERTON | 377 | .. | .. | 58·9 | 69·2 | 48·7 | 582 | 17 |
| R. Brown | 186 | GREYTOWN | .. | 59·9 | 69·3 | 50·5 | 586 | 17 |
| J. P. Eccleton | 10 | WELLINGTON | .. | 60·2 | 67·2 | 53·2 | 681 | 15 |
| SOUTH ISLAND. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| BRIGHTWATER | .. | Ven. Archdeacon Kemphorne | .. | 58·0 | 67·8 | 48·3 | 584 | 15 |
| NELSON | 34 | .. | Wm. C. Davies | .. | 58·2 | 67·8 | 48·6 | 522 | 14 |
| HANMER SPRINGS | 1220 | .. | W. G. Morrison | .. | 53·8 | 65·0 | 42·6 | 459 | 13 |
| CHRISTCHURCH | 25 | .. | H. F. Skey | 42 | 56·6 | 66·7 | 46·6 | 268 | 16 |
| LINCOLN | .. | Wm. C. Purdie | 1220 | 52·7 | 63·3 | 42·2 | 326 | 9 |
| KISSTON | .. | A. R. Blackwood | .. | 56·2 | 66·8 | 45·6 | 328 | 14 |
| RAKAIA | .. | Miss A. Hardy | 130 | 56·1 | 65·4 | 46·9 | 280 | 18 |
| TIMARU | .. | Caretaker of Domain | 200 | WAIMATE | .. | F. Akhurst | 300 | DUNEDIN | .. | D. Tannock | 245 | GORE | .. | A. T. Newman | 12 | HOKITIKA | .. | J. A. Chesney | 12 | INVERCARGILL | .. | L. Lennie | 51·4 | 59·2 | 43·7 | 910 | 29 |

SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH, 1922.

Westerly disturbances were frequent during the month of March, and all parts of the Dominion with a westerly aspect had rainfalls considerably above the average. Gisborne and Napier districts on the East Coast, however, reported little more than half the normal for the month. There were floods in Westland in the beginning of the month. Some exceptionally heavy winds were recorded on the 16th and 17th in various parts, when lowest barometric pressure was recorded in the South. Stormy weather continued generally until the close of the month. These heavy winds were mostly regarded as "Equinoctial gales," although it does not appear that they have really any connection with the Equinox.

Thunderstorms were prevalent at this period.

On the 26th an unusual visitant to New Zealand, in the shape of a tornado, made its appearance at Wellsford, seventy-three miles north-east of Auckland, and its track was marked by considerable damage in destruction of trees, houses, and sheds, though fortunately without loss of life. Mr. Osborn described the oncoming of the storm as follows:

"It looked rather misty outside, and we were sitting on the couch by the window talking about the weather, one passing the remark that it looked like rain. It commenced to blow then, but not very hard at the start. The door was open, and I and my wife walked over to close it. The cyclone looked about ten chains off. It just seemed to look like one big cloud in the middle of a lot of mist. Just when I closed the door it hit us hard. A blinding flash of lightning seemed to be the prelude to the 'big noise.' Everything was then one big roar. The whole sky seemed to swirl round about our house, and the force of the wind was terrific."

The small house then rose bodily with its three inmates and was swirled round in the air, and after being carried some distance was smashed to matchwood, and papers were found twenty miles away.

On the same evening a water-spout was seen at the distance of about twenty miles, and it was believed to have connection with the tornado. It was described as a great pillar of water rising from the sea to black low-lying clouds, sweeping hundreds of feet of water at its base and travelling rapidly with irresistible force.

D. C. BATES, Director.