New Zealand Gazette – 1923 – No. 56

Page 1883

✨ Meteorological Observations



JULY 12.]

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

Government Meteorological Observatory.

METEOROLOGICAL Observations, Wellington, for the month of May, 1923. Observations taken 9 a.m.
Altitude of Observatory, 10 ft.

Date. Barometer reduced in and corrected 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. Fah. Fah.
1 30·394 60·0 39·2 49·6 112·0 29·0 59 10 E.
2 30·211 61·2 44·8 53·0 110·0 39·7 138 7 N.
3 29·966 62·8 52·2 57·5 117·0 44·2 136 8 N.N.E. 7
4 29·698 64·8 56·1 60·4 111·0 51·3 194 8 N.W. 61
5 29·704 63·0 46·4 54·7 118·0 44·2 289 10 S.S.E. 54
6 29·575 57·0 45·0 51·0 84·0 42·6 627 10 S. 200
7 29·795 59·5 49·3 54·4 62·0 48·3 318 10 Calm 136
8 29·840 59·7 50·4 55·0 83·0 42·5 206 9 S.E. 37
9 29·847 58·5 44·8 51·6 86·0 35·6 147 10 S.S.E. 110
10 29·733 57·9 51·8 54·8 70·0 51·0 258 10 S.S.W. Trace
11 29·869 57·9 50·7 54·3 95·0 42·0 117 3 N.N.E. Trace
12 29·739 63·2 54·2 58·7 113·0 52·0 235 4 N.N.W 7
13 29·492 61·2 53·8 57·5 103·0 48·3 369 4 N.W.
14 29·444 58·7 39·6 49·1 116·0 30·2 151 10 WNW 24
15 29·614 57·2 51·2 54·2 91·0 41·7 228 6 WSW 11
16 29·994 57·7 43·3 50·5 106·0 32·5 200 1 S.
17 29·946 56·3 36·8 46·5 104·0 26·8 169 5 N. 5
18 29·756 56·2 47·8 52·0 109·0 45·5 269 7 N.W.
19 29·784 59·4 43·8 51·6 115·0 33·2 199 7 E.N.E. 13
20 29·758 56·3 46·3 51·3 83·0 40·2 10 6 E.N.E. Trace
21 29·651 67·0 50·2 58·6 121·0 44·0 38 6 N. 4
22 29·674 63·6 55·8 59·7 112·0 53·9 333 9 N.W. 13
23 29·641 62·8 55·2 59·0 111·0 51·2 398 2 N.N.W 58
24 29·826 60·2 48·6 54·4 112·0 45·7 431 1 N.W. Trace
25 29·952 60·2 54·2 57·2 110·0 51·0 473 8 N.W. 20
26 29·833 60·9 55·7 58·3 105·0 54·9 492 4 N.W. 2
27 29·800 61·3 55·7 58·5 107·0 51·6 416 3 N. 133
28 29·658 60·3 46·3 53·3 104·0 45·0 282 10 S. 9
29 29·825 52·0 46·0 49·0 88·0 42·2 325 1 S. 1
30 30·036 54·8 43·6 49·2 99·0 37·2 297 2 S.
31 29·851 54·3 36·7 45·5 104·0 26·5 81 7 N. 43
* 29·803 59·5 48·2 53·9 102·0 42·7 254·4 6·4 948
† 29·971 58·2 47·2 52·7 95·3 40·4 220 5·7 473
  • Means, &c. † Means previous years.

DIRECTION OF WIND.

N. N.E. E. S.E. S. S.W. W. N.W. Calm.
9 .. 3 1 8 .. 2 7 1

NOTE.—A wet month, with precipitation 100 per cent. above the mean of previous years. Total bright sunshine, 102 hours 1 minute, 33 per cent. of the possible, and six sunless days. Frost was recorded on the grass on four mornings. Thunder occurred on the 15th and 23rd, fog on the 21st, and hail fell on the 23rd. Mean earth-temperature at 1 ft. was 52·7°, and 55·1° at 3 ft. Mean dew-point, 47·6°; mean elastic force of vapour, 0·330 in.; and mean relative humidity, 77 per cent. of saturation.

CLIMATOLOGICAL TABLE.
MEANS AND TOTALS FROM THE CHIEF STATIONS.
May, 1923.

Altitude above Sea-level. Name of Station and Observer. Absolute Mean Temp. Air in Shade. Mean Max. Temp. Mean Min. Temp. Total Rainfall (100 Points to the Inch). Days with Rain (a Point or more).
Ft. NORTH ISLAND. Deg. Deg. Deg. Points.
125 AUCKLAND 58·0 62·9 53·2 418 26
131 RUAKURA FARM, HAMILTON EAST W. B. Monro 53·3 62·8 43·8 462 19
46 TE AROHA .. W. O'Connell 56·9 64·5 49·4 376 18
340 WAIHI .. C. F. Sims. 55·0 63·4 46·6 1082 22
100 TAURANGA .. C. J. Butcher 54·8 61·9 47·7 584 24
925 ROTORUA .. W. E. Penno 52·5 60·8 44·3 749 20
60 NEW PLYMOUTH G. H. Dolby 54·1 60·0 48·3 608 23
250 MOUMAHAKI .. J. G. McFarlane 51·5 60·2 42·8 700 17
2080 TAIHAPE .. A. R. Fannin 48·4 54·6 42·2 573 24
100 PALMERSTON NORTH.. J. A. Colquhoun 52·2 60·5 43·9 483 17
5 OROUA DOWNS .. H. D. Stride 51·0 59·6 42·5 327 22
119 CENTRAL DEVELOPMENT FARM, WERAROA J. E. Sharp 52·3 59·2 45·5 397 20
377 MASTERTON .. R. Brown 52·0 60·2 43·8 896 20
186 GREYTOWN .. W. Allan 51·8 59·8 43·9 883 19
South Island.
87 BRIGHTWATER .. Ven. Archdeacon Kempthorne 50·4 58·6 42·2 841 23
34 NELSON .. Wm. C. Davies 51·5 58·6 44·4 1033 21
1220 HANMER SPRINGS .. W. G. Morrison 45·8 54·6 37·1 1969 14
25 CHRISTCHURCH .. H. F. Skey 47·5 54·7 40·3 680 17
42 LINCOLN .. M. J. Scott 47·6 55·7 39·6 479 13
1220 KISSELTON .. F. Freeman 46·3 57·0 35·6 651 13
349 RAKAIA .. Miss A. Hardy 47·5 55·8 39·2 1078 16
130 TIMARU .. Caretaker of Domain 45·9 53·5 38·4 464 15
200 WAIMATE .. F. Akhurst 45·8 54·0 37·7 347 18
300 DUNEDIN .. D. Tannock 47·6 53·6 41·7 448 10
245 GORE .. A. T. Newman .. .. .. .. ..
12 HOKITIKA .. J. A. Chesney 50·2 58·0 42·5 1119 17
12 INVERCARGILL .. L. Lennie 44·7 53·7 35·8 242 19

SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF MAY, 1923.

The month opened with anticyclonic conditions and fair weather, but on the 3rd there was evidence of the development of a cyclone to the westward. On the 5th the centre of the latter was located in the North, while pressure increasing in the South at the same time caused a very steep baric gradient, especially along the eastern coast. This resulted in a south-east storm, and the north-east districts of the South Island registered what, so far, constitutes a record rainfall for these parts. The heaviest rains, which occurred on the 6th and 7th, accounted for serious floods and damage. On the 6th, at Stag and Spey, Kaikoura, 16·69 inches were recorded, and at Keinton Combe in the Waiau district 14·40 inches, of which amount 13 inches fell in twelve hours. To give some idea of the intensity of these downpours it may be mentioned that the average month's rainfall for stations in these districts is between three and four inches.

Another, though smaller, disturbance passed in the North between the 18th and 21st, and this was followed by an extensive westerly low-pressure area. This depression brought very unsettled conditions, especially in and southward of Cook Strait, and some very heavy rains to the West Coast districts of the South Island between the 22nd and 27th. Otira recorded a total of 40·33 inches for the month, which mostly fell in the latter period.

The aggregate rainfall was above the average in all parts of the Dominion, except in Southland district and in the vicinity of the towns of Auckland and New Plymouth.

The monthly temperatures recorded were above the average, and the general character of the weather may therefore be described as mild, dull, and moist.

D. C. BATES, Director.



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VUW Te Waharoa — PDF NZ Gazette 1923, No 56


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✨ LLM interpretation of page content

🏗️ Meteorological Observations for Wellington, May 1923

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

🏗️ Climatological Table for Chief Stations, May 1923

🏗️ Infrastructure & Public Works
Climate, Temperature, Rainfall, Stations
25 names identified
  • Archdeacon Kempthorne (Ven.), Observer at Brightwater
  • W. B. Monro, Observer at Ruakura Farm
  • W. O'Connell, Observer at Te Aroha
  • C. F. Sims, Observer at Waihi
  • C. J. Butcher, Observer at Tauranga
  • W. E. Penno, Observer at Rotorua
  • G. H. Dolby, Observer at New Plymouth
  • J. G. McFarlane, Observer at Moumahaki
  • A. R. Fannin, Observer at Taihape
  • J. A. Colquhoun, Observer at Palmerston North
  • H. D. Stride, Observer at Oroua Downs
  • J. E. Sharp, Observer at Central Development Farm, Weraroa
  • R. Brown, Observer at Masterton
  • W. Allan, Observer at Greytown
  • Wm. C. Davies, Observer at Nelson
  • W. G. Morrison, Observer at Hanmer Springs
  • H. F. Skey, Observer at Christchurch
  • M. J. Scott, Observer at Lincoln
  • F. Freeman, Observer at Kisselton
  • A. Hardy (Miss), Observer at Rakaia
  • F. Akhurst, Observer at Waimate
  • D. Tannock, Observer at Dunedin
  • A. T. Newman, Observer at Gore
  • J. A. Chesney, Observer at Hokitika
  • L. Lennie, Observer at Invercargill

  • D. C. Bates, Director

🏗️ Summary of Weather Conditions for May 1923

🏗️ Infrastructure & Public Works
Weather, Cyclone, Rainfall, Floods, Temperature
  • D. C. Bates, Director