Our Meteorological Service.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 186, 9 February 1897, Page 2

Our Meteorological Service.

(Per Press Association.) Auckland, February 4. While Mr Clement Wragge, Queensland Meteorologist was at Auckland, be was interviewed by a Herald representative. Cominp to the present position of meteorology ia New Zealand, Mr Wragge regrets to find that the meteorological service of this Colony appears to lack thorough efficiency owing to want of funds and appliances. He considers that New Zealand would benefit qnite at much as Australia from a thorough uniform and scientific meteorological service. He is fully aware of the exertious of his esteemed colleague, Sir James Hector, and would like to see that gentleman's hands strengthened so as to enable him to increase the efficiency and popularity of the weather service in New Zealand. Obviously the forecasts for this Colony would be more reliable, Mr Wragge says, if the observations made at Brisbane were made available. This will be understood when it is remembered that all the storms affecting New Zea land come from the west. Mr Wragge expresses surprise that the people of New Zealand were not informed of the approach of the recent storm. He says the information might have been obtained from Queensland. He considers the meteorological information supplied in New Zealand is practically worthless. There is no uniformity, and the instruments are placed at different heights, which makes comparison impossible. Mr Cheeseman does all he can, but his instruments are placed on the top of the museum, which makes their information concerning the climate of Auckland quite^misleading. They give temperature on the top of the museum, and that only. Iv Queensland all instruments are fixed at a uniform height of four feet above the ground.