CLIMATIC DATA

Hokitika Guardian, 27 September 1930, Page 8

CLIMATIC DATA

ITS VALUE TO ENGINEERS

PRACTICAL USES. “With the examples of the • Lake Coleridge and Wai-pori schemes fresh in your minds 1 need not , emphasise the importance .of a knowledge of possible rainfall, in connection with, hydro-electric schemes,” saic. Dr E. Kidson, Government, Meteorologist, in an address given, beiore tin Wadestown and Highland Pai'k Men’s Society at Vi eliiugion. , His lecture, which was ori the work of the Meteorological Office, gave many glimpses of 'cue practical uses to which meteorological information is put. •* •owadays,” lie said, “many large buildings, factories, theatres, telcpnore exchanges, and other structureihave to have air that is properly conditioned. By that I mean air which is at the proper tempera tur< and degree of humidity, and. sufficiently free from dust. The machinery which has to do this conditioning cannot be economically planned unless if is known what conditions may be mei with. It is no use, for instance, having a plant that can warm air from 10 degrees below freezing point t< the proper point if the temperature never falls below 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Similarly' there is no need to provide for cooling from 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Wellington, where th< temperature never gefis above 00 de grees, and so on. “In agriculture, meteorological sta tistics are put to many uses, i knowledge af the rainfall is important, because on it tile whole product ivity of the soil depends. Manurin' practice has to he adapted to th< rainfall. Frost and hail damage frui and vegetables, and areas subject t< severe frosts and hailstormp shouh be avoided. Much money has beei wasted in New Zealand through, in sufficient attention, to these factors.

“Engineers continually have t< make use of meteorological data,’ said Dr kidson. “In Wellington jus now drainage is a very important problem, and .a very complete knowledge of the rainfall is required if tin most economical yet efficient system is to be designed. The engineer mils' l know not only how much rain fall; on an average in a year, and how i 1 viaries from year .to year, but alsc how much may fall in ten minutes, half an hour, or an hour, because if is these amounts, that the system must, be designed to carry . away. Enormous amounts of nidney wouh be wasted, for instance, if he ailowei ifior a maximum fall of two inches in an hour, when the greatest fall likely to occur in an hour was one irieh.’