AUCKLAND AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 638, 26 May 1852, Page 2

AUCKLAND AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD.

Chapter 111 . (Continued,) The change in the weather from month to month is very gradual. January is one of the finest months in the year, and very favorable for the grain harvest. The temperature indicated by the thermometer out of doors — in the shade — taking an average of several years, is at eight o'clock in the morning, 66° ; at two o'clock in the afternoon 74° ; and eight o'clock in the evening 62°. Taking an average of the same years and during the twenty-four hours, there are in this month, five showery days. Two wet days (or days in which there is rain of three hours continuance) and twenty-four dry days. But, in New Zealand as in England, there is now and then an exceptional season. For instance, in January 1852 the weather was wet and unsettled, altogether unhke that which commonly prevails. In 1846 the weather in January was equally exceptional. The temperature of the month of February nearly resembles that of January, being 67° at 8 a.m.; 73° at 2 p.m.; and 62° at 8 p.m ; being also usually equally dry. Showery days s£ ; wet days 2£ ; dry days 20£. In March the temperature falls a little : 8 a.m. 63° ; at 2 p.m. 70° ; and at 8 p.m. 60° ; but the weather is equally dry as in the two previous months. Showery days 6£; wet days 2£; and dry days 22. ' In Apiui, mosquitoes disappears and the weather becomes sensibly cooler — more unsettled and showery. At 8 a.m. 58° ; at 2 p.m. 66° ; and at 8 p.m. 57°. Showery days 12 ; wet days 3£ ; and dry days 15 £. In the year 1852 the very wet January was iollowed by unusually dry weather. Between the 23rd of January and the middle of May there was not one toet day, and the showers were unusually slight. In the month of May the air begins to have an autumnal feel — but the weather is wet — much more wet than in the preceding month. Towards the end of the month there are generally some of the finest days in the year— calm, temperate, and bright. Temperature at 8 a.m. 52° ; at 2 p.m. 60° ; and at 8 p.m. 52°. Showery day£ 11 ; wet days 4 ; and dry days 16. In the month of June the weather is cold and chilly — but it is very little more unsettled than the two preceding months. In this month also th« fine days are very fine. Temperature at 8 a.m 49° ;at 2 p.m. 46° : and at 8 p.m. 49°. Showerj days 11 ; wet days 4 ; and dry days 15. July is generally the worst month in the yeai — the very depth of winter — cold and wet. The ground being now saturated with moisture tin water does not readily drain away or evaporate The dry days are commonly bright and clear ; bu here is little frost and no snow : the temperatur< being about 10° warmer here than in an Englisl winter. At 8 a.m. 47° ; at 2 p.m. 53° , and at i p.m. 47°. The number of showery days beinj 13 ; wet days 6 ; and dry days 12. In August a slight improvement commonlj takes place. There is rather less rain than ir July, and towards the end of. the month the aii becomes perceptibly warmer. But if the pre ceding month have been unusually fine, Augus is then the worse of the two. Temperature at i A.M. 50° ; at 2 p.m. 56° ; and at 8 p.m. 49° Showery days 10 ; wet days s£ ; dry days 15%. In SEFnsMBEH, spring commences. The number of days on which rain falls may not be mucl les9 than in the preceding month, but the quantity is smaller, and, owing to an increase in the temperature, the roads are now observed to dry uj after a shower, and a decided improvement is perceptible. Temperature at 8 a.m. 53 °;at 2 p.m 58° ; and at 8 p.m. 51°. Number of shower} days 8 j ; wet days 5 ; and dry days 1 64.

f The weather iv October is rarely the same for two successive years, being sometimes fine and dry, but more commonly coarse, cold, and boisterous. The temperature is higher than in September, but the number of days on which rain falls, as well as the quantity is usually the same. High winds and heavy squalls from the westward, with showers, commonly prevail at this season, and it sometimes happens that owing to the force of the wind the cold is as much felt as during the winter when calms prevail. The peach blossoms frequently suffer severely during this boisterous ! worther. Temperature at 8 a.m. 54 ° ; at 2 p.m. 62 ° 5 and at 8 p.m. 53 ° . Showery daays 11 ; wet days 4£; and dry days 15£. In November the temperature increases rapidly, but the weather continues unsettled, rain being almost as frequent as during the two preceding months. By shutting up the meadows early, gras3 would now be ready to cut ; but owing to the unsettled state of the weather in this month a sufficient interval of fine dry weather for hay- making cannot be counted upon. The practice is beginning to prevail of shutting up the grass later than was formerly the custom so as to postpone the season of hay harvest until December. Temperature at 8 a.m. 59 ° ; at 2 p.m. 66 ° ; and at 8 p.m. 55 ° . Showery days 1 1 ; wet days 4 ; and dry days 15. In December the weather is still warmer and more settled than in November; not so warm as January, but having commonly an equal number of dry days. Temperature at 8 a.m. 58 ° . Number of showery days 6£ ; wet days 2£ ; and drydays 22. Tor travelling in the bush this is one of the finest months.

I.— The mean annual temperature of Auckland during the above years was 59^ degrees, Fahrenheit's scale. This was drawn from lour observations daily, and corresponds almost exactly with the mean tempera* ture given by the late Dr. Johnson, Coloni&l Surgeon. Florence, Naples, Rome, Marseilles, Toulon, and some other places in Europe have a similar mean annual temperature to Auckland ; but the winter months are colder and the summer months are warmer in all these European places than in Auckland. The distinguishing feature of the temperature of Auckland is its monthly equability. The mean temperature of the Summer months, December, January, and February, is ... 66 Of the Autumn months, March, April, and May, . . . ...» 60 Of the VVinter months, June, July, and Augtnt, 52£ Of the Spring months, September, October, and November .... 57 2. The thermometer rarely rises above 84* even for a few hours in the height of Summer. This column indicateß the mean of the three highest temperatures re- ' mistered each month during three years. D 3. The lowest temperature is taken from a Register thermometer. The tpmperature rarely falls to 32* Fahrenheit. Snow I have never seen on the ground ; and perhaps once a year, when the nights are clear, a thin layer of ice is seen on some very shallow pool of water. The temperature indicated by the thermometer may not be 32 when this occurs ; the evaporation tends to assist in the formation of ice. This column indicates the mean of the three lowest temperatures registered each month during three years, I have seen the Re» gister thermometer at 32' Fahr. 4. — Tbe average daily range is the difference between the lowest temperature on the Register Thermometer duting the night, and the highest in the shade during the day. The average daily range for tbe whole year is 14 degrees. This is considerable. At London tbe average daily range is 11 degrees, at Montpelier 12, at Hastings 12, at Rome 11, at Newport, Isle of Wight, 14}. s.— The tempeiatuie of the Solar Rays was drawn from observations made in 1849 and 1850. A thermometer was placed in the sun's rays in a place sheltered from the wind about 2 pm, and the temperature observed. The highest seen was 125. The result given is the mean of two years. 6. — These hj'grometric observations were made during two yeais 1849 — 50. A thermometer wns hung up in a shady place, not exposed to the wuid ; its bulb viascovcicd with muslin, which was moistened with

water, and the fall of temperature caused by the evaporation registered in the morning, at noon and in the evening. February, December, and Januaiy are the months during which the air is rlryest. The average fall duiing the year was 4^ degrees. 7, — One hundred and fifty-five is thenverage number of days on which rain fell at Auckland during the year. This is the mean of three years' observation, and includes every day on which any rain fell, even if the quantity was not sufficient to affect the pluviometer. It is necessary to bear in mind that many of these days were fine pleasant days— and during most of them outdoor work could be carried on. Thus, in 1851, there were 148 days on which rain fell, but only 34 were what could be denominated rainy days. Dr. Johnson, Colonial Surgeon, found on an average drawn from four yeara observation, (1840 to 18'J4) that there were 157 rainy and showery days at Auckland. In England the rainy and showery days are almost equally distributed orer the whole year ; but at Auckland there are twice as many rainy daya during the three winter months as during the three summer months. B. —The average annual fall of rain at Auckland during the foregoing years was 42£ inches. During the year 180 l only Scinches MI; and Dr. Johnson found that the quantity of ram at Auckland, for the year ending August, 1844, was 31 inches. The average fall of rain in the United Kingdom is about 34 inches annually ; but in the western or hilly countries it is 48 or 50 inches. 9 The column marked " highest" Barometer indicates the mean of the three highest measurements registered each month during three years. A similar remark is applicable to the column marked *" lowest." the mean annual height of the barometer at Auckland is 29-86. The annual range Vl7 degrees The lowest I have seen the barometer at Auckland was 28'D6. This occurred on the 18th October, 1848, the day on which the severe earthquake occurred at Wellington. The two baionWers in my possession gave the same results on this day. Winds ay Auckland. — Fine dry weather is sometimes seen in all winds ; but, as a rule, when winds having a northerly direction prevail, the weather is often cloudy and unsettled, atmosphere moist : the thermometer rises a few degrees, and northerly winds often terminate in a short gale. When winds having much westerly prevail, the weather is oftpn unsettled with showers ; it frequently blows very hard from the west in winter and spring. Easterly gales often occur about the full and change of the moon, and blow for two or three days on such occasions : in winter these easterly gales are often very violent. When the winds have a considerable southerly direction, the weather is fine, atmosphere dry, sky clear, and the thermometer falls. There is a sea breeze sets in from the north about 10 a.m., in calm weather, and dies away at sunset, when a light lund breeze from the southward occasionally springs up.

s <b to 2 a a WCMOKNSNCOOOOICI «} E o p s £ ooocooiooaoo Iq Co vj «o co co c<3 co P3 m S3 «o n ) co «J " ■ GO § 1 ®» CO P5 IN "^ tt »h is pj CO h,« »-I oo a H3 CO S <" cT'fe s| 2" » pqe /C(IIP4 rlriiHrlrlpinrtrtrl jo asquint suoiir. UC JO II ;du,\jq CO 09 oj "3 ■3 ' v • £ ••§« a — *; bo S-.S •*! 5 •a* a <a 5 .2 X 5 i a - | S § I o OS "S V j a >. S« a ■&H ®»^OCJCncO(»CftO>OO-n Xw T " l ' r(TH rfrtrl *J s 13 I •HlONNrl>}i!.')osint««O 00 03 Ti (tO -iuox? 00^" 1 '- 1 \'}lKP 93ej9AV (E) •l|}tJOUi 1|3«3 3uiinp p»vj»s -go ainjßjad Oi-*«sio»ftWssotooioi'r'o4 iO iO tj l •* •* 00 W ti l } 50 V) Tj< (2) -apßiia am Ul 1|)UOUI t|3V3 o(H Kip ()3MOS -go djnivtad eo>oo3v:T-(<ovs>o^o«oitsK COCO NNSIOOIOONN6. 0? (l) Mpnoui ippa jo sm)Pi -DtIIUDJ, ÜB»M SOVO t O t O l -'3«0 1 O*O*O'O 5 0 < 0 U> «q n v 1 I a « r i-) < u s s o a s W a H 55 I

The following valuable Meteorological Table and Explanatory Notes were kindly furnished to the writer by Dr. A. S. Thomson, M.D., 58th Regiment.

S 3 a £• -*O(N>offl«s(SUsO>oilMN o (NtlflMi-iHHHrlrtrtlN 5 e< a ! if I l| 1 s| S J-a B « &" s s* a c'S 1 fi 1 H N 11 "2 2 hi si -t |2 Bl| S"3 «» S c* s .: c« -a .a ■s >, » CO •o-S o II <J CO CO rf<rtOCOO?OC<3CDOO(MC£JO IS 2& 3 *> h a xi «5 O is o CO ©NMoofflO)NOM*©w IjJJWiJ Mil I <5