RECENT GALES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4301, 4 January 1875, Page 3

RECENT GALES.

By permission of the Hon. W. H. Reynolds, Commissioner of Customs, Commander Edwin, R.N., has handed to us the following account of -the heavy gales which have lately visited our coast: — . ~ On the 29th ult. there were some indications -of a. change in the weather, and though it was not yet certain that a gale would come iu, yet as it seemed probable that the wind would come from the eastward telegrams were sent to Coromandel, Auckland, Manukau Head, Grahamstown, Tauranga, and Napier Spit, that strong winds might be expected from that quarter, and would very likely be accompanied by a rapid fall of the barometer. Next day (30th), the wind was from the northeast at all places north, of Castle Point, blowing fresh at Auckland and Tauranga, and as the easterly indications had now become so marked as to leave no doubt as to the direction of the coming gale, additional warnings to expect bad weather from the quarter already pointed out were sent to Grahamstown, Auckland, and Tauranga. Information was also sent to Cambridge that bad weather was approaching ; the glass had already commenced to- fall at all places to the north of Blenheim, During this time strong northerly winds and falling barometer had been experienced pretty generally in the Middle Island, and telegrams were sent to southern stations to expect gales between south-west and north : later in the day Captain Thompson, at Port Chalmers, intimated that the weather had been threatening in the south-west about 11 a.m., but thewindhad then (p.m.) settled iu the north-west. Captain Thompson, ?.t the Bluff, reported rising barometer, and south-west wind about 2 p.m. ; and Mr. Renner, at Balclutha, gave similar information. This change, however, did not last long, as the wind still remained from the northward at Hokitika and Westport, with falling barometer from thence northward. On the 31st, the glass was moving down rapidly iu the north, and the easterly winds had increased in force, but had not extended to the southward of Napier, where it was still light. At 1 p.m. Mr. - Sheath, at Tauranga, ; reported falling barometer, • appearance of weather threatening, and sea rough*; this latter change was somewhat sudden, as the sea was quite calm at 9' a.m., but there could be but little doubt of its signification, and further warnings of easterly gales were sent to Auckland and Grahamstown; Captain Best, harbor-master of the latter place, telegraphed to say that there was every appearance of a gale between north and northeast ; stating, also, that he had observed a wide halo round the sun during the day. This phenomenon was also noticed at Wellington between ten and eleven a.m. The weather ift the South Island had now cleared up, and the ■wind had changed to north-east, with rising glass, but as there was ample evidence of very unsettled weather telegrams were sent to Port Chalmers and Bluff, to the effect that the glass would probably fall again quickly, anti that appearance of fine weather had better not be trusted.

On the morning of Ist January a telegram was received from Mr. Sheath, at Tauranga, stating that the wind was blowing with tremendous force from north-east, with very heavy sea and great fail of rain ; and at five p.m. additional warnings for north-east were sent to Napier Spit, and to Castle Point, hut at the latter place the wind was already very severe from that quarter. At Wellington the sun rose very red, and the wind was mostly unsteady and light ; the sky had a very threatening appearance, and heavy rain set in during the forenoon, and continued for some hoursf hut about 5 p.m. it became somewhat finer, and the wind settled in the north-east, and blew fresh during the night, the sky clearing, hut barometer still falling. Hard northeast gales, with heavy rain, were experienced at Auckland, Coromandel, and Grahamstown. Captain Best, of the latter place, who observes the weather very closely, reports the lowest reading of the barometer as 29'24at 7 p.m. on the Ist, at which hour the gale suddenly flew round to W.N.W. Mr. Cochrane, of Coromandel, who reports fully, states that the lowest reading was 29’32 at 6 p.m. The total fall at this place was '9l since 8.30 a.m. of the 30th ult. In the Middle Island the barometer began to fall rapidly in the early part of the day. Captain Turnbull, of Hokitika, reports that the glass fell slowly during p.m. of the 31st until midnight, when it stood at 29'82, and began to fail quicker ; by 9 a.m. it was 29.50, failing fast. The sun rose very red, and the sky became quite overcast by 6 a.m. Captain Leech, at Westport, reported the barometer falling at 9 a.m., with sky overcast and thunder and lightningat 5 p.m., barometer falling rapidly all day, then standing at 2T23; lowest during the day being 29T 9. At Bealey Mr. Munce reported glass falling at 5 p.m., wind light from south ; steady rain. On the 2nd the glass was low over the whole colony. Strong N.W. galea were felt at Auckland and Grahamstown ; but the wind was still north-east at Tauranga and Cambridge, blowing fresh, and had now increased to a gale at Napier, being still a gale at Castle Point, from which point southward the winds were principally in the north-east. About midday the glass moved up, and the wind came from south-west; but at 7 p.m. Captain Turnbull reported that the wind had again gone into the north. The weather in Wellington was very wet during the morning, but cleared up about two p.m., and the wind blew strongly from the northwest, with rising barometer until 3 a.m. of the 3rd, when it remained steady for a short time at 29'53.