RESULTS OF METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, TAKEN AT MARTENDALE, SOUTHLAND, NEW ZEALAND, FOR THE YEAR ENDINT 31st DECEMBER 1865.

Southland Times, Volume VI, Issue 506, 2 July 1866, Page 3

RESULTS OF METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, TAKEN AT MARTENDALE, SOUTHLAND, NEW ZEALAND, FOR THE YEAR ENDINT 31st DECEMBER 1865.

(By Charles Rous Marten).

Barometer. —-The atmospheric (mean) pressure scarcely differed from the adopted average; it was 0004 inch in excess. In January it was depressed to 28.85 inches on the 2nd, previous to a moderate cyclonic gale (from N.W. W. S.E.), but showed no indications of the unprecedented rainfall of January 15 (364 inches); it however fell greatly three days afterwards without any apparent result. On the 12th of May it commenced falling and decreased steadily till the l7tb, when it stood at 2856 inches, the lowest reading on record here. Prom the 14th to tbe 19th —five days —it ranged from 2894 inches to 2856 inches. On the 19th, and six following days, a tremendous storm raged over the whole of the £>outhern Hemisphere, especially on the 20th at the Cape of Good Hope. In Southland it was very severe, and the lioods heavy in many places. The barometric wave apjpears to have been a most extraordinary one. On the 29th and 30th of June, and 17th of July, the barometer was as low as 28*84 inches, followed by a westerly gale which was much more destructive in Canterbury than here; there also the barometer was lower (28.66 inches). On July 25th, another great fall occurred, viz., to 2897 inches. Nothing remarkable followed it here, but in other parts of New Zealand severe storms were experienced. On the Bth of August the barometer reached its highest point, 30*33 inches, but without any improvement in the weather, and immediately afterwards it fell rapidly, and in five days had fallen 1*64 inch, reading 2869 inches. This Avas followed by the great snowstorm of August 14-17 th, the heaviest by far I have ever seen here. In September the barometer did not rise above 2998 inches, but fell on the 18th to 28 "92 inches, the depression being succeeded by constant gales from W. and N.W." In October there were two great falls of the mercury, on the 15th to 1894 inches, and on the 26th to 2890 inches ; the month was the worst I have recorded, rain fell on 29 days, the sky was constantly overcast, and furious gales from N., N.W. and W., with thunder, lightning, rain, hail, sleet and snow continued almost without intermission. On the 24tb of November a fall of the mercury to 2885 inches was succeeded by the most terrific hurricane I have ever known here, it lasted in full force for 18 hours, but continued to blow a heavy gale for three days, the direction was W.N.W On the 22nd December, the barometer decreased to 29*04 inches, and a storm passed to the southward. It rose next day to 2961 inches, jmd then on the 24th again fell to 29*12, when a thunderstorm passed overhead against a dry, easterly (surface) gale, (humidity, *39). The highest reading for the month was accompanied by the warmest temperature, and the smallest humidity of the yeai*. The above were the principal fluctuations of the barometer with the accompanying changes of weather throughout the year. It will be observed that the readings were remarkably low, on many occasions being less than 29 inches, and once as low as 28.56 inches. Thermometer. —The mean temperature of the year was TSdeg. below the seven year's average. That of the winter was as much as 4deg. above, of the spring 6deg. helow, and of the summer and autumn about 3deg. below the adopted average. Taking that at 52'4deg.. we find that an isothermal line would pass nearly through Christchurch (N.Z.), Torquay and Plymouth (south of England), Turin, in Italy, and La Rochelle in France ; so that the climate of Southland cannot be justly "termed a cold one. The mean temperature is about ldeg. above that of Dunedin (N.Z.). Tbe winter was unprecedentedly mild (though wet), and the f ro3ts were very slight, the severest being 25"ldeg. Hygrometer. —The mean degree of atmospheric humidity was 71, the average beino- 69, (saturation, 100). In June the air was constantly at the point of complete saturation. In December tbe humidity was frequently as small as "36. The average of Christchurch is much greater, viz., 78, and of Nelson as much as 85. Mongonui, Taranaki, Napier and Wellington, about 75. Dunedin and Auckland are about the same as Southland. The Rainfall was by far the greatest I have ever recorded here, 63688 inches. January was the wettest month as to quantity (10-044 inches), and October as to the number of rainy days (29) yet registered. The rainfall was nearly equal to the total of 1559, 1860 and 1861 all added together,, and the number of rainy days exceeded that of those three years together. Although many storms occurred during the year, especially in May, August and October, none hitherto experienced in seven years equalled the gale of November 24th, mentioned above. It was felt severely in Otago and Canterbury, and far out at sea ; a great deal of damage was done. Tbe chief peculiarity of tbe year was the extraordinary snowstorm of August, before noticed. On that occasion snow fell almost incessantly for three days, and to the depth of six to eight inches all over the country, but quickly melted. -It was preceded by a heavy N.W. gale and very loud thunder, and by a'fall of 1*64 inch in the barometer. Slight shocks of earthquake were felt on the 4th and 20th of May (the latter the time of the great barometric wave before referred to), and sth of July. Several thunderstorms occurred, the severest on Dec. 24th, which was preceded by 10 days of frequent and rapid changes in the condition of the atmosphere, both as to temperature and humidity. On the 13th of December the temperature decreased 30 degrees in the course of an hour : the most sudden and remarkable change on record in this country. The only even tolerably fine months were February and December. The appearance of the comet during the wettest month of this wettest year is a coincidence worth noting.