NEW ZEALAND WEATHER IN 1865.

Southland Times, Issue 562, 17 September 1866, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND WEATHER IN 1865.

Notwithstanding the dry and uninteresting: nature of meteorological tables, there are few people who are not occasionally led by curiosity to refer to them for the purpose of ascertaining " how high the thermometer stood in that very hot day ?" — " how low the barometer fell before that great storm ?" — " how much rain fell in that flood ?" — " how many pounds to the foot or mile an hour, the wind blew in that severe gale ?" and perhaps also " how the Southland climate stands in comparison with the other Provinces of New Zealand ?" In anticipation of the lastnamed enquiry, I appended to the report I lately furnished to the Provincial Grovernment a comparative table of climate in the various Provinces during 1864. Unfortunately I did nos receive the reports for 1865 fiom the different stations in time for inclusion in that return, but as they reached me by a recent mail, I am able to publish such results as may. be of general interest. I regret that I have very imperfect information in the most important pomt — the great storms of the year, nor can I rely upon the few recorded observations of wind-force. Either the New storms are trifling compared with those of other countries — a view — my own experience leads me decidedly to reject — or the anemometers must be out of order or in improper positions, an explanation much more probable. In 1864 three great storms appear to have visited New Zealand, but to have been very partial in their effects. Nelson and Mongonui experienced a eale from N.E. on the 7th and Bth of July, noted as the severest of the year, but as the registered maximum pressure was only 8 and 12 lb. respectively, if that be correct it could not have, been very alarming. Wellington and Taranaki reported a really heavy gale on the 17th and 18fch of June, with a respective pressure of 20 and 22lbs. to the square foot-Neither of these storms were felt in the slightest degree in this Province. But the great tempest of the year in the Southern part of the colony, in Canterbury, Otago ? and Southland, was that of the Ist of February. Christchurch registered a pressure of nearly 18lbs., which may possibly be correct. The Dunedin papers described the gale as the most terrible and destructive ever known there, and columns were filled with accounts of its ravages. Yet we find the maximum force of this -disastrous hurricane, recorded as only " 12lbs. or 50 miles an hour." Now considering the havoc caused by this storm', I have no hesitation in asserting that a 121bs. force would not have been capable of such mischief — probably double that force would have been insufficient. Here, where the gale (although with one exception, the most violent I have witnessed in eight years' observation), did not cause such excessive damage as in Dunedin, the pressure was as great as 301b5., and even this einka into

insignificance before the English storm of Bee. 3, 1863, when the Liverpool anemometer registered 431bs. to the square foot, or 105 miles an hour, at which point the cups of the guage were blown away. It is incredible that the Liverpool gale should have exceeded the Dunedin gale in the ratio of 43 to 12! My record of the pressure was I hajre said 30'51b5., and I suspeot this is muoh nearer the mark. Of the storms of 1865, I have no adequate report except from Christchurch. There, as in Southland, the great gale of the year was that of November 24, which was the only storm I have known to exceed in violence the one before noticed. The November gale of 1865, blew with a force unparalleled in my recollection, and I heard it remarked by some old and experienced shipmastnrs that they had never known its equal. Like the February gale of 1864, it was a cyclone of vast extent. The direction here was W.N.W., at the same time it was blowing from S.E. at BTokitika. The maximum pressure here was 32.7 lbs. to th 9 square foot (in Christchurch, 161bs. (?). At times, the force appeared almost irresistible ; roofs, chimneys, windows, fences, trees, all suffering severely, and although we have never had the opportunity of testing the strength of our colonial buildings by a West Indian hurricane of 45 to 50 lbs to the foot, or a Liverpool tempest of 43 lbs. ; we need not desire a heavier storm than our 32-lb. gale on the 24th of November, 1865. The readings of the barometer in 1865 do not differ materially from those of 1864. The lowest readings occurred in Southland in both years, and in the same month — May (28 59 and 28"56 inches) in Christchurch it was as low as 28 # 68 in July. The maximum readings were attained in August at each station, the highest being 30"58 inches, at Wellington, The' mean temperature was slightly lower than in 1864. Anckland and Taranaki had the highest temperature ; that of Nelson was the same as the average of the whole Colony ; Canterbury, Otago, and Southland were very nearly the same — Otago the coldest. The summer heat of Southland was greater than that of Otago, Nelson, Wellington, or Monganui, and the sharpest frost very little colder than the mildest of the other Provinces. The various readings of the thermometer,, in shade, were as follows : —

The hygrometer showed a smaller degree of atmospheric humidity than in 1864. The degrees were as follows : — Mongonui, '74 ; Auckland, "67 ; Taranaki, "72 : Wellington, '65 ; Nelson, -75 ; Canterbury, *75 ; Otago, 69 ; Southland, "71. The rainfall was much greater than in 1864 at each station — Mongonui nlone excepted. Some of the amounts registered in 24 hours {e.g. — 363 inches, 635 inches, 4 - 06 and 364 inches) were singularly large. The rainfall of ..the year in Southland was double the average of previous years. The following are the results : —

It will be observed that Nelson has the largest amount of rain, and the smallest number of rainy days. Dunedin, as usual, has the largest number, Canterbury stands at the head of the Provinces as regards climate, judging from the comparison of the last two years. The cloud tables give Canterbury the clearest and Auckland, Taranalri and Southland the most cloudy sties, although the difference is very small. It must be remembered that Southland would _have taken a very different place in these tables hod the comparison been made in 1858, or any of the three succeeding years. 1865 was incomparably thfe worst year I hare known in eight years' observations. Chables Eoirs Marten, Director of Meteorological Stations, Southland. Martendale, August 29th, 1866.

No. of Greatest Days on Totalrain amount on which fall in in 24 rain fell the year, hours. Inches. Inches. Mongonui 134 . 4083 363 Auckland 2TI 4007 l'W> . Taranaki 170 56 80 2-31 Wellington 139 5079 257 Nelson 95 6839 635 Canterbury 115 2436 116 Otago 219 46-64 4-06 Southland 217 63 66 3-64

Maximum. Minimum. Mean Mongonui 80*5 28-0 561 Auckland 903 319 596 Taranaki 930 300 575 Wellington 840 . 33 0 557 Nelson 810 260 545 Canterbury 89*4 253 527 Otago" 82 9 300 508 Southland 850 . 25 1 509