THE WEATHER.

Southland Times, Issue 581, 22 October 1866, Page 2

THE WEATHER.

SEPTEMBER, 1866. Fine dry weather prevailed throughout the month, with occasional refreshing showers. During the first throe weeks the days were extremely warm — unprecedented^ so for the time of year — but the nights generally cold. On the 2nd, the thermometer rose to 73 dega. in the shade, and 105 degs. in the sun ; the mean temperature of the day being as high as 60 - 4 dogs., which is equal to that of the month of June in the south of England : it must be remembered that the 2nd of September Tiere corresponds with, the 2nd of March there. On the 21st, a thunder storm passed overhead from E.S.E. to W.N.W. : the lightning was very vivid, and the thunder loud ; heavy rain fell for an hour — half an inch being registered in that time. After this thunderstorm the weather wholly altered its character. Strong, dry, and very cold easterly winds blew constantly until the close of the month, and the mean temperature which had been 60-4 degs. on the 2nd, decreased to 37.7 degs. on tho 22nd ; a change, that is to say, from an English June to an English December, in the course of three weeks, during -which we ought to have been advancing towards summer — not winter. So cold was the weather during these 10 days that the mean temperature of the who^ month was brought down to 2\ degs. below the average, and this in spite of the remarkable warmth at the commencement. There were no fewer than thirteen frosty nights in the month. The cold on the 23rd was as great as any experienced during the whole winter of 1865. It had the effect of materially checking vegetation, which had been unusually advanced, but it is probable that no permanent injury has been done. Still, notwithstanding the eccentricities of temperature, the spring has been one of the finest I have seen, and only surpassed Dy those of 1860 and 1861. September completes the fifth successive month of almost uninterruptedly dry, brilliant weather. The mean temperature of the month was 47*4 deg., which is 25 degrees below the average of nine years. The rainfall of the month was 1-532 inch, which is TO9 inch less than the nine years' average. The reading of the various instruments were as follows, Barometer (corrected and reduced) — Maximum pressure, 30-268 inches on the 2nd and 23rd ; minimum 29 017 inches; mean 29 788 inches; range of atmospheric pressure 1 20 l inch. Thermometer (in 6hade) — Maximum, 73 deg., on 2nd ; minimum, 252 deg., on 23rd; mean temperature of the air. 474 deg ; total range of temperature, 47"8 deg., moon daily range, 225 deg. Hygrometer— Mean dog r.o of humidity, '67; temperature of evaporation, 424 deg, dew-poirr 368 deg; tension of aqueous vapor o22 > inch Radiation — Solar maximum 105 deg., terrestrial minimum 208 deg. Evaporation — 3361 inches. Precipitation 1532 inch. Mean amount of o.loud (0-10) 3.3. Mean force of wind (0-12) 4.1. Anemometer — Total-horizontal movement of air, 4048 miles : — greatest daily movement, 507 miles, least, 29 miles ; mean 134 miles ; greatest verocity 40 miles per hour — N. on 8th — greatest pressure, 7.2 lbs to the square foot.

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The following table shows the comparative state of the wind, weather and cloud at the coast station (Bluff) and the inland station (Martendale : — BiTJIP MABXENDAIE Days without rain — Fine and clear ... 14 ... 25 Cloudy 3 ... 0 Dull and foggy ... 3 ... 0 Days rain fell — Showery ... ... 12 ... 5 Wet throughout ... 1 ... 0 Mean Amount of Cloud 57 ... 83 Direction of wind — f N 3 ... 9 NE 4 ... I E 9 ... 9 ■xt * a SE 3 ... 5 No. of days t « i o SW I .'.'.' 0 W 3 ... 2 LNW 6 ... 4. Mean comparative "^ ... force of windf -.o ••■ (Admiralty stan- C dard— o-12) J CHARLES ROUS "MARTEN, Director of Mete or .icgical Stations. Southland, Oct. 13th, 1866.

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