TIE WEATHER.

Southland Times, Issue 1085, 6 January 1869, Page 2

TIE WEATHER.

METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS IN DECEMBER 1868. Genebal Rkmabks. — The weather during December 1868, was constautly wet, cold, and stormy. The mean temperature of the air was n>t only 7 3 degrees below the average of the same month in 10 years, but. also far lower than in any previous Duceur>er, and very nearly fifteen degrees lower than in 1860. December 1868 is therefore the coldest in 11 years, and the snowstorm on the 11th is the only instance on record of such an occurrence at midsummer. Thunder, lightning, and hail, were frequent. In the beginning of the montli the barometer fell suddenly, and remained btlow 29 inches for three days, reaching the minimum (28 67), on the 7th squally weather followed, and a snowstorm (mentioned above), but no remarkably severe gales. The thermometer but twice exceeded 70 degrees, and on the 12th did not rise above 49 degrees ; the lowest summer maximum ever registered at this station. A fine lunar halo was visible at 3 a.m. on the_ 30th, preceding a thunder?t r a with a heavy ni i. Some b illiant meteors appeared during the night of the 24th. The solstitial gales set in on the 26th and continued until the close of the montli. Babometeb. — (Corrected *to 32 deg. Fah., and reduced to sea l^vel) — maximum, 30252 (20th) ; minimum, 28'67l (7th) ; mean, 29561 ; range 158 L inch. 'I heemometeb in Shade. — Maximum, 762 (17th), minimum 36'J (12lh and 13th), mean 53"0 deg : total range 402 j mean daily range 18.6 deg. Radiation". — Solar mean, 128*8 ; maximum, 143 0 f>eg. (14th, J7th, and 24th); terrestrial mean, 35 8 ; minimum, 26-0 deg. (t3th.) Htgeometer. — Dew-point, 45"4 ; vapor tension, 0304 inch ; humidity, '75. Rainfall. — Total in month, 505 inches ; maximum daily, 083 inch (31st) : rain fell on 18 days. Etwpobation. — Total in month, 3 - 15 iuches. Cloud. — Mean amount, 56 (J-10.) WiM).— Direction— N., 0; N.E., 1; E., 2; S.E., 1; S., 0; d.W., 0; W., 6; N.W., 21 days. Anemometeb. — Out of order. Ozonometeb. — Maximum "on 31st. Ozone obser ved every day, excepting 26th and 27th. Thunder on Ist, 11th, 28th, 29th, and 3Jth. Bail on Ist, 7th, 11th, 12th, and 29th. Snow on 11th. Fog, none. The mean temperature of the air in December, 1888, was 530 deg., whiuhis 73 deg. below the average of the same month in 10 years. The rainfall was 505, which is 169 inch in excess of the December average during the same period. Chables Roua Mabtest, Director of Meterological Stati ona. Martendale, Southland.