GALLIPOLI CLIMATE.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 October 1915, Page 7

GALLIPOLI CLIMATE.

A COMPARISON, Cliristchurch, Monday. Recently Mr. IT. A. Hunt, Commonwealth meteorologist, prepared a comparative table of the climate in Constantinople and Melbourne, to show that the conditions were almost the same, and that the colonial troops would not have to weather a trying winter in Gallipoli. By the courtesy of Mr, H. F. Skey (of the Cliristchurch Magnetic Observatory), who supplies the Christchtirch figures for the last five years, it is possible to make a further interesting comparison, taking in the three cities. Gallipoli, in latitude 40deg. N., is situated in the Mediterranean climate province. Its climate is akin to that of Spain and Italy, and also closely resembles that of the southern coast of Australia. The average annual temperature is 50deg. F., that of Melbourne being 58.3deg. F., and that of Cliristchurch 52deg. F. Data for Gallipoli itself are not available, but the city of Constantinople is also situated at sea-level in th* same latitude, and only 120 miles to the east; so that figures for the capital will closely represent those at Gallipoli. The chief characteristics of the Mediterranean climate are the warm, dry summers, and cool, wet winters. The extremes of temperature are not large, owing to coastal situations of the countries concerned. A comparison of the average temperatures during tbe various seasons with those of Melbourne will be of interest. January in Turkey corresponds with July in Victoria, owing to the change of hemisphere. WINTER. Constant'ple. CliCli. Melbourne Deg.F. Deg.F. Deg.F.: Jan. 41 July 42 48.5 Feb. 41 Aug. 44.2 50.9 March 46 Sept. 49.4 53.9 April 53 Oct. 53.3 57.5 May 62 Nov. 55.7 61,2 June 70 Dee. 57.9 04.6 .SUMMER. July ' 74 01.7 07.5 Aug. 75 59.8 07.2 Sept. 68 57.9 64.7 Oct. 62 53.4 50.6 Nov. 53 40.3 54 Dae. 48 • 43 50.3 Mean for Year. 1 58 52.0 58.3 Mean Anual Minimum. 24 24.1 30.« Mean Annual Maximum. 94.5 88.3 105.3 Record Maximum, 103.6 95.3 111.2 Record Minimum. 13 23 27 Average Rainfall. 29 27 25.4 The temperature changes are very similar in Constantinople and Melbourne. The average yearly temperature is identical. Melbourne is, on tbe whole, more equable, both in winter and summer, though, strangely enough, the average maximum temperature is much higher (105deg. as compared with 94deg.) Constantinople is colder in winter, and its average minimum is also %deg. colder. But Christchurch winter weather is more like the (Peninsula weather, and the New Zealanders should feel the cold much less than the Australians, while the winter extreme record, if greater than any in Australia, is similar to those of Madrid and Marseilles, and much less extreme than at Dublin or London.

Snow falls on eighteen, days in the year in Constantinople, and on four days at Salonika. Other towns in the interior of the Balkan Peninsula have, however, much more severe winters. Sofia (in Bulgaria) has a January average of plus 26dcg. F., while Its record minimum is minus 24deg. F. (in January, 1893). Snow is virtually unknown in Melbourne, and it falls on very few days of the year in Chrjstchurch, and on the plains in many years there is practically no snowfall. With the exception of the Straits of Gibraltar, the seas around Gallipoli are the least visited by storms during the year.