METEOROLOGICAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9019, 4 January 1908, Page 5

METEOROLOGICAL.

At 9 a.m., yesterday, Captain Edwin issued the following forecast for the subsequent 24 hours: — Wind—Moderate to strong and generally from the southward. Barometer—Rise everywhere. Mr S. Mawley, Dittor, forwards the following report on the weather of the past year, which he terms "a year of floods and drought":—The total rainfall amounted to 59.85 inches, the average for the past 27 years being 50.40 inches. The driest month was December, when .62 inches fell, and the wettest was May, when the record was 10 inches. The maximum rainfall for 24- hours in the year was 4.98 inches on March 18th. The year 1907 opened with the country exceptionally dry, and badly in want of rain, but the situation was relieved about the middle of January by a rainfall of four inches spread' over four dayrf. February was a fair average summer month with occasional showers. March had a very heavy fall of over 9 inches, including a downpour of over 6 inches in two days. Another heavy rain causing floods occurred on April 30th, and May Ist, the rain gauge recording 6.71 for the two days. It is a moat unusual occurrence to have two such heavy rainfalls in one year. The total rainfall for the three autumn months, viz., March, April and May, amounted to no less then 25.61 inches, which is a record. The winter and early spring of 1907, though wet, was noted for an absence of severe frosts and cold southerly rains. November haci a rainfall of 2.16, the maximum being 1.41 on the 11th. Since that date up to the end of the year the total fall has only amounted to 84 points. December has been very warm, the average maximum temperature being 77.4. as compared with 74 deg. in December, 1906, the thermometer registering over 80 deg. (in Stevensun screen) on 13 days. The maximum was 91 deg. on the 18th and the minimum 34 deg. on the 27th.