SUN AND STORM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 267, 10 November 1937, Page 8

SUN AND STORM.

WEATHER FORECAST.

NEW HOBSONVILLE STATION.

SERVICE FOR AVIATION.

An important extension in the Government's meteorological services for the benefit of aircraft has been made during the past six months in the establishment at the Hobsonville air base of a permanent weather forecasting station and bureau under the control of Dr. W. A. Macky, of the Meteorological Department's staff. The step was taken following the flight of the Pan-American Clipper from San Francisco to Auckland last March, and the station is now a valuable unit in the Dominion's system for the recording of weather conditions. Although mainly for aviation purposes, it also provides much information which is useful to shipping and for the compiling of daily forecasts. Measuring Guats and Calms. Shaking of his activities to-day, Dr. Macky said hia day began at six o'clock in the morning, when he took readings from the instruments set up in an enclosure near the aerodrome at the air base. Subsequent readings were made at intervals of three hours, during the day, and the information obtained was transmitted to Wellington. The observations included the barometer pressure, the direction and-velocity of the wind, the general of the weather, visibility, the height and types and amount of cloud, (tie temperature and the humidity of the atmosphere. In its scope the system was more detailed and continuous than that at Albert Park, a particular feature being the method of recording changes in the wind. The instrument used, a Dines' anamometer, gave a detailed record throughout the day and night, and showed accurately the variations of gusts and calms anil other information which was important to the airman. Charting Pacific Weather.

Equally if not more important, however, and much more interesting than the taking of observations, said Dr. Mackv, was the preparation of weather charts of the Pacific from information obtained from all points of the compass, four majwi were compiled daily, showing the distribution of the weather over the greater part of the Southern Pacific. The equator was the northern limit, while tlie eastward and westward limits ; included the whole of Australia and as far east as Tahiti. At least 200 observations were made each day, including 00 in the Dominion. Considering the vastness of the area, he remarked, it was desirable that there should be a much larger number of observations, but as the Department was ' compelled to rely upon shipping and remote island stations to a considerable extent it was inevitable that there should be incompleteness. Valuable Help from Ships. "The essence of weather forecasting is to have as big a network of stations as possible," he continued, "and the reports should be as recent as it is possible to obtain. The shifts which cross | the Tasman and the Pacific are an important source of information, but I there is the difficulty that ship stations are continually moving." j Dr. Macky mentioned that there was | a desire to organise a central collecting station for meteorological information in the Islands, as in New Zealand, and if this could be brought about the service should be more satisfactory. Close touch is being maintained with the Hobsonville weather bureau by the local officials of Pan-American Airways, and when the trans-Pacific air service is started in the near future the reports will be a valuable guide to pilots on the southern half of the long flight.