UNUSUALLY HIGH TEMPERATURE

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21665, 26 December 1935, Page 8

UNUSUALLY HIGH TEMPERATURE

Record Christmas Day COMPARISON OVER LONG PERIOD In the last 11 years no Christmas Day in Christchurch has been hotter than yesterday, with its temperature of 91.5 degrees in the shade. A scrutiny of records for a longer period would probably show that it was the hottest Christmas Day of the century, for temperatures of more than 90 degrees, although occurring in Christchurch now and then, have very rarely been met with in December. Other parts of Canterbury , probably had even higher temperatures than this, which was recorded at the Magnetic Observatory in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens. Geraldine, for example, is stated to have had a temperature of 96 degrees in the shade on December 24. The nearest approach to this temperature in Christchurch at the Christmas period was five years ago, on December 27, 1930, when a temperature of 89.9 degrees was recorded. On Christmas Day of that year the temperature was 81 degrees, and on December 29, 1927, it was 87 degrees. Three other Christmas Days of the 11 had temperatures between 70 and 77 degrees, and the remaining six had temperatures of between 60 and 65 degrees. The hottest day in Christchurch (according to the official records, which have been kept for about 40 years) was on January 30, 1908, with a temperature of 95.3 degrees in the shade. The next in order was 94.3 degrees on January 3, 1921, and the next 14 years later, on January 7 of this year, with a temperature of 93.1 degrees. Other very high temperatures were 92.3 degrees on February 17, 1928; 89.5 on January 18, 1929; 89.4 on February 5, 1934, and 89.3 on January 17,-1935. The “New Zealand Official Year Book” shows the highest temperature recorded in New Zealand as 99.0 degrees in the shade —and not in North Auckland, as might be expected, but at Timaru. Unfortunately no dates are given with these statistics. The next in order is Lincoln, 98.4, then Rotorua, 98, Hanmer 97, and Christchurch, 95,7. It should be remembered that official records are derived from about 40 approved stations, so that it is quite possible for other places to have had higher temperatures than those given in the year book.