Windy Wellington outgrows reputation

Press, 13 December 1986, Page 5

Windy Wellington outgrows reputation

Meteorological Service staff are considering ways of preserving Wellington’s windy reputation. One of the windmeasuring machines at the Kelburn weather station, perched on a ridge overlooking the city to catch the full effect of Wellington’s climatic delights, has been getting too much shelter lately. The anemometer which measures wind run — the amount of wind blowing past the machine each day — is in the Botanic Gardens and surrounding foliage has apparently grown tall enough to become a shelter belt. The problem, like the shrubbery, has grown only gradually over the years. According to a technical officer at the station, Mr Stuart Burgess, sus-

picions that something was wrong were aroused early this year. Mr Burgess plotted the 1985 and 1986 wind figures against the averages since 1950. Only two months in the last two years were above average. The station has another machine, perched even higher, which measures wind gusts. Its figures show that 1986 has been slightly less windy than usual in Wellington. Long-term records show that the mean daily wind run for November is 396 km, but this November the figure was a much more moderate 296 km, thanks to the foliage. Staff will decide whether to solve the problem by moving the machine or pruning the trees.