LOW BAROMETER

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 3, 4 July 1939, Page 16

LOW BAROMETER

CONDITIONS IN NORTH » * * i

CONDITIONS IN NORTH

GALES OFF THE COAST

(•By telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, July 3. The barometer dropped to the lowest point ever recorded in Auckland at 2 o'clock this afternoon, when the reading was 28.718 in, or 972.5 millibars. Subsequently there was a steady upward trend. Though the storm which might have been expected had not reached Auckland at a late hour, gales were experienced -in the far north and in the Tasman Sea. An explanation of the phenomenon was given in a weather map prepared at the, Government meteorological office in the new trans-Tasman Airway Building at Mechanics Bay. This showed that a cold front surface, with a mass of cold air and undercuts of warmer air was moving across the Tasman this morning towards New Zealand in an easterly direction. A very deep depression had formed, probably fairly close to the New Zealand coast. Meteorologists considered that the front had passed over Auckland early in the afternoon, followed by recovery in the The deepest part of the depression had not come over Auckland, and, consequently, though high winds and possibly gales "were to be expected, it was unlikely that winds of phenomenal force would strike the city. Though the barometer had reached a record low level, it by no means necessarily followed that Auckland would experience the worst storm in its histocy, as many other factors were, involved. An indication that affected areas in the Tasman were experiencing high winds was given by reports received this morning. Norfolk Island reported wind of force 8 on the Beaufort scale, equivalent to full gale. The motorship Port Tauranga, about 200 miles south-west of Norfolk Island, advised that she was experiencing wind of force 9, or a strong gale, while the steamer Komata, 200 miles west of North Cape, also reported a strong .gale.:::-.' .■;■ r ::': rw: ' r... ■