THE WEATHER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16606, 18 July 1914, Page 3

THE WEATHER.

MR CLEMENT WRAGGE SPEAKS.. SUGGESTIONS AND PREDICTIONS,, VALUE OF ANTARCTIC STATIONS [FEOM OUB COERKSPONDBOTiJ AUCKLAND, July 17. The well-known meteorologist, Mr Clement Wragge, is just back from a trip through Queensland and other Australian States. He broke down in health in Queensland, where he was fonr weeks in a private hospital, and he has como back to his pretty home at Birkenhead to recuperate. Naturally when interviewed the conversation soon drifted to Mr Wragge's pet subject, the weather. Comparing .the meteorological work in the dominion and the Commonwealth, Mr Wragge said ho thought New Zealand was much in. advance of Australia, and ho | gave Mr Bates every credit for what he had done. Considering all things, . Mr Bates had performed remarkably good work. " One thing, however, that should ba done," said Mr Wragge, "is the publication of weather charts similar to but more comprehensive than those published daily in Sydney and other places. It would take up very little room. It is necessary to give every one of the barometric isobars and scale should he reduced so as to include not only New Zealand and Australia, but . especially Macquarie Island, Norfolk Island and New Caledonia. The observations of oven' station should be open to the public." "The wireless station at Macquarie Tsland is most important," went on Mr Wragge when reference was made to that subject. "It is just about midway between the Antarctic and Australasia, and from it wo can very largely get information concerning the prevailing conditions in that part of the great Southern Ocean that is particularly valuable in view of the fact that our weather is Antarctic in nature. If yon want to increase the value of the"'' information you should have another, station at Scott's base or somewhere in the region of the foot of Mount Erebus. It would cost a good deal, but it would be worth all the money in the world and would pay for itself over and over again.""Bless my soul," said Mr Wragge with gusto, " what could I not do if f had information from those two stations ! With wireless information from Macquarie and the Antarctic, from Norfolk Island, New Caledonia and Australia, .you would have the finest region in the world for meteorological observation. Better-than America, you ask? It would beat -America hollow. In the Northern Hemisphere the great mountain ranges from the Himalayas : n the east to the Rockies in the west interfere tremendously with the task of forecasting weather. In the vast Southern Hemisphere there is less to interfere with the winds and the forecasting is. not so complicated. If you had observations from the places T have mentioned, and particularly the Antarctic stations, no storm could possibly pass New Zealand without _ due notice of its approach being given." " The year 1915 will show a. steaay improvement." continued Mr Wragsre. "In 191 fi-17-18-19 and probably 1920 there will be good: seasons. In 1921-2 the rainfall wQI begWi to fall off and very seriously. ' In 1923-4 there will bo a verv bad droueht in Australia, worse, I think, than the big drought of 1902. The sun and moon should then bo working in conjunction and not in antagonism. The year 1923, will show an improvement," and then ou to 1930 there should be eood seasons. I have been talking about Australia, ana all. that I have said ia.a modified, extent is applicable tO'-New Zealand. It;.must be modi6ed. particularly by latitude and by reason of the fact, that New Zealand is strictjv insular. From these modifving factors. New Zealand can never experience the so-called droughts of Australia. There will always be more rain than in Australia. We have fwery reason to believe that the rainfall will go up from now with prospect? s'onerallv of sood seasons. There may be some floods, mobably in the Waikato. Such floods may seriously be espeetod between 1915 and 1920, during winch years the rainfall will probably be heavier than in Australia. ' IN THE CTTY. A cold and threatening south-west wind blow with great force over Christchurch yesterday morning, accompanied by showers of rain and a fall of hail . about nine o'clock. Slight showers of rain also fell during the afternoon, but towards evening the wind died down, • though the weather remained bitterly cold. *

AT LYTTELTON

After a fine day on Thursday the atmosphere at Lyttelton yesterday was decidedly wintry, and from early mom heavy rain, accompanied by frequentshowers of sleet fell in the Port. The hills overlooking the harbour were thickly clad with hail and snow, whilst along* the waterfront the fleet or. coastal craft experienced much difficulty in carrying on discharging and loading operations. Vessels arriving in the - port reported that a fairlv heavy sea was running along the coaffc, and owing to the velocity of the wind, speed was considerably retarded. In spite of the boisterous conditions, the ferry steamer Maori made an excellent passage down, arriving off the moles at 0 40- a.m. She had on board a fairly large number of passengers, and about four hundred bags of mails, half of which was brought! from San Francisco the previous day bv the Willochra. . "The Mokoia. at present engaged in the intercolonial service, was not so fortunate as the Maori. She left Wellington about half an hour before tho Maori, but the latter craft soon overtook her, and it was after eleven o'clock yesterday morning before the Mokoia put in an appearance off tho moles. . , _. ~ ■ The Chatham Island Fishing Company's Himitangi has also experienced bad weather. A wireless message on Wednesday stated that the vessel, which was to have sailed on Monday evening for Lyttelton, was sheltering at Waftangi. On Thursday, however, a further message stated that she had sailed early that day. Unless the weather moderates, she is not likely to reach Lyttelton before to-morrow morning. ___' •