RECENT GALES.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 904, 18 February 1875, Page 3

RECENT GALES.

By permission of the Hon. W. H. Reynolds, Commissioner of Customs, Commander Edwin, K. N., has banded to us the following account of the heavy weather which visited oar coasts last month:— A fall of the barometer commenced in the aorth on the 20tb ultimo, and by next day had become general throughout the colony ; on the 23rd the glass was still moving down steadily, and telegrams were on that day sent to all stations, from which weather reports are received for storm signal purposes, to the effect that bad weather might be expected probacy ketween south and north-west By the 24 th t lis weather bad s»t in ia manv places, and the barometer had fallen at Auckland -33, wind SOatb-wrot, strong. Vt GrubstinHtrtw", 'lft, fresh wind from same direction, increasing, end blew hard during evening of the 24th and morning of the 25th. At Manukau, *35, wind only moderate from south-west At Tauranga the glass fell '55, strong gale from same quarter. At Napier, -69, wind hard gale from W.S.W. during p.m. on 23rd; strong S.W. during the 24th At Castlepoint the fall amonnted to *66, wind heavy N.W., gale on the 24th. At Wellington the barometer fell upwards of 8-lOths, and a heavy gale from N.W. blew during p.m. of the 23rd and early morning of 24th, dnring which the squalls were very sudden and -violent, moderating later in the day, though the barometer continued to fall until 5 p.m., after which hour the wind again beotme equally. At Kaikoura the barometer fell an ifch during the four days, hut do information any heavy gale has been received. At Hokitika and Westport the fall amounted to Mly *7O, though ooly moderate S.W. winds wtre experienced until the 25th, when it blew hard from that direction for some hours at Westport Strong S.W. gales were experienced at Lyttelton, with barometer down to 29-46 ; and the lowest pressure is reported from Oatnaru as 29-06 at 5.30 p.m. on the 25th, being a fall of nearly an inch and 3-10ths in the five days; the wind was generally light or moderate from the eastward, until the barometer reached its lowest point, when the wind flew round suddenly from JELN.E to W.N.W. and 8. W. Sea smooth throughout 24th and 25th. Strong S.W. winds were felt at Port Chalmers on the 24th, the barometer falling to 29-30, and the wind freshening to a gale on the 25th. Snow fell during the night of the 23rd on the hills round Lake Wakatip, and Sunday is deecrib"d as being a most disagreeable day, the wind being in strong gusts from N.W. by W. At Bluff the barometer fell one inch between 8.30 a.m. on 20th and 24th, and heavy gales from W. to W.S.W. were experienced, accompanied by hard squalls and rain. The weather in all parts of the colony was very hot and oppressive during the time that the barometer was falling; and on the 22nd the atmosphere became very misty, which increased so much by the 23rd that both the ■on and moon appeared nearly blood red and •horn of rays until they had attained a conadanble altitude, the appearance of the

sky being unusually wild and threatening, especially during the evening of the 23rd ultimo. Them seems evidence sufficient to h'iow that this vas a disturbance passing across tli<4 col uy Uom about west or southw.'it to the esstwiird, the lowest pressure, or eeutrai being proliably to the Southward ot' uiesc islands.