WEATHER REPORT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4748, 3 February 1877, Page 3

WEATHER REPORT.

The close of Jannary has been marked by a higher range of the barometer, and a considerably lower temperature than were noted in the middle of the month; while the rainfall has been but trifling, although the weather has been most windy and unsettled. The barometer, has fluctuated much between its lowest at 29-676 on the 24th, and its highest at 30 "101 on the 3lBt: giving an average of 29919, a little below that of the corresponding period of 1876, but rather above the January average for the last 13 years.

The mean temperature has been decidedly much lower than usual for the season, being only 64-7 ; -while that of the ten days previous was 67"; and that of the same penod last year was 68 -1. Three days, 22nd, 23rd, and 27th, have been marked as above 75% the 23rd being the highest (767), while on the 29th the night temperature fell, below 55- (54-9). The coolest day, however, was the 24th. The aun thermometer has generally ranged between 130* and 140% though, falling on two occasions (24th and 28th) to 121-4 and 118-9 respectively. The grass thermometer reached its lowest point on the night of the 29th at 455. The mean temperature of the dew point is 58-8, or four degrees lower than at this time last year; but the humidity of the air ie only 77' against 79* during the previous portion of the month. The rainfall has been small, as above stated, viz., 0785, or little more than three-quarters of an inch, spread over 7 days,—a marked contrast with the heavy falls of the beginning and middle of January. The wind has been a little more strong, averaging 337 miles per diem, or 14 miles per hour, instead of 13 miles; and almost without variation from the S.W.

The general character of the month of January has been singularly cold,'wet, and unpleasantly, though not violently, stormy. The average of barometric pressure i 52 9 ,819, a little below that of last year (29-832), and still lower than the 13 years' average of 29-896. Its highest point was reached on the sth and 6th at 30-149, from which the fall -was rapid and nearly constant to its lowest on the loth at 29-207. Its subsequent rise was as rapid as the fall till it reached 29-955 on the 22nd. Since then it has oscillated considerably, with a rising tendency, to 30 - 101 on the 31st.

On five days only in the month (from the 9th to the 13th) did the day temperature rise above 79"; on the first and last of these above 80". The maximum was 84-3, on the 13th. On one day (2nd) it fell to 70-; and live days, in the latter half of the month, below that |point, tonching 66' on the 24th. Three nights have [risen above 61-, the highest being 63'9, on the 13th; five have fallen below 56-, the lowest being the 29th (54-9). It will, therefore, be neen that the temperature, if low, has been equable, the daily means, with one exception only (13th), lying between 61" and 70/. The approximate mean for the month is low, C 6" j while that of last year was one and a half degrees higher, and that deduced from the comparison of the thirteen previous years, is OS-25.

Observations with the sun thermometer have been resumed since the commencement of the year. The remarks already made on this head will apply pretty accurately to the entire month, the average being 131 "5, and the general run of the readings higher at the beginning and lower in the middle of the month than they have been at its close. This proportion has been nearly reversed with the readings of the terrestrial radiation, which was highest on the 13th (59 "5), and lowest on the 29th (45 "5), with an average of 52-4.

Most noticeable of all the phenomena for the month has been the amount of rainfall— within the smallest fraction of six inches (5'995), spread over 19 days ; while January averages 2 - 65S inches on 8J days. Wet as the January of 1576 was, this amount is nearly 45 per cent, in excess of the fall then recorded. The principal rain of the month was on the 17tb (I*S3O inches), mostly falling during the very early morning. The humidity of the air has averaged 7S, and the dew point 58 "S. The wind has been occasionally boisterous, and twice violent, —one short gale from N.E. on the 16th, and one of longer duration but less violence on the 25th from the S.W. This latter seems to have been more severly felt in the Upper Waikato, (where it drew more westerly. The average velocity for the month has been 273J miles per diem, or nearly 11A per hour; the principal directions from N. to N.E., twelve days; fromS.W., twelve nearly consecutive days, at the conclusion of the month.