EQUINOCTIAL GALES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13708, 26 March 1908, Page 3

EQUINOCTIAL GALES.

Sir,—Mr. Adamson says these have, nr> scientific, value, or equivalent to it. Well, all I can say is from observations of over 25 years they ought to have. When gales and rain occur year after year and decade alter decade in the same months, September and March, and about the 21st or few following days, is it not a fair thing to infer that in some way the equinox is responsible for them? I do not want to make a long story, but which is the most practical thing to say: " We had a heavy gale at the season of the year when solar radiation is great," or " We had a heavy gale about the time of: the equinox," or "We had an equinoctial gale?" _ I say without hesitation that equinoctial disturbances (wind, rain, and cold) come with astonishing regularity in different degrees of strength. Take this last one for instance. In Wellington and aboutCook Strait, the heaviest recorded: in Fiji a hurricane, and over several States of America (see Herald of to-day), And it' these are cabled how many more storms occurred over the world that were not cabled at all'.' Not only are storms frequent and severe in both hemispheres at equinoctial times, but the solstices also have atmospherical disturbance-:, which accounts for the broken weather wo get about tho summer ' solstice or longest clay, affecting the Christmas holidays.. As soon as the longest day is past look out for bad weather, lasting more or less for a week or ten days. "Another season of solar radiation," Mr. Adamsorr! would say. Just so. but the old hands in the ■ bush used to refer to them as the Christmas floods. Ac the end of next Juno look out for tho winter solstice storms (summer ones in the north), and next September read the, cables we are almost suro to receive about; ■ the 24th with reference to storms over different parts of the earth. Note them,_ Mr. Adamson, and then repeat that there is no' scientific .value in these seasonable disturb- \ ances, if you darci " • . JjTXXI ' ' March 25.,'