HE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15055, 26 July 1912, Page 8

HE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

iCOLD SNAP !N AUCKLAND.

'AVERAGE TEMPERATURE LOW.

Ax. unusual spell of cold weather lias been experienced in Auckland during the past few days. Low temperatures at night do not in themselves create a cold snap, and the minimum temperatures have not been unusually low, but the maximum temperatures have been steadily falling for a week, and the mean temperature, which is perhaps the best- indication of whether the weather is cold or not, has fallen fast. Thus a week ago yesterday the recorded maximum shade temperature was 62 degrees and the minimum (during the night) 48& degrees,'giving a mean temperature of 55 degrees. During 124 hours ended at nine a.m. -yesterday the recording thermometers in Albert Park showed a maximum of 47 degrees and a minimum of 41 degrees, giving a mean temperature for the period of 44 degrees. The low average temperature, added to the wind and rain, made yesterday particularly miserable and | uncomfortable. There was a cold spell of four or five days towards the end of last month, and the minimum temperature fell on: one night to 36.5 degrees. But the maximum day temperatures did not fall below 49.5" degrees, and the mean did not drop as low as during the past few days. Mr. T. E. Cbeeseman, who has charge of the meteorological observatory, stated yesterday that useful comparisons between this winter and last were scarcely possible yet, but the mean temperatures so far this year had been lower than those for the

corresponding period of last winter. Remarking upon the fact that freezing point, 32 degrees Fahr., had not been indicated in Auckland this winter, Mr. Cheeseman said that for his thermometers to

reach freezing point was becoming increasingly rare. The lowest recorded temperature this year was 53 degrees, shown on

a "terrestrial thermometer," which was placed close to the ground instead of in

the louvre boxes used for taking the temperature of the air. Frosts .were comparatively common at Onehunga, parts of Remuera, and especially Papatoetoe and Otahuhu. ' The fact that Auckland escaped the actual frost-making chill was, he believed, due to the amount of smoke in the air. On cold nights the smoke acted to a slight extent as clouds do, forming a sort of blanket and conserving the heat of the earth. A ROUGH TIME AT SEA. STAR OF SCOTLAND'S .VOYAGE. ! Rough weather was encountered by the Tyser steamer Star, of Scotland while on the passage from London to Australian and New Zealand ports. After passing the Cape of Good Hope, and while crossing the Southern Ocean, the vessel encountered a heavy north-easterly gale. She was constantly swept by big seas, and not being able to make much headway "her coal supply soon began to run short. , The wind': blew with great violence and chopped and changed to all quarters. Although the liner's decks were almost, continuously under water, everything movable had been, securely lashed down, and only trifling damage was done as a result of the largo quantities of water which thundered on her decks; The gale was accompanied .by heavy falls c*f snow and hail, while the weather was .bitterly cold. " "Seeing that the vessel's supply,of coal was running shorty Captain Beck headed her for Albany, where she arrived after a most tempestuous passage. After coaling the Star? of Scotland>resunted her'voyage, eventually reaching Melbourne .on. | July 8, nearly a; week behind her. usual [ time. The passage from* Sydney to Auckland ' was made in fine weather, the storms which were reported m raging in the Tasman Sea last week having abated.

COACH • STOPPED BY SNOW.

.-^■o'wi;

. Feiltmhq, Thursday. .The severity of. the snowfall- in the back country is '_ evidenced by, the fact that Rangiwahia is at present isolated, the coach from Kimbolton being unable to get through. To-day the weight of snow also caused breaks in the telegraph wires at Rangiwahia and Stanway. Repairs • are being effected as quickly as possible. ; : INTENSE COLD IN OTAGO. [BI XELECRAPH.~**aES3 association.) ; " ; DnNEDiN, Thursday. Hard frosts are being V experienced throughout the province, especially in Central Otago, where the . cold 1> is very intense.. . .