NEW WEATHER CHART OF AUSTRALASIA.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 813, 30 September 1887, Page 20

NEW WEATHER CHART OF AUSTRALASIA.

Impressed with the great importance of studying atmospheric and climatic pheno-mena-not only in the cause of science but practically for the benefit of agricultural, pastoral, shipping, and general interests—the Government of Queensland established ■in January last a Meteorological Office, forming a branch of the Post and Telegraph Department of the Colony, under the direction of the Hon. T, Macdonald-Paterson, then Postmaster-General. Mr Clement L. Wragze, F.R.G.S., &c., who established the well-known Ben Nevis Observatory, was placed in charge as Government Meteorologist; and he based his plan of action on the lines of the Meteorological Office, London, and Chief Signal Office, Washington, forthwith commencing to organise new observing stations in strict accordance with the most* approved principles. A system of weather warnings and forecasts was in contemplation not le3s than acquiring data sufficien t to elucidate the nature and peculiarities of the local climates of all parts of the Colony In order to correctly interpret the phenomena of Queensland weather, he also arranged that observations from stations in the other Colonies, including Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Tasmania, and New Zealand should be telegraphed daily to Brisbane. and from information thus obtained a small Weather Chart was published daily showing the march of changes, across the Australian Continent. So rapidly did the system develop, that although other observatories in Queensland have yet to be established, the data plotted on the Chart enabled the new office to issue frequent forecasts, of value to the country. During a recent visit to liis colleagues at the observatories of the southern Colonies, Mr Wraggc arranged for the wiring of additional dattafrom ali quarters of Australia. A new Chart was afterward prepared, three times the size of the former one, so as to contain this increased information, and is now published regularly at the Post and Telegraph Office, Brisbane. On it are plotted the isobars, or lines of equal atmospheric pressure, and the course of.the winds depending on that pressure ; regions of barometric disturbances are clearly shown, so are the amounts of cloud and areas of clear sky, shade temperatures, percentages of humidity, quantities of rainfall, condition of the sea, and other information. Thu3,from Western Australia to Queensland and New Zealand, and from the Northern Territory to Tasmania are conditions of weather graphically shown each day ; and farmers, ship-masters, and others interested, can readily understand . the character of the cJhauges affecting a given district. By an advertisement in another column it will be noticed that a copy of the enlarged Chart

will be posted daily (except Sundays and Holidays) to any address in the Australasian Colonies for a subscription of £2 2s per annum.