METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR DUNEDIN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13136, 21 November 1904, Page 3

METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR DUNEDIN.

The question whether tho observations taken at the Leitb Valley represent the. climate of Dunedin is of interest to tho citizens, and the returns for September published in the Government Gazette, to which attention was drawn in our issue of October 27, showed tho LeitJi Valley to b?,vo a mean temperature considerably lower than that of any of the chief stations in tho South Island mentioned in the clim&tho-. logical table. In this the rainfall was next to Hokitika in magnitude, and while in 15 days Cavershnm only had ' 4.85 m, the Leith Valley in tho same period had 7.09 in. Tina, if this represented the olimate of Dunedin, it was colder than Inveroargill and wetter than Caversham. The observatory is said to bo 300 ft above sea level,' ami although the temperature of tho air generally decreases at the rate of ldej Fair, for each 300 ft of vertioal ascent, it is well known that valleys, are often muqh colder, windier, and damper tliau even the hilltops, to say nothing 1 of the flats by the seaside. Injustice may have been done to Mr H. Sbey in causing his removal from the Town Belt, but that is no reason why injustice should perpetually be done to the climate of Dunedin through representing that rf Leith Valley 'as ..tho normal.; The deflection of the winds: by yaUoys brings marked changes in the general drift of the atmosphere, and, through radiation to and from the earth, acts differently by day and night Tho currents of air which carry warm, moist air up the valleys are cooled, and fog and rain result;-. The winds down from above bring cold draughts from aloft, and the valleys aot as drains for these, cold, dense currents of ; air. An. [observatory should show tile prevailing winds, atnwspherio pressure, the humidity of tho atmosphere,'cloudinoss and rain, Ind, above all,, a fair mean temperature. None of theso conditions are properly 'fulfilled—

logical observatory for Duucdin being situated in the valley of the Leith. Possibly this was the very reason why the Government on its removal ceased to pay for tho observations there while continuing them at other places.