The Rainfall. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2086, 15 February 1894, Page 14

The Rainfall. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,— The rainfall in this district (Ngapara) since the Ist of November 1893 amounts to 17 24 inches. Of this amount 6-08 fell in November, 1 86 in December, 7 25 in January, and 2-05 for February. A series of rain storms commenced on January 15, and it is to be hoped terminated on the 4th of February. The end was one of the heaviest gales of wind known here for many years, which has threshed what grain the rain had neglected to lay. It may interest some of your readers to know that the 4th of February is generally the wind-up of a series of bad weather in this part of the world. The late Mr J. T. Thomson, Surveyor-general, recorded that we are sometimes liable, during the summer months, to have a succession of more or less heavy rains, culminating in a heavy flood and storm, the average date of which [is the 4th of February. My own observations entirely confirm Mr Thomson's views. It seems these storms visit our land in 15year cycles, following years of more or less severe drought. There is reason to suppose that thia cycle is general over the Southern Hemisphere — see Darwin's remarks thereon, as regards South America, in " The Voyage of a Naturalist." It appears as far as North Ofcago is concerned, that during this cjclo our seasons get drier and drier till a drought sets in. This generally breaks as summer comes on, then for three years we are liable to heavy and repeated storms of wind and rain, the heaviest in summer being about the 4th of February and in winter about July 29. After these wot seasons are past the climate gets dry again. The following is the rainfall since January 15 : January 16 1 62 inches January 28 1-30 inches 17 lfff „ „ 29 -09 „ »• 18 *02 „ „ 30 -01 >• 19 '40 „ February 1 -01 „ 23 '14 „ „2 -13 24 108 „ 3 187 ii 25 03 „ „ 4 -04 27 13 „ " JZ " Total 7-94 inches. — I am, &c, Ngapara, February 5. Robert Pauxin.