H.—34.

stretches from the region of the New Hebrides and Solomon Islands eastwards to the Society Islands, the Marquesas, and the Gambier Islands, and includes about twenty stations or more that send in regular reports. During the hurricane season the Observatory prepared a daily weather report for display at the Post Office and Customs Office, and. issued warnings of cyclones. A conference on synoptic meteorology in the South Pacific took place on 20th June, 1935, at the Observatory at which the Commodore Commanding New Zealand Station was represented by officers from H.M.S. " Dunedin." A decision was made to issue collective weather messages from Apia simultaneously on long and short waves and to change the time of the evening broadcast to 09.20 G.M.T. The afternoon observations are suppressed in the dry season, and the morning observations are then to be broadcast after dark at 09.20 G.M.T. The Commodore kindly arranged for meteorological stations to be inspected during the visit in August, 1935, of H.M.S. " Dunedin " and H.M.S. " Leith " to neighbouring Pacific Islands. In January, 1936, the motor-launch which takes the mail from Apia to Pagopago foundered on the way, though without loss of life. Mr. Baird, the Acting Director of the Observatory at the time was called upon to give evidence concerning the weather at the inquiry.

Meteorological Summary, Apia, 1935.

Notes on Storms, 1935-36. April, 1935 : A shallow depression south-east of Fiji moving eastwards was associated with squally north-west winds and rain in Samoa at the end of April. December, 1935 : A tropical cyclone occurred near Vila on the 11th. January, 1936 : A cyclone to the north of Samoa moved southwards and was associated with strong westerly winds in Apia on the 16th. Another cyclone occurred near Vila on the 28th and moved away towards the south-south-east. February, 1936 : Early in February a depression occurred to the north-west of Samoa and moved towards Tonga. Tides. The self-recording tide-gauge at the Lagoon Station continued in use. and the results of the measurements were sent to the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey at Washington, D.C., U.S.A. Time Sbbvioe. The standard clock, Strasser and Rohde No. 381, was controlled from time to time by wireless time signals obtained from Annapolis, U.S.A., and later, when the wireless set failed, by transit observations of the sun with the Heyde transit telescope. Since March, 1936, the Observatory has had to rely on time-signal comparisons which have been made at the radio station with the aid of a portable chronometer, the transit eye-piece having been sent away to London for a new fitting. The " Synchronome " clock provided time signals for the magnetographs and seismographs. The chronometer, Davison No. 1781, was sent to Wellington during the year for repairs. Personnel, Buildinqs, and Equipment. Mr. Wadsworth left Samoa on furlough on 30th July, 1935, and returned on 13th February, after having been delayed in New Zealand by illness. He was relieved during his absence by Mr. H. F. Baird, who arrived in Samoa on 24th July, 1935, and left again on Bth February, 1936. Mr. Sapsford also returned to Samoa on 24th July, 1935, after having been to the Meteorological Office in Wellington for a short time. Two members of the locally recruited staff, Siaosi Sumeo and Arthur Rasmussen, have left the office, and they have been replaced by Francis Betham and Tanielu. Various pieces of work were done by the Public Works Department during the year under review, the principal item being the Assistants' Residence, which was repaired and painted late in 1935.

107

Month. Pressure. Temperature. Rainfall. dl \ y Sunshine. Wind. {& ti.Ill.;. In. °F. In. Per Cent. Hours. Miles per Hour. January .. .. 29-740 78-8 40-88 79 82-3 7-9 February .. .. 29-771 80-1 4-24 82 221-0 7-1 March .. .. 29-786 79-8 22-56 81 166-8 7-1 April .. .. 29-812 79-5 4-02 82 229-9 7-4 May .. .. 29-855 79-0 4-84 81 221-0 6-5 June .. .. 29-873 78-7 2-71 81 246-6 9-5 July .. .. 29-843 79-1 3-05 81 250-9 7-9 August .. .. 29-888 78-2 8-73 80 227-3 8-2 September .. .. 29-858 79-5 7-00 82 245-3 7-9 October ... .. 29-851 80-7 3-61 83 259-3 8-8 November .. .. 29-802 79-8 15-45 82 170-9 5-4 December .. .. 29-757 79-2 16-40 '81 160-6 7-7 Total. Total. Year .. .. 29-820 79-4 133-49 81 2,481-9 7-6