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REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE METEOROLOGICAL OFFICE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1940. The Hon. the Minister of Defence. I have the honour to submit the following report on the work of the Meteorological Office for the year ended 31st March, 1940. War Organization. Following a recommendation of the Organization for National Security, the control of the Meteorological Service in New Zealand was transferred, on the outbreak of war, from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research to the Air Department. Due to the close co-operation which already existed between the Meteorological Office and both the Air Force and Civil Aviation Branches of the Air Department, the transfer has involved no appreciable change in the general organization of the Service. General. It is with deep regret that we record the sudden death, on 12th. June, 1939, of Dr. Edward Kidson, who had been Director of the Meteorological Office since 1927. When Dr. Kidson assumed control of the Office he set himself the task of building up a scientific weather service in this country. He foresaw the coming development of aviation and the important part which New Zealand would play in trans-oceanic air services, and he strove to anticipate the ever-increasing demands for meteorological information which have arisen. When he took charge he had a staff of four ; at the time of his death it exceeded forty. Though he did not live to see the inauguration of regular trans-Tasman and trans-Pacific flights, to him is due the credit, from the meteorological side, for making such services possible as far as New Zealand is concerned. Again, he had always stressed the importance of an adequate meteorological service in the event of war, and this aspect he had constantly in mind in his development of the service. In the passing of Dr. Kidson the British Empire lost a meteorologist of the highest standing. In last year's report emphasis was laid on the importance of communication services in the meteorological organization, and the assistance of the Post and Telegraph Department, the National Broadcasting Service, and the Aeradio Committee in this connection is gratefully acknowledged. Valuable co-operation has also been received from the Public Works Department Aerodromes Branch, the Marine Department, the Forestry Department, and the Department of Agriculture. A special word of thanks is also due to the large number of voluntary observers throughout the country, without whose continued help the greater part of the climatological work of the Office would cease. We are also indebted to the Wellington Branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand for presenting to the Office a large number of meteorological books and publications which hitherto had been included in the library of the Society. Climatology. During the year the demand for climatological information has shown a marked increase. The requests received cover a wide range of subjects and vary in their nature. An example of the more comprehensive type of report was that presented to the Sheep Industry Commission. Again, many Government Departments have been supplied with extensive and detailed statistical data for special surveys. Besides these, numerous shorter inquiries have been dealt with, and the demands of educational authorities and students have been met as far as possible. An increasing number of private people and firms seek reliable information from the wealth of the records accumulated in the Meteorological Office throughout the years. With the establishment of climatological stations at Wallaceville, Maioro, and the Kermadecs, the total number furnishing data now stands at sixty-four for the Dominion, besides eight for the Pacific Islands under New Zealand administration. All these stations record daily rainfall maximum and minimum screen temperatures and 9 a.m. temperature and humidity. Certain of them record barometric pressure, soil temperatures, duration of bright sunshine, and the run of the wind. Another 500 stations are supplied with rain-gauges by the Meteorological Office and continue to forward monthly returns of daily rainfalls, and may add useful information concerning special phenomena. During the year the tabulation of continuous records of humidity was begun at Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, and of pressure, temperature, humidity, and rainfall at Ohakea, while the previous tabulations were continued of pressure, temperature, rainfall, and wind at Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, of temperature at Alexandra, and of sunshine, cloud, and visibility at Wellington. Wind data are being extracted from Dines Anemometer Charts from nine instruments in addition to those at Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. Most of these have been established by the Public Works Department. The Aerodromes Branch of that Department also collects detailed returns from the various aerodromes under its control, and the Meteorological Office extracts and summarizes this information which relates especially to cloudiness, height of low cloud, visibility, and winds. Unfortunately, circumstances during the past year or two have not made it possible to arrange adequate systematic inspections of the instruments and sites of the observing-stations.

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