J^^i^ 2, 1908.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 591 



Meteorological Bureau, No. 4 Division, 

 New South Wales. 



Weather Conditions during May, 1908. 



S. WILSON, 

 Divisional OfficL-r. 



At the beginning of the iiKinth an irregular-slmpeil high jnvssiue covered the 

 mainland of Aiistraha, ^\itll the exception of the fai" western and soutli- 

 eastern portions, where two depressions svere shown. The "low" in the 

 south-east was rather energetic, and had its centre over the ocean to the 

 south-east of Tasmania. Strong westerly to south-westerly winds and rougli 

 seas occurred in Bass Strait and over and around Tasmania. Light rainfall 

 was reported from scattered places in tlie southern border of Australia and 

 along the coast of Queensland. In Xew .South Wales the rain was confined 

 to the Murray, the southern half of lliverina, and here and there on the 

 slopes ; elsewhere over the continent the weather was fine and pleasant. 



Between the 2nd and 4th the several pressure systems advanced eastward 

 at about the normal rate, the centre of the "high "' being now in the soutli- 

 east of Queensland, and that of the depression between Tasmania arid The 

 Bluff (Ne\\- Zeahmd). Barometric conditions over the western half of 

 Australia were flat and incipient. With this distribution of atmospheric 

 pressure, further light to heavy rainfall was recorded in West Australia and 

 in the southern districts of the south-eastern States, but fine weather ruled in 

 the interior. Strong winds, attaining the force of a fresh gale, occurred in 

 Bass Strait and Tasmania, with moderate to rough seas. The heaviest 

 reported rainfall was 145 jioints at Eyre, 137 at Bunbury, 86 at Carnar\on, 

 and 83 at Leeuwin. In our State 50 points at Carcoar was the largest amount. 



On the 5th the centre of the high pressiu-e had almost passed off the 

 mainland, but ajiotlier had appeared in West Australia, with its centre. 30*2 

 inches, in the south-western corner. Between these two anticyclones there was 

 a new depression centrally situated to the south-west of Streaky Bay, with its 

 northern limits extending inland as far as Charlotte W^aters. Strong winds, 

 moderate to rough seas, and a continuation of the rainy conditions in southern 

 districts resulted from this distribution. By the following day the weather 

 over the western half of the continent held come under the ci>nti(il of the hiafh 

 pressure, which liad expanded southwards; whilst that of the soutli-eastern 

 States, the Tasman Sea, and New Zealand was governed by a remarkable 

 Antarctic ]ovv-])ressure system, whose lowest barometric value, 29' 17 inches, 

 was on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand, resulting in ^ery 

 steep gradients, and, consequently, fresh to very strong gales and rough to higli 

 seas between Tasmania and New Zealand. Light scatteretl rainfall and frosty 

 i-onditions were reported from our southern districts, and all along the 

 southern seaboard of the contineni. 



