Meeson. — The Rainfall of New Zealand. o59 



Meteorological Eeports of 1869-79, giving the prevailing winds 

 at all the principal stations, presents the following results : — 



Dr. Hann, in his essay on the climate of New Zealand, and 

 Buchan in the " Mean Pressure over the Globe," make the 

 most prevalent winds of the North Island to be south-west, 

 west, and north-west ; and of the South Island, west, south- 

 west, north-west, and north-east ; and of Hokitika in par- 

 ticular, south-west and north-east — which, notwithstanding a 

 general agreement, does not seem exactly to tally with the 

 meteorological tables of 1869-79 just referred to. But into 

 a criticism of this matter it does not seem desirable to enter 

 at present, for, whatever the prevalent winds may be, it does 

 not follow that those are the rain-bringers : indeed, we know- 

 well that in many cases they are not. Tlie north-east wind, 

 e.g., although in many parts of the Islands, and specially on 

 the east coasts, a very prevalent wind, does not seem, except 

 at Nelson, to bring anywhere the bulk of the yearly supply of 

 moisture, though very heavy rain comes occasionally from the 

 north-east at Auckland, and probably elsewhere on the east 

 coast of the North Islaiid. The north-east wind of Christ- 

 church, so common and so trying in spring and early summer, 

 brings only 12 per cent, of the yearly rainfall, and is, as a 

 rule, a hard and dry wind, very biting and yet not sending 

 down the thermometer at all low. The south-east and north- 

 east winds of Hokitika, though very frequent, are not heavy 

 rain-bringers, and can scarcely be expected to be so considering 

 whence they come. They are probably reflex under-currents, 

 produced by the north-west and south-west winds respectively. 

 That the north-w-est is the most frequent upper wind in 

 Westland is shown by the fact that at the Bealey it is recorded 

 as blowing 220 days in the year. 



But if the prevalent winds blow from the sea to a moun- 

 tainous shore — and from whatever quarter the wind comes in 



* 220 days in year. 



