Hood. — On the Hot Winds of Canterbury and Hawhe Bay. 107 



Storms of the first order will continue for a week, bringing rain at 

 intervals. Those of the second class are usually driven back by the south 

 wind. 



Fitful and hot winds invariably die away and are succeeded by rain. 



A north-wester may prevail on the lake and the lower part of the gorges, 

 while an equally strong wind may blow from the south in the upper part of 

 the gorge. This is remarkable, as high continuous ranges hem these gorges in 

 on all sides, save that already occupied by the north-west current. Sometimes 

 a nortli-w^ester may be seen to drift the snow off the top of Mount Cook in a 

 south-east direction. But on such occasions it has either blown since the 

 previous evening, or commenced before sunrise. North-westers which begin 

 after sunrise are usually indicated by a few light coloured clouds in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Mount Cook and the higher peaks of the main range. In this 

 region at all times thunder prevails, but chiefly in the winter with north-- 

 west wind and rain. 



» 



I might have added yet further to these remarks, but I think that I have 

 said sufficient to show " Its an ill-wind that blaws naebody guid," and that 

 the north-wester is not quite such a bad friend as we took him to be. 



Art. YII. — Observations regarding the Hot Winds of Canterbury and Hawhe 

 Bay. By T. H. Cockburn-Hood, E.G.S. 



\^Read before the Wellington PJiilosopJucal Society, 2oth July, 1874,] 



During the conversation which took place at the last meeting, after the Presi- 

 dent's very suggestive address, doubts were expressed as to the hot winds of 

 Australia having any influence upon the climate of New Zealand. The subject 

 is an interesting one, and I take the opportunity of noticing some facts con- 

 nected with it, which may be worth the consideration of those who have given 

 attention to the meteorology of this portion of the southern hemisphere. 



My first visit to New Zealand was in the year 1858. A fierce hot wind 

 which had blown for some days carried us out of Sydney harbour, and filled 

 our sails for a few hours after leaving the coast, when it suddenly dropped, 

 and we encountered one of those severe southerly gales, locally called " brick- 

 fielders," which was, however, as they are generally, of short duration. As 

 the dense black storm-drift rolled up along the sea, the red-edged clouds borne 

 on the north-wester could be observed rapidly passing on above it. During 

 the remainder of the voyage we had strong southerly and south-easterly breezes, 

 with cloudy weather and heavy rain as we entered Cook Strait. 



