Meteorology of South Africa. 
165 
For the Soiith-East Winds. 
Followed. N. NW. W. SW. S. SE. E. NE. C. Total. 
Times 11 2 10 10 4 24 76 21 13 171 
For the North-East Winds. 
Followed. N. NW. W. SW. S. SE. E. NE. C. Total. 
Times 5 8 88 15 3 15 39 31 5 209 
The result is peculiar, for while the south-east followed the east in the 
majority of cases, the north-east followed that on 39 occasions, but 88 
times it was preceded by a west wind. This latter is evidently due to the 
influence of the Mozambique hot sea current, which, by heating the air 
above it, influences the coastal winds to a considerable extent ; this has 
been found to be the case from observations of barometric pressure. The 
west is a land wind in the true sense of the term, but the north-east is 
only one in relation to the east or south-east winds, which are strictly sea 
winds ; so it will be better not to take notice of the swing from west to 
north-east in studying a question of this kind. 
Looking at the south-east evening observations, there is a falling off 
from April to September inclusive, the full effect of this wind being felt 
during summer. The north-east evening observations are the reverse of 
this, for they are more numerous in winter than in summer, as are also 
the morning observations. In fact, taken as a whole, the summer 
majority rests with the south-east, and the winter one with the north- 
east winds. 
To fully appreciate to what an extent the Mozambique sea current 
effects the coastal wind directions, the following table comprising all the 
observations of winds during the four years, has been prepared ; and it 
will be seen that in the great majority of cases, both morning and evening 
the wind was blowing from the west. The east wind comes next in 
importance, and these two can be called the normal directions, the others 
being more or less land and sea breezes, oscillating therefrom. 
Total 
Wind 
Ohser cations 
during 
Four 
Years. 
N. 
NW. 
w. 
SW. 
s. 
SE. 
E. 
NE. 
A.M. . 
.. 169 
146 
415 
49 
30 
44 
274 
209 
P.M. . 
.. 43 
51 
643 
146 
57 
171 
229 
62 
Totals. 
.. 212 
197 
1058 
195 
87 
215 
503 
271 
West and East Winds. 
These, as before stated, can be considered as normal directions, but 
still there is a difference between them. At Port BHzabeth the east wind 
is a sea wind and the west a land one, so one would expect to find more 
observations of the former of an evening and of the latter of a morning. 
