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Volume 22, 1889
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– 562 –

General Remarks for 1889.

January.—Very fine weather, with rainfall considerably below the average, and temperature rather in excess.

February.—In North rain in excess, but below the average in South; temperature in excess; rather strong wind.

March.—Small rainfall in North, but generally showery over centre and in South, and windy, the temperature generally slightly below the average.

April.—Generally fine weather throughout. Earthquake at Rotorua on 19th, at 12.30 p.m., slight, and at Wellington, 8 a.m., slight. Lunar halo on 16th.

May.—Fine seasonable weather; small rainfall in South. Earthquakes at Wellington on 13th and 27th, at 8 a.m., slight.

June.—Excessive rain in North, and generally stormy weather; generally fine in South and cold; the temperature generally below the average.

July—Generally showery weather in North, but little rain in South; moderate winds. Slight earthshakes at Rotorua on 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 25th.

August.—A showery month, but rainfall below the average; some pleasant weather; at times windy. A slight earthshake at Rotorua on 13th.

September.—In the North rainfall rather over the average, but deficient in the South; strong N.E. and N.W. winds prevailed; temperature rather above the average. Earthquake at Wellington on 19th, at 10.30 p.m., slight.

October.—The early part of month showery, generally fine during the latter part; strong N.W. winds over centre; temperature about the average. A meteor observed in South on 30th.

November.—Very fine weather in North, rainfall much below average, rather in excess in South, with strong N.E. winds. Earthquake felt at Wellington on 29th, at 10 p.m., slight.

December.—On the whole fine weather; rainfall under the average; strong N.E. and N.W. winds; temperature rather in excess. Earthquake at Wellington on 10th, at 5.35 p.m., sharp double shock.

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Rainfall Table, 1866 to 1899, showing Deviations from the Mean Annual Fall at Three Selected Stations for Northern, Central, and Southern Districts.

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Auckland. Wellington. Dunedin. Average of same Stations.
Mean annual fall 43.179 51.790 34.672 43.210
Years. Above Av'ge. Below Av'ge. Above Av'ge. Below Av'ge. Above Av'ge. Below Av'ge. Above Av'ge. Below Av'ge.
1866 1.17 10.69 5.67 5.85
1867 10.01 9.84 4.38 1.51
1868 5.91 3.72 .78 2.95
1869 9.63 4.98 1.75 4.27
1870 1.66 3.59 4.53 .86
1871 4.33 12.27 12.52 1.42
1872 1.07 .85 7.28 3.07
1873 1.93 3.19 1.15 .80
1874 8.15 1.71 5.93 4.13
1875 8.14 14.04 7.96 10.04
1876 .85 8.42 3.59 1.33
1877 2.80 .13 2.79 .04
1878 6.01 2.81 10.56 2.45
1879 2.96 5.65 7.43 5.34
1880 4.28 5.03 1.59 3.64
1881 8.94 1.66 8.27 6.29
1882 2.46 3.89 7.12 4.49
1883 8.80 3.26 4.29
1884 5.68 10.24 1.32 1.55
1885 15.04 14.97 10.07 13.37
1886 10.53 2.68 17.96 3.36
1887 5.46 5.17 4.47 1.39
1888 8.57 10.78 13.68 1.90
1889 1.20 20.43 11.22 10.96
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Rainfall for 1889, with Averages for same Months previous
Twenty-two Years.

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Months Auckland. Wellington. Lincoln. Canterbury. Dunedin.
1889. Av'ges prev. Years. 1889. Av'ges. prev. Years. 1889. Av'ges. prev. Years. 1889. Av'ges. prev. Years.
In. In. In. In. In. In. In. In.
January .64 2.80 2.24 3.50 .41 2.27 .44 3.91
February 4.04 3.54 1.48 3.54 .05 2.00 .19 2.66
March .70 2.63 3.97 2.81 4.18 1.80 2.42 2.72
April 1.04 2.82 1.31 3.52 1.60 1.80 1.83 2.19
May 5.41 4.08 .92 4.98 1.36 2.23 .90 3.64
June 10.41 4.77 4.03 5.21 2.84 3.11 1.94 3.64
July 4.38 4.81 3.14 6.10 1.65 2.60 1.55 2.44
August 2.59 4.63 2.59 5.20 .98 2.26 1.82 2.82
September 5.82 3.39 4.78 4.25 3.66 1.76 1.76 2.47
October 3.20 3.24 3.23 4.83 .49 1.72 1.67 2.48
November 1.11 2.75 .94 4.16 1.69 2.18 4.84 2.73
December 2.63 3.22 2.73 3.93 1.42 1.64 4.07 3.15
Totals 41.97 42.68 31.36 52.03 20.33 25.37 23.44 34.85

Earthquakes reported in New Zealand during 1889.

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Place Jan. Feb. Mar. April. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Total.
Gisborne 24† 1
Napier 27 1
Rotorua 19 20, 13 7
21,
22,
23,
25
Marton 20* 1
Woodville 6* 27 12 10* 4
Masterton 6* 12 10* 3
Wellington 19 13, 19 29 10 6
27
Waipawa 27 1
Castlepoint 12 1
Feilding 6* 27 12 20*, 5
10*
Palmerston North 6* 27 2

Note:—The figures denote the day of the month on which one or more shocks were felt. Those with the asterisk affixed were described as smart, those with the dagger as severe shocks. The remainder were only slight tremors, and no doubt escaped record at most stations, there being no instrumental means employed for their detection. These tables are therefore not reliable as far as indicating the geographical distribution of the shocks.

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