for Taranaki (56.8 degs.) the next, while Wellington is the lowest (55.7 degs.)
In the South Island, Christchurch and Nelson show the highest annual mean temperature (55.1 and 55.0 degs.), and Dunedin is very much lower, viz. 50.7 degs.
January and February, corresponding to July and August in England, are the two warmest months in New Zealand; and July and August, the two coldest (excepting in Nelson and Wellington, at which places the mean readings are lowest for June and July).
The climate of London is 7.2 degrees colder than that of the North Island, and 3.8 degrees colder than the South Island of New Zealand; and the difference between the mean annual temperature of the whole of New Zealand and that of London is 5.7 degs., the former being 55.7 degs., and the latter 50 degs.
The following are the means for the two warmest and two coldest months in the year in the several localities, with their differences:—
| Auckland. | Taranaki. | Wellington. | Nelson. | Christchurch. | Dunedin. |
| 69.6 | 64.7 | 64.6 | 63.6 | 65.2 | 58.0 |
| 53.1 | 49.3 | 47.8 | 45.9 | 44.3 | 43.2 |
| 16.5 | 15.4 | 16.8 | 17.7 | 20.9 | 14.8 |
From which we find that the average difference between the mean temperature of the warmest and coldest months of the year in New Zealand is 17 degs.; at Rome it is 27 degs., at Montpellier 33 degs., at Milan 38 degs., and at Jersey 22 degs.
The observations from these six stations have been selected to form the above table, as they extend over a tolerably long period, and give a fair comparison of the climate of the North and South Islands.
TABLE II.—Showing the Influence of the Southern Alps on the Climate of the East and West Coasts of the South Island, from Averages for the years 1866 and 1867.
| Locality. | Mean Annual Temperature. |
Maximum Solar Radiation recorded. |
Minimum Terrestrial Radiation recorded. |
Mean Elastic Force of Vapour. |
Mean Degree of Moisture. |
Mean Annual Rainfall. |
Average Number of Days on which Rain fell. |
Average Velocity of Wind, in miles per day. |
| Degs. | Degs. | Degs. | Inches. | Sat.=100 | Inches. | Days. | Miles. | |
| Christchurch (East Coast) |
53.3 | 137. Feb. | 18. July | .347 | 76 | 24.70 | 91 | 165 |
| Hokitika (West Coast) |
52.3 | 103. Jan. | 22. Aug. | .393 | 89 | 119.00 | 202 | 133 |
