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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Auckland Provincial District]

Climate

Climate.

The climate of Auckland is, in the opinion of Aucklanders, almost perfect, but it frequently happens that visitors from the southern parts of the Colony find the months of January and February
Victoria Arcade.

Victoria Arcade.

page 48 ruary rather warmer than is quite agreeable. As these months are usually the most convenient for holiday visitors, the effect is that the climate of Auckland is as notorious throughout the Colony for its heat as is that of Wellington for its winds. No one, however, need dread the heat of Auckland, even in the very height of summer. There are some hot days in every year, but the highest temperature recorded for the summer of 1897 was 82 degrees for about a fortnight in the early part of February, while the lowest record for the same month was 56 degrees. The lowest for the year was 40 degrees, and the variation, therefore, was 42 degrees. In Wellington, the maximum was one degree lower, with a variation of 50 degrees. In Christ-church (Lincoln) the maximum was more than six degrees higher than in Auckland, with a variation of 65 degrees. In Dunedin, the maximum was one degree higher than in Auckland, with a variation during the year of 52 degrees. All these readings are, of course, for shade temperature, and are taken at nine o'clock in the morning; but they are sufficient to show that the heat of Auckland never reaches anywhere near the danger line.

During 1897 rain fell on 187 days—slightly above the average—making a total rainfall of 45.36 inches, as against 184 days and 48.49 inches in Wellington, 103 days and 14.48 inches at Lincoln, and 152 days and 38.11 inches in Dunedin.

Undoubtedly the most enjoyable season in Auckland is the autumn. Visitors having any power of choice should certainly take advantage of this season. By the middle of March the heat is certainly not objectionable, and April, May and June, are generally made up of bright, sunny days, cooled by southerly zephyrs, with the temperature ranging between 70 degrees and 40 degrees.

July, August and September are usually very wet, and it frequently rains on two days out of three even in October.

Probably the greatest charm about the Auckland climate is the almost entire absence of distressing winds. Very high winds are, occasionally, experienced, but they are invariably accompanied by heavy rain, the storms being of two or three days' duration and seldom rapidly recurrent. A week of strong wind is absolutely unknown, though a keen south-west breeze, with occasional smart showers, is very common in spring. Gentle zephyrs are the rule in summer, and those who would have them intensified into cool breezes may find the desire of their hearts any evening or early morning, either on the summit of Mount Eden or on the North Shore Ferry boats. Then in the Domain, and in the old cemeteries, there are shady walks which are delightfully cool, even at noontide on the hottest day.

Hot winds, such as are common in Canterbury, are quite unknown in Auckland, though the northerly breezes are occasionally a little enervating, especially to visitors.

Although visitors from the colder parts of the Colony are recommended to choose the autumn for their time in Auckland, those desirous of settling permanently in the province need have no apprehensions as to the probabilities of the climate suiting them. Nothing can be more certain than that the Aucklanders themselves are not distressed with the heat. The tailors find no demand for light textures, and they keep no stock of them, medium and heavy being usually worn; and, though the ladies dress in very light colours, the materials are often decidedly heavy.

The healthiness of the climate is well attested by the statistics of the Registrar-General, and by the strong, healthy appearance of the people, and especially of the young women. Taking the deaths for the year 1897, and excluding those of children under one year, Auckland's record was 9.64 deaths for every one thousand of the population; the figures for Wellington being 9.35; while for Christchurch and Dunedin they were respectively 10.65 and 10.70. Considering that numbers of invalids come to Auckland in search of lost health, often when too late to find it, and that the city is still very imperfectly drained, this is a wonderfully low record, which speaks in most complimentary terms for the much-abused Auckland climate. For reasons unexplained, the mortality of infants under one year is greater in Auckland than elsewhere in the Colony. Including those of all infants, the death rates for the four large centres were: Dunedin, 10.45; Wellington, 11.25; Christchurch, 11.54; and Auckland was at the top with 12.14. Yet even this is well below the averages of Australian cities, while those or the United Kingdom are about fifty per cent. greater. It is probable that an adequate system of drainage, greater attention to street and backyard cleanliness, and much needed improvement in sanitary matters generally, would make Auckland the healthiest city in the Colony. This, however, it can never be while such abominations as open sewers in public parks are permitted. While such death-traps are set for the charges of unwary nursegirls, and until a much more vigilant inspection of dairies is enforced, it will be difficult to reduce the culpably heavy mortality among the infants of Auckland. The fact that the health statistics of the town do not compare very much more unfavourably with those of other New Zealand cities, is probably mainly due to the agreeableness of the Auckland climate, which encourages the people to spend a much larger proportion of their time in the open air, and especially on the harbour, than is usual with the citizens of the south. Without this corrective influence, the poor condition of the drainage, the defective disposal of refuse, and the tendency of the enormous wheel traffic to turn the principal streets into so many miles of stables, would inevitably produce most disastrous results on the health of the people. But Aucklanders are already beginning to pay greater attention to the disposal of refuse; they have hopes that an elaborate and comprehensive system of electric trams will render fairly clean streets a possibility; and they are talking so seriously of improved drainage that it would seem that, after all, they consider low death rates more to be desired than even low city rates.

For old people, and for all who have leisure time to spend in the open air, and the sense to spend that time aright, there can be no doubt that the climate of Auckland is in the highest degree suitable. The harbour ferry boats alone offer a means to health, the value of which it would be difficult to over-estimate, and the benefits of which are being ever more fully appreciated. On the hottest day there is always a refreshing breeze on the harbour; and page 49
Customs House.

Customs House.

the Devonport Ferry Company's season and even ordinary tickets are so very cheap that only the poorest of the people need be shut out from this enjoyable source of health.

Finally, it may be said that the climate of Auckland is one of the chief charms of the city, and must continue an increasingly important factor of progress.