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islands are co-ordinated under a Principal Meteorologist stationed at Suva. During tlie war a comprehensive weather-reporting network was built up by the Allied Services in the South Pacific, but much of this collapsed with the withdrawal and demobilization of the various military units concerned. It will necessarily take a considerable time to bring the network to the ultimate standard required for civil purposes. Because weather reports covering a very wide area are necessary for successful forecasting, international co-operation in the field of meteorology is not only desirable, but is an essential feature. During the war the work of the International Meteorological Organization was of necessity very restricted, but, with the cessation of hostilities, full activity has been restored. In particular, considerable progress has been made in the difficult problem of securing world uniformity in the codes by which meteorological information is exchanged. To initiate the post-war work an extraordinary Conference of Directors of the International Meteorological Organization was held in London at the end of February, 1946, and was attended by the Director. A further Conference of Directors is to be held in Washington in September, 1947, preceded by meetings at Toronto of various Commissions. Flight Lieutenant J. F. Gabites, Officer in Charge of Aviation Meteorological Services, who was in London with the Victory Contingent, represented the New Zealand Meteorological Service at the meetings of the Commission for Synoptic Weather Information and the Commission for Aviation Meteorology which met at Paris in June, 1946. The South-west Pacific Regional Commission of the Organization met in Melbourne in February, 1947, and was attended by the Director and the Officer in Charge of Aviation Meteorological Services. At this meeting representatives were present from United States of Amercia, France, the Philippines, the Netherlands East Indies, Australia, and New Zealand. Good progress was made towards the coordination and unification of facilities throughout the area, particularly in respect to such matters as weather reports from ships, exchange of meteorological information, regional broadcasts, codes, &c. Reference will be made in the next section to meetings of the Meteorological Committees of the South Pacific Air Transport Council and of the Provisional International Civil Aviation Organization. Aviation Meteorology The Meteorological Branch has continued to provide detailed forcasts and weather information for both Service and civil aircraft operating within New Zealand, on the overseas routes to Australia, Norfolk Island, New Caledonia, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, and the Cook Islands, and on sporadic flights to Chatham Islands, the Solomons, Gilbert and Ellice Groups, and French Oceania. Aviation forecasting offices were maintained at Lauthala Bay (Suva), Mechanics Bay (Auckland), Rongotai Aerodrome (Wellington), Wigram Aerodrome (Christchurch), and Taieri Aerodrome (Dunedin). Similar offices were located at Whenuapai Aerodrome (Auckland) and Ohakea Aereodrome, but had to be reduced in status to observing stations towards the end of 1946 owing to the depletion of professional staffs. Meteorological observing staffs maintained liaison with the appropriate forecasting offices to procure forecasts or other information required at Nausori (Fiji), Fua' Amotu (Tonga), Faleolo (Samoa), Aitutaki and Rarotonga (Cook Islands), Norfolk Island, Waipapakauri (Kaitaia), New Plymouth, Gisborne, Palmerston North, Nelson, Hokitika, Woodbourne (Blenheim), Hare wood (Christchurch), and Invercargill Aerodromes. Forecasts required at other aerodromes were provided by telephone. During daylight hours the normal three-hourly collection of weather reports was supplemented by hourly reports from about twenty aerodromes within New Zealand. These were exchanged between the eight offices on the meteorological teleprinter network and made available by aeradio to other aerodromes. These reports were passed to the air traffic control centres and to flying control officers on aerodromes as well as being made available to pilots.

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