Page:Types of Australian weather.djvu/32

28 notherlynortherly [sic] to southerly winds, but from north-west to south-west winds; all these conditions combine to strengthen the westerly circulation, until at times they seem to be like the brave west winds of the roaring forties.

On the east coast they extend further north than they do inland, and at times include Brisbane within their influence. When very strong the anticyclone is elongated and the southern isobars are flattened. (See Chart 30). They are very cold and dry, having all the raw feeling of the easterly winds of England, and have been known to last for several weeks without intermission; they are the most persistent winds during our winter. In heavy westerly winds the cold is very severe in Bass' Straits, between the south coast of Victoria and Tasmania, rain, hail, and sleet being very common. It is almost needless to say that on land they bring very little rain, and they rapidly dry up the soil. The severe drought of 1895 was largely due to the persistent westerly winds which rapidly dried up the occasional rains; this feature becomes intensified if instead of coming from due west they blow from north-west.