Abstract
The cold Benguela current flowing northward along the West Coast of South Africa tends to keep the temperatures along the seaboard low and uniform. On the other hand, under eertain pressure distributions hot dry fdhnlike winds, coming down from the interior 3,000ft.βplateau, and known as berg winds, cause remarkably high temperatures along the coast on the days when they occur. These berg winds are mostly in evidence during the months April to August, their frequency during this period being about eight days per month.
An analysis of extreme temperatures registered at Port Nolloth shows how these hot winds cause a remarkable asymmetry in the frequency distribution of maximum temperatures and to a much lesser degree in that of the minimum temperatures.
There is a very close correlation between the number of berg wind days per month and the mean monthly maximum temperatures along the West Coast, showing that the mean monthly temperatures along the West Coast are markedly influenced by these berg winds.
By disregarding the extreme temperatures registered during berg wind days it is shown that the asymmetry in the temperature frequency distribution curves disappears almost entirely, and by only using the extremes of other days than berg wind days it is further shown what the seasonal variation of mean monthly temperatures would likely be if the Benguela current reigned supreme.