Weather Stations

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This cover is postmarked on 19 January 1983 in Pretoria, home to the Weather Bureau headquarters shown in miniature on the cancellation itself. The four stamps trace South Africa's meteorological reach from the mainland out to some of the most remote weather stations on Earth. Two of the stations pictured sit on opposite ends of the Southern Ocean. Marion Island was annexed by South Africa only in 1947, while Gough Island further west is British territory leased to South Africa for its weather base. The SANAE base shown on the 40c stamp goes further still, sitting on the Antarctic ice shelf itself, where the average summer temperature struggles above -5°C and the winter sun does not rise at all.

Description of the Cachet

The cachet shows Earth from space, Africa turning into view against the dark of the continent below and swirling white cloud over the southern oceans. It sits inside a black square in the lower left of the cover, a quiet contrast to the busy weather station photographs used on the stamps themselves. Above the image the title runs in plain block letters, "Weerstasies" and "Weather Stations". The four stamps sit in the top right, each a photograph of a South African weather installation, from a base perched on a rocky island to a technician working an instrument platform against the sun. A circular Pretoria postmark cancels the stamps, a small illustration of the Weather Bureau building set inside the ring.

Information Card

SOUTH AFRICAN WEATHER STATIONS The weather of a country is influenced by weather conditions within and outside its borders. The regular careful observation of these conditions, both on the surface and in the upper air, forms the basis of meteorology. At the Headquarters of the Weather Bureau in Pretoria, where weather-charts are analysed by hand and by computer, thousands of weather reports in numerical code are received daily from all over the southern hemisphere. These reports are processed before weather forecasts are released to the media, the public, aviation, shipping and other concerns. More as a hundred weather stations are situated right through South Africa with the specific object of supplying the Weather Bureau with timely observations throughout the day. However, it is mainly weather systems that develop over the southern Atlantic and Indian Oceans and move eastwards past the country that cause significant changes in the weather. Weather observations in these extensive surrounding oceans, however, are limited, because ships rarely move in those areas in which meteorologists are chiefly interested. Therefore permanent weather stations were established on Marion and Gough Islands and at Antarctica. Reliable observations from these stations are used to verify observations from ships and floating weather stations (weather buoys), and to calibrate those from weather satellites. Marion Island, which forms part of the Prince Edward Islands and was annexed by South Africa in 1947, is situated on 47° South and 38° East. The island is approximately 22 km long and 14 km wide. The climate is cold, wet and windy, with an average annual temperature of 5°C. Due to the marshy conditions, wooden pathways had to be erected throughout the island. The small beaches teem with sea-elephants, penguins, albatross and other birds. Gough Island, situated 40° South and 10° West, is British domain and the weather base area is leased to South Africa. This island is much smaller than Marion, but also rises from the sea abruptly and steeply, with the same rough and rocky shore-line. The annual temperature averages about 11,5°C, causing slopes to be abundantly covered with moss, grasses, bushes and ferns. Gough is rich in bird-life, and albatross, sea-gulls, storm petrels and penguins abound. Seal and sea-elephant also occur. Since the beginning of 1960 South Africa has maintained a base at 70° South and 2½° West on the ice-shelf surrounding Antarctica. In a year's time such a base is completely buried in snow. Air is sucked in via ventilation shafts and heated, therefore it is quite comfortable inside the huts, even during snowstorms. The climate is extremely cold. The temperature during the summer months averages only -5°C, while there is no sun at all in winter. The base is known as SANAE, abbreviation for South African National Antarctic Expedition. The Department of Transport is responsible for the logistics and administration of the base in Antarctica and those on the two islands. Relief personnel are transported annually on the departmental research and supply vessel, the SA Agulhas, which has been specially strengthened for navigation in pack-ice. Weather observations by weather satellites also monitoring the southern ocean areas are received by the Satellite Remote Sensing Centre of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and relayed to the Weather Bureau. SUID-AFRIKAANSE WEERSTASIES Die weer van 'n land word beïnvloed deur weerstoestande binne en buite sy grense. Die gereelde noukeurige waarneming van hierdie toestande, beide aan die oppervlak en in die lug, vorm die basis van weerkunde. By die Hoofkantoor van die Weerburo in Pretoria, waar weerkaarte per rekenaar ontleed word, word daagliks duisende weerberigte in syferkode van oor die hele suidelike halfrond ontvang. Hierdie berigte word verwerk voordat weervoorspellings aan die media, die publiek, lugvaart, skeepvaart en ander instansies uitgereik word. Meer as 'n honderd weerstasies is versprei oor Suid-Afrika met die spesifieke doel om deur die dag tydige waarnemings aan die Weerburo te voorsien. Dit is egter veral weerstelsels wat oor die suidelike Atlantiese en die Indiese Oseaan ontwikkel en oswaarts verby die land beweeg wat betekenisvolle weersveranderinge veroorsaak. Weerwaarnemings in hierdie uitgestrekte omliggende oseane is egter skaars omdat skepe selde in dié gebiede vaar waarin weerkundiges eintlik belang stel. Permanente weerstasies is gevolglik op Marion- en Gougheiland en in Antarktika gestig. Betroubare waarnemings van hierdie stasies word gebruik om die waarnemings van skepe en drywende weerstasies (weerboeie) te kontroleer en om dié van weersatelliete te kalibreer. Marioneiland, wat deel uitmaak van die Prins Edward-eilandgroep en in 1947 deur Suid-Afrika geannekseer is, is op 47° Suid en 38° Oos geleë. Die eiland is ongeveer 22 km lank en 14 km breed. Die klimaat is koud, nat en winderig, met 'n gemiddelde jaarlikse temperatuur van 5°C. Weens die moerastoestande moes plankbedekte voetpaadjies oral op die eiland aangebring word. Die strandjies wemel van seeolifante, pikkewyne, albatrosse en ander voëls. Gougheiland, geleë op 40° Suid en 10° Wes, is Britse eiendom en die weerbasisgebied word aan Suid-Afrika verhuur. Dié eiland is heelwat kleiner as Marion, maar verrys net so skielik en steil uit die see en het net so 'n rowwe, rotsagtige kuslyn. Die gemiddelde jaarlikse temperatuur is ongeveer 11,5°C, wat meebring dat die hange welig met mos, grasse, bosse en varings bedek is. Gough is ryk aan voëllewe en albatrosse, seemeeue, stormvoëls en pikkewyne is volop. Robbe en seeolifante kom ook voor. Sedert begin 1960 handhaaf Suid-Afrika 'n basis op 70° Suid en 2½° Wes op die ysbank om Antarktika. Só 'n basis is na slegs 'n jaar heeltemal onder sneeu begrawe. Lug word deur die ventilasieskagte ingesuig en verwarm, sodat dit in die hutte heeltemal gerieflik is, selfs wanneer sneeustorms buite woed. Die klimaat is uiters koud. Die gemiddelde temperatuur gedurende die somermaande is slegs -5°C, terwyl die son gedurende die winter glad nie skyn nie. Die basis staan bekend as SANAE, die afkorting van Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Antarktiese Ekspedisie. Die Departement van Vervoer is verantwoordelik vir die logistiek en administrasie van die basisse in Antarktika en op die twee eilande. Aflospersoneel word jaarliks met die departementele navorsing- en voorraadskip, die SA Agulhas, vervoer. Dié skip is spesiaal verstek vir navigasie in pakys. Weerwaarnemings van weersatelliete wat ook die suidelike oseaangebiede dek, word deur die Satelliet-afstandswaarnemingsentrum van die Wetenskaplike en Nywerheidnavorsingsraad ontvang en aan die Weerburo voorsien.

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