MARCH, 19%). MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. 169
moderate winds were recorded by vessels in the imme- diate vicinity, while moderate to strong gales prevailed over a portion of the steamer lanes, accompnied by comparative.ly high pressure. During the nest 24 hours this disturbance moved northeastward along t.he coast, as on the 6trh the center was near Nantucket, the weat.her conditions having changed but little. The disturbance continued its northeasterly drift and on the 7th was off the west coast of Kewfoundland. At t.he same t.ime t.here was a second LOW o\-er the North Sea, and heavy weather was experienced over the greater part of t.he ocean north of the 40th parallel. The storm log from the British S. S. Stunmore is as follows:
Gale began on the 6th: position 48' N., 67' 53' W. End of gale on the 7th. High& force of wind, 10; shifb of wind, 8.-W.
From the Sth to the 12t.h moderate weat,her wit,li high pressure w-as the rule over the greater part of t,he ocean. although on the 1lt.h and 12th moderate gales were reported over a limited area between t,he 20th parallel
and the European coast. By the 13th the storm area had extended to a consider- able extent, reaching as far west as the %t,h meridian, and there was a second disturbance central near the Virginia Capes, with southerly gales dong the American coast between Kantucket and Charleston. On March 14, as shown on Chart IX, this disturbance had increased considerabl in intensity. Irehncl was
also surrounded by a weldeydoped LOW, and strong westerly gales covered the eastern and western sei: t,ions of the steamer lanes. Chart X for March 15, shows that both of these dis- turbances had decreased in intensity during the nest 24
hours, as by the 15th the storm area had cont,ract,ed in area, and comparatively few rep0rt.s of gales were
receired. The storm log from the American S. S. S~mcrr'can. Siu.? is as folloa-9:
Loyst barometer 39.24 inches at 6 p. m. on the 13th; position 38" 30' N.. 11' 17/ W. End of gale on the 15th. Highest force of wind, 10; shift.s of wind, SW.-W.
From t,he 16th t,o t.he 23d conditions over the ocean were comparatively featureless, although on the 31st a few reports were received denbting moderate gales hetween t.he 4Otah and 45th p-wallels and 55th and 63d nieridia.ns. Cliart,s SI to S I V show the wind and weather condi- tions during tlie period from t,he 24th t.0 t,he B i t h , both inclusive, with the nearly stationary storm area over the mid nncl eastern sections of tlie steamer lanes. The observer on t.he Be1sia.n S. S. Ega.ln.tier ststes in the st.orm log:
Lowest barometer 29.W inches at 9:30 a. m. on the 24th; pwition Xio 0'2' K.. 2.5' 1V W. End of gale on the 38th. Highest. force. 12; shifts of wind, K.-W.-NW.
On t,he 25tJ1i a f e r vessels hetween t.he 4Sth and 53d prallels and t,he 20th and 25t.h nieridians encountered severe nortlierlj- ga.les. u-hile light t.0 moderate li-inds pre- vailed ol-er the remaiiidcr of the ocean, escept that one vessel nhout 200 miles nort.li or Berniucltl, reijorted a wrest- erly wind of a.hout 50 miles ai1 hour. This disturbance must ha\-e heen very local in its (.linracter, as n.ll other vessels in t1ia.t vicinity enc*ounterecl niotlerate winds. The ol-iser\.er on the Brit.isli S. P. I'mimwict reports as
foll01t-s :
On March 31, at 2 a. m. (G . M. T.). in latitude 37' 50' N., longitude 65" 30' W.. we encountered a cyclonic sqiiall. The water was boiling a.nd whirling in several places, the highest spiral being about 40 feet above the water. A strong weskrly wind. force 9. was hlowing at the time, with a rough sea and steady lmometer of 29.94 inches. Cumulus and rirro-cumulus rlouds.
Gale began on t.he 12th.
Gale began on the 53d.
NOTES ON WEATHER IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD.
Nova Scotia.-Hdifau, March 2.-A.rctic ice packs, literally black with walrus, seals and other 01ar crea-
porh * * * [of] sailors and overland travelers. The solid ice extends farther south than a t any time within years, with the bays and inlets fringing the New- foundland coast locked tightly. Newfoundland is ice bound and railroads are com- pletely tied up. Inhabitants in the interior are sufler- ing intensely.-Clieago Evening Journal, March 2, 1920. C'wba.-Habana, March 21 .-A heavy downpour of
rain accompanied by a hailstorm of unprecendented violence swept over the city this afternoon, flooding houses in the lower sections of the city, paralyzing street car traffic for near1 two hours and causing numer-
* * * The hailstorm, the first in sixteen years, is said to have been the heaviest and the hailstones the largest ever seen here.- Washington (0. C.) Evening
star. British Isles.-Like the three months which pre-
ceded it, March was notable for its unusual mildness.
* * * During the greater part of the month there was a preponderance of winds from westerly or south- westerly quarters, winds which were, moreover, fre uently accompanied bp copious precipitation in the ?om of snow, sleet, hail and rain. * * * A strik- ing feature of the month was the frequency of warm days; at Kew Observatory, for instance, the mLsimum
tures, are the largest within memory, accor B ing to re-
ous minor accidents and f oss of small craft in the harbor.
temperature was between 55' F. and 66' F. on 16 occa-
sions, and fell below the normal on only five days.
* * * The general rainfall espressed as a percent- age of the average was: England and Wales, 150; Scotland, 137; Ireland, 129. I n London (Camden Square) there was frequent but light rain. The mean temperature was 46.7' F., or 4.6' above the aver e
being the highest value recorded for March durin
63 years' record.-The di~teoro7ogieal Magazine, &ril, 1990, p . 51. Baltic rqion.-In western Euro e March was not so
eastward into the Baltic the weather continued un- usually warm, and a t Helsingfors and Reval the sea was unusually free from ice. Early in the month a ale in the Baltic caused loss of life.-The Meteoro-
ogieai! Bagazine, A i d , 1920,
ers * * have been missing since the recent hurri- cane over the Mediterranean, and it is believed they were lost with all hands 1421 * * *.--New York Even- i?lg Post, Jfarch. 37, 19.20. Near East.-The cold and stormy conditions of Feb- ruary in the Near East continued into March, with an intensity unequaled for many years, culminating about the 9th in a hurricane in theBlack Sea, which destroyed an American Red Cross steamer, with the loss of 500
invalided soldiem- The Meteoro7ogicaZ Magazine, Api7, 1920, p. 56.
disturbed as February, but in t g e British Isles and
Beditewa n ean .- 6 aris, M a r c ~k !~"w o French steam- f *