The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-16 00:00:00

THE WEATHER DURING THE
QUARTER ENDING WITH SEPTEMBER.
James Glaisher, Esq., F.R.S,, F.R.A.S., of the
Royal Observatory, Greetmich, appended the follow-
ing meteorological report to that of the Registrar-
General which we published on Wednesday.
The mean daily temperatures of the air from July
1 to July 17 were above their average values, the
mean excess was 3.2 deg. ; from July 18 to August 5
they were below their average values, the mea❑ defi-
ciency was 2.2 degs. from August 6 to August 12.
The temperature was high, its mean daily excess was
6.0 deg. ; from August 13 to August 19 the mean
deficiency was 1 9 deg. ; from August 20 to Septem-
ber 15 the temperature was high, its mean excess was
4 degs., this period was distinguished by a thick and
stagnant atmosphere, and the air was for the most
part very close and oppressive. The temperature
was 3.3 deg. below its average from September 11
to September 21, and it was 5.5 deg. in excess
from September 22 to the end of the quarter.
The summer has been warm and dry, without
great heat; thunder-storms have been very frequent
during the quarter, the air has been for the most
part unusually dry ; the amount of rain has been for
than usual in latitude S. of 53 deg., and N. of this
parallel it has been greater. The magnets have been
seldom disturbed during the quarter, and the amount
of electricity, though less than usual, seems to have
been so in consequence of the less amount of humidity
of the air.

The weather has been much finer in the southern
than in the northern parts of the country.
The mean temperature of the three months ending
August, constituting the three summer months, was
61 deg., and that of the average of seventy summers is
60 deg.
The mean reading of the barometer at Greenwich
in July was 29189 inches, in August was 29.841,
and in September was 29767; these values are re-
spectively 0 011 less, 0.060 greater, and 0.048 less
than the averages of the same months from the pre-
ceding eight years
The reading of the barometer was 30.03 inches
at the beginning of July; it decreased to 29.56 en
the evening of the 4th, when it began to increase,
and passed the point 30 inches during the afternoon
hours of the Bth, and was 30 25 on the 11th at 9 A.M.
This was the highest reading in the month. The
reading decreased below 30 inches on the 15th and to
29 40 by the morning of the 20th ; it then increased
to 29 94 by noon on the 23d, it then decreased to
29 31 inches on the 25th, and this was the lowest
reading in the month; it then increased to 29.80 by
the evening of the 28th, then decreased to 29 52 at
3 P.M on the 30. h, and after this increased to 2980
at the end of the month. The range of readings
during the month was 0 94. In August the reading
increased to 3002 on the morning of the 2,1,
at 9 A ; decreased to 2978 on the sth,
at 10 A.M. ; increased to 29 95 on the 7th,
at 9 A.M. ; decreased to 29 56 by the 9th,
at 9 P.M.; increased to 29 95 on the 7th at 9 A.M.;
decreased to 29 56 by the 9th at 9 P.M. ; increased
to 29.79 on the 11th at 9 A.M. ; decreased to 29.46
by the 13th at 3 p.m. ; increased to 29.74 by 3
P.M. on the 15th ; decreased to 2954 on the 16d1 at
3 P.M. ; it then increased and passed the point 30
inches about midnight on the 18th, and was 30 22 on
the 21st, at which reading it continued almost all the
day, and then decreased slowly, passing below 30
inches after noon on the 25th to 29.69 on the 30th at
9 r.ai , and then increased to 29 74 by the 31st. Ihe
range of readings in the month was 0 66.
The reading decreased on September 1 to 29.50 at
9 P.M., then increased slowly till the 7th at midnight,
when it was 30.05 ; the decrease on the Bth was slow,
it was rapid on the 9th and 10th, and the reading on
the 11th was 29 inches i:early all the day; on the
12th, at noon, the reading was 28.88, being the lowest
in the quarter; after this time the reading increased,
and passed the point 30 inches before noon on the 14th,
and continued to increase till the 19th at noon, when
it was 3036, being the highest in the quarter ; after
this it decreased, and passed below 30 inches before
noon on the 22d, and continued to decrease till the
27th, at 3 P.M., when it was 29 61 ; it then decreased
slightly to 29.73 on the morning of the 28th; and
then decreased to 29.08 by the end of the month.
The range in the month was 1.48, being greater than
usual.
The average weight of a cubic foot of air under the
average temperature, humidity and pressure, was
524.6 grains ; the average for the preceding eight
years was 525.8 grains.
The rain fallen at Greenwich in July was 2.9 inches,

n August was 0.45 inch, and in September was 3 3

inches—. The amount for the quarter was 6.6 inches;
the average amount for this quarter in the preceding
8 years was 7.2 inches.
I'he fall of rain in August was less than has fallen

in any August since the year 1819.
The average fall of rain at Greenwich from 33
years' observations in July is 2.5 in August 2 4, and
in September 2 4 inches. The fall was less than its
average at places south of latitude 53 deg., exclusive
of Cornwall and Devonshire ; it was about its average
fall between 53 and 54 deg. of latitude, and north of
54 deg. the fall was greater than usual. The
excess of rain in the quarter in the counties of
Cornwall and Devonshire is owing to the remark-
able falls which occurred in Cornwall on
September 22d and on September 26th. The ob-
server at Helston mentions the falls on the nights of
those days as very remarkable. The observer at
Falmouth says, " A greater quantity of rain fell on
the nights of the 22d and 26thof September than I have
measured in the same time for 12 years, viz., 1925
and 1.964 inches respectively." The observer at
Truro says, '° The quantity of rain for September is
most extraordinary, amounting to 9.25 inches, parti-
cularly the amount which fell on the 22d, viz., 4.24
inches; on the 26th a large quantity also fell, viz.,
300 inches. The total for the month exceeded that
registered in any previous month during the period of
our observations (11 years) except in one instance,
when, in the same month of September, it slightly
exceeded the present amount. The largest fall in any
day previously noted was 2 10 inches (in De-
cember, 1848), so that the quantity on the 22d of
September is double that on any former day, and is
rendered more remarkable by being followed in four
days by another far exceeding all except itself."
These remarkable falls seem to have been confined
almost entirely to the county of Cornwall.
The directions of the wind at Greenwich were S.W.
and N.W. till July 8, it was N.E. from the 10th to the
16th, and it was mostly S.W. from the 17th to the
end of the month. From August 2 to 6 was N.IV.
and N.E.; it was S.W. from the Bth to the 17th ; and
was chiefly N.W. till the end of August. It was
mostly N. from September 1 to 8 ; S.W. from the
10th to the 16th ; and N. and N.E. after that time.
From the observations of the direction of the wind
which have been taken daily at most of the principal
railway stations, it appears that the general direction
was the same all over the country at tunes when the
air has been in quick motion, but that at other times
its direction has been variable, and very frequently in
a calm state at places whose elevation is inconsiderable.
The daily horizontal movement of the air in July
was 120 miles; from August 1 to 11 was 50 miles;
from August 12 to 16 was 170 miles; and from
August 17 to the end of the quarter was about 55
miles, except on September 11 and 12, when it
amounted to 190 miles daily. The average daily
horizontal movement of the air during the quarter is
about 120 miles. Thereore, during the months of
August and September, the movement of the air was
about one half the usual amount.
This remark applies to the place at which Osler's
Anemometer is placed at Greenwich, viz., at an ele-
vation of upwards of 200 feet above the level of the
sea, and near the northern extremity of the table-
land forming Blackheath. At places at a less eleva-
tion the movement of the air was very much less
than the above. On many days, when a strong
breeze was blowing on the top of the observatory,
and over Blackheath, there was not the slightest mo-
tion in the air near the banks of the Thames ; and
this remarkable calm continued for some days toge-
ther, particularly from August 19 to 24, on the 29th,
from September 1 to 10, and after September 15.
On September 11 and 12 the whole mass of air at
all places was in motion, and for the first time for
nearly three weeks the hills ,at Hampstead and High-
gate were seen clearly from Greenwich. After the
15th of September to the end of the quarter the air
was in very little motion.
From the published observations of the strength of
the wind daily at all parts of the country, it would
seem that the air has been for days together in a
stagnant state at all places whose elevation above the
sea is small.
The readings of the thermometer on grass, in July,
were below 40 deg. on four nights, the lowest was
32 deg. 8 min. ; between 40 deg. and 50 deg. on
twenty nights, and above 50 deg on seven nights. In
August the readings were below 40 deg. on five
nights; the lowest reading was 34 deg. 5 min.;
between 40 deg. and 50 deg. on ten nights ; and
between 50 deg. and 60 deg. on twelve nights. In
September the readings were below 40 deg. on six
nights; between 30 deg. and 40 deg. on twelve
nights ; and about 50 deg. on ten nights.
At Cardington the lowest reading on grass in July
was 31 deg. 8 min., in August was 32 deg., an 1 in
September was 27 deg. The mean of all the lowest
readings was 45 deg. 5 min. in July, 47 deg. 6 min.
in August, and was 44 deg. 1 min. in September.
There were three exhibitions of the Aurora
Borealis—the first was seen on August 18, at White
haven; the second was seen at Latimer on September '
3, and at eight, r m., when a rose-coloured auroral
arch was seen extending from S.W. to N.E., across
the zenith ; and on Sept. 16 an Aurora was seen at
Stonyhurst.
Thunder-storms occurred on July 18 at Notting- !

ham and Leicester ; on July 19 at Camberwell,
Saffron Walden, Ucldeld, and Greenwich ; on
July 20 at Nottingham, Camberwell, Saffron Walden,
Leicester, Uckfield, and Greenwich ; on July 23, at