Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-21
F U NNY NO LONGER
The Hot and Dry Spell Ceases to Be a
Joke
The Record of the Month for Hot
weather-Littlc Rain in Sight
Cooler Weather Predicted.

Washington has been blessed, or other
wise, with one Of the steadiest sieges Of hot
weather that has been known here in q
long time. The weather bureau, however.
promises that the next few days will be
noticeably cooler, and Forecast Officer
Williams assured Star reporter today that
there was every reason to think the prom
ises would be kept. Yesterday and last
night there was a drop in the temperature
all through the interior Of the country to
the west Of US Of from 10 to 20 degrees.
The o'clock reading IN this city this morn
ing was the same as 1t was yesterday
morning, but there has been a disturbance
out in the Atlantic ocean that will force
the cool wave eastward, and 1t is probable
that by sundown this evening there will
be marked change for the better.
The relief will come none too soon, for
July SO far. has been a beauty from a
meteorological point of view. In the matter
or temperature IL may be stated, incidental
ly, that of the first twenty days of July
ten showed a temperature reading of ~
degrees or more. The highest point reached
was ". where 1t went on Friday of last
week. The lowest was 50, but that was so
early in the month that every one has had
fair chance to forget about it, On Thurs
day, July H. the thermometer reached %.
The maximum for each day since then has
been as follows: Friday. 81; Saturday, D3;
neSday, 80; Thursday, %, and yesterday,
%. The sky today was overcast, and part
iy as result of this the mercury did not
go as high today by several degrees as It
did yesterday. AT IL 30 o'clock this morn
ing the automatic recorder connected with
the thermometer at the weather bureau
took drop OF degree or two instead of
going upward as Ii had been doing since
8 o'clock, and Mr.. Williams said that he
thought that was the beginning of the
turn. Throughout the month the humidity
has been rather above the average for
July, and this has had its effect, Of course
in making the weather all the more unbear-
able.
Notwithstanding the fact that July has
been so torrid for It's first two-thirds, the
records show that 1t has not been above the
the temperature struck a rapid gait and has
kept 1t up steadily and without intermis-
sion. Usually In the first twenty days Of
July there are a few cold days at intervals
which make life rather more agreeable, but
for two weeks past one hot day has follow
ed on another hot day without stopping
for the briefest sort Of a breathing spell.
OF the twenty days only nine was the
normal. 4
Tho Dry Spell.
The dry spell has gone hand In hand
with the hot weather and the drought up
to the present time has been long-contnucd
and has undoubtedly done incalculable
harm already. Washington has suffered as
badly as any place, with the exception Of
some parts of the gulf states. where mat
ters have been Just q little bit worse. The
total rainfall in this city In the month Of
June was only lbs inches when the aver
age for the month Is regularly about four
inches. Only three times during the present
month has rain fallen at all, and then in
such limited quantities that 1t has had
practically no good effects. On July 2 thero
was fall Of .01 Of an inch; on July O. 1t
was % Of an inch. and on the 18th, 1t was
.O5 of an inch. The normal rainfall In this
city In July is LOS inches a week. 80 that
1t can readily be seen thet we are running
far behind in this matter. From the 1st of
March. the date at which rainfalls become
Of interest to the farmers. up to the 10th
OF July, Washington was sos inches be-
hind what it should have had. Today we
are about inches behind. The only sort
of rain that would be Of any particular
service now, would be good couple OF
inches falling steadily for a period
of. at least, forty-eight hours. but, unfortu-
nately. there is no prospect Of such q de-
sirable state of things In the near future
although the fall in temperature. which is
expected by this evening, Is expected to re-
suit In local rains.
August Statistics.
The chief Of the weather bureau has d.
rected the publication of some interesting
data. compiled from the record of observa-
d
local station for period Of twenty-three
years. The record Is Of value as giving
some Idea Of what we may reasonably ex-
pect ext month. 1t is as follows:
Mean or normal temperature, "a deerees.
Tn. warmest August was that of 1872, with
an average of 70 degrees. The coldest
August was that of 1874, with an average
of - degrees. The highest temperature
during any August was 1O1 degrees, on the
18th, 1881. The lowest temperature during
CT la
1880. Average precipitation for the month,
4.44 IL che5. Average number of days with
OF OF an inch or more, twelve. The great
est monthly precipitation was 12.93 inches,
| In 1878. The least monthly precipitation
was 0.S5 inches. in 1892. The greatest
amount of precipitation recorded In any
twentyfour consecutive hours was PSI
inches, on August 20, 1915. Average num-
Der OF clio -dless days, 10; average number OF
partly cl5,4dy days. 10; average number of
cloudy days. s. The prevailing winds have
been from the south. The highest velocity
of the wind during any August was fifty
three miles, on the 9TH. 1878.