The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-21

Timely Meteorological Report for
that Country and the Philippines.
New York Post


With remarkable timeliness comes a gov
eminent publication from the Weather Blu
reau relating to the climate of Cuba, with
note also upon the weather of Manila. Most
or the precise meteorological information
upon Cuba available is summarized in this
pamphlet. An interesting comparison is
MADE between the average summer temper
AZURE OF HAVANA and Washington, showing
elghty-tWo degrees for the former and but
SeVenty-f1Ve degrees for the latter, while the
average amount of rainfall in the Cuban
city IS seven 1ncnes more than at our capt.
tai Though systematic meteorological OBJ
Servations seem to have been begun al Ha-
Vana about 1850, the first regularly pub
lished observations, instituted at Belen Col
lege, Havana, in 1882 have been continued
to the present time in annual volumes. For
other Cuban localities facts are very scan
ty, fragmentary observations only having
been made at Ubajay GAP feet above the
sea-, at Matanzas, the San Fernando mines,
The extreme length of the island is about
100 miles, with an average width of one
tenth that amount, the country gently I'M
highest mountain, Pico de Tarquino, rises
1850 feet, and lesser ridge practically di-
vides the island into two watersheds, whose
rivers flow north and south. Variations in
temperature and rainfall are caused largely
by differences in altitude and position, with
reference to the prevailing winds, which
blow for the most part from the east the
northeast trades being especially regular
and uniform. The warmest month is July.
At Santiago the temperature is higher than
on the northern and western coasts. In
Havana sudden changes are frequent, one
record showing for three hours drop from
eighty-nine degrees to SeVenty-fOur degrees.
The warmeSt hours are between noon and
2 O'Clock. Absolute humidity is very great,
while the average rainfall is about fifty-two
inches for the year. the rainy season ex
tending as in other tropical countries, from
May to October, and the greatest rainfall
occurring in the months of October and
June. About one day out of three in the
summer is rainy at Havana showing heavy
doWnpourS Of short duration, but with al
most no clouds except during the showers:
The wind velocity is about eight and half
miles hourly in winter. six and half in
summer and somewhat more in the north
ern than in the southern coast. Little dam
age is said to result from the frequent
thunderstorms. while tropical hurricanes,
usually occurring once or twice in sum-
mer, are most liable in August, September
and October.
Although regular observations have been
made and published for many years at the
Observatorio Meteorological de Manila Grain
fall for thirty-two years and other phe-
nomena for seventeen), general informa ton
upon climatic conditions are meager. The
average temperature is so degrees F.: April,
May and June are the hottest months. May
times rising TO 100 degrees. September, the
most humid month, shows So per cent of
moisture; April, the driest of ALL but 20 per
cent. The rainy season. as in Cuba extends
from June to October, the largest average
fall occurring in September. Curious varia-
about 121 inches, another but 30 inches. De-
spite the dispassionate statements of con-
else scientific publications, imagination is
still left much freedom in Dortraying the
climatic conditions under which. are now
living so many unaccustomed Americans.