Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-14
A LONG SIEGE OF HOT WEATHER.
The Average About NormnI-A Few
Extremely Hot Days.

=
Extremely Hot Days.
The heat Of Richmond seems to every
body to have been very much above the
average this summer.
The published statement that upon two
days last week. Monday and Tuesday. the
thermometer indicated greater heat here
than at any other point in the United
States naturally created something Of an
impression that the average here for the
season had been much higher than usual.
Such is not the case. While there have
been some exceedingly hot days. the ave-
rage has been little above the normal for
the three hot months.
In this connection II may be interesting
to give a comparison of the temperature
and rainfall for the months of June, July,
and August, 1898, with the average or
normal for these months during the past
fifteen years. 1t has been currently said
that the present summer thus far has
been a very hot one. Let us see how far
this impression is is born out by the re-
cords.
AVERAGE TEMPERATURES.
First, as to temperature. The daily
mean temperature at Richmond for June
of this year was 7lS, and the average
| so that 1t appears last June was o.5 Of
| degree cooler daily than the average. July
| temperatures averaged 1873 degrees daily.
which, compared with the July normal
| us degrees, shows an excess of IL de-
gree daily. The month of August thus
| far has a daily mean temperature Of 500,
| while the August normal is 100 degrees, a
| departure of so degrees daily above the
normal.
This. however, is scarcely a fair COM
parison, as the tendency is to maintain
| an equilibrium, and hence II is entirely
| probable that. in accordance with this
| tendency, there will be sufficient cool
weather during the remainder Of the
month to bring the daily mean much
| nearer TO the August average. 1t will
thus be seen that of the three months in
| question July and August Ito date have
been warmer than the average and June
| cooler.
So much for the local temperatures
For the State, the figures show much less
variation. June was O5 degrees cooler
daily, and July OF degrees warmer. The
State averages for August are not avail
able for comparison yet
AVERAGE RAINFALL
In respect to rainfall, the departures
the average and July and August Ito date
much more than the average, this being
true both for Richmond and the State
Some phenomenal monthly amounts were
reported from the extreme Southwest Vir
einia, Big Stone Cap Wise county
having 1923 inches, and Dwale, Dickinson
county, 1874 inches. These amounts, 1
reduced 10 gallons per acre, would give
roughly. 225. eco and 800 800 gallons respec
lively.
Mr.. A. G. Evans, Director of the Rich
mond Weather Bureau, while discussint
the weather here this summer, said to
Dispatch reporter yesterday:
CONTROLLING INFLUENCES.
'If we would seek to find the causes, o
controlling influences OF summer weather
we must go beyopS the limits OF on
State. We must locate the storm centre
daily, and note what they are producin
in winds, cloudiness, temperature, an
precipitation. We must estimate thei
rate OF progress. and their probable path
and finally the prevailing weather conoi
lions over those portions Of the countr
I'm the line of the storms advance. Tn
summer months are usually characterize
by q stagnant condition Of the atmoS
phere. Storms, which in winter will ira
vel eastward at the rate of from 500 10 81
miles per day, will, in the summer, drif
lazily along, producing showers and hig
temperatures until they have dissipate
or passed beyond the limits Of the cour
try. The airspressure is rarely, II evel
very high or very low.
NOT COOL AFTER STORMS.
''Ths present summer has been no e1
ception to the rule. General storms hav
como and Como In much the same way a
usual. aud all the resultant local showers
thunder storms, and heated periods hav
attended upon them. There was howeVe
a slight. but noticeable, departure In thi
respect in July The GOODNESS following ]
the wake Of the storm was conspicuou
for its absence In this section. 1t mus
no, be inferred from this that the sam
state of affairs prevailed all over I'll
country. Other sections were more FOL
tunate. the Northern, Middle Atlant
States. New England States, Lake RI
, gion. and Middle West getting their mol
NAL reaction TO cooler after each heate
term.
even the hot, sultry lower Mississippi
Valley was cooler in the morning hour
most OF the month than We were. Will
in Michigan and portions of the Nortf
west IL was cool enough to produce MI
ping frost in the first decade or July.
, 'It will be seen, therefore" conclude
Mr.. Evans, "that, while our weather ha
not been so excessively warm as has bee
generally imagined, II has stayed with I
q long time. and that the natural la
which causes cooler weather after raj
has been more marked in the breach tina
the observance, at least, during the Jul
just passed"