Meteorological Observations Jo?- May 1828. 79 



General Observations. — The state of the weather this month has been 

 changeable, except in the second week, and showery, with several frosty 

 mornings, and intervals of hot sunshine ; but upon the whole it has been a 

 fine growing month for the corn and vegetation, with mild nights in ge- 

 neral. The hoar frosts in the mornings of the 6th, 7th, 9th and 10th, and 

 the cold blighting winds on several subsequent days, have much injured the 

 late bloom of the wall and other fruit trees, and caused a great part of 

 the fruit that was set to fall off'. The vines will not be so prolific this year 

 as they have been for two or three years past. The grass fields in this 

 neighbourhood have been much improved by the recent showers, and from 

 their fine appearance a good crop may be expected : the grass in several 

 fields is already cut. 



The chaffers were first observed here in the evening of the 6th, and have 

 been unusually numerous, having been seen on the wing every fine day 

 since. On the 14th, a quarter of an hour before sunset, a large meteor 

 was observed in the N.W. at an altitude of about 40 degrees. Its light 

 was vivid, and its descent rapid and nearly perpendicular ; the disjoined 

 parts continued luminous several seconds of time after its explosion. Its 

 appearance so early was remarkable, as meteors are very seldom seen till 

 after the evening twilight. 



In the night of the 15th there was thunder, and sheet-lightning the fol- 

 lowing night for several hours, after a very warm day : thunder and light- 

 ning also occurred in the evening of the 23rd. 



The mean temperature of the external air this month is more than three 

 degrees higher than the mean of May for the last twelve years. 



Th.e atmospheric and meteoric phcenomena that have come within our 

 observations this month, are one lunar and two solar halos, three meteors, 

 thunder and lightning twice; and six gales of wind, or days on which they 

 have prevailed ; namely, one from the North-east, three from the South- 

 east, one from the South, and one from the West. 



REMARKS. 



London. — May l. Very fine. 2. Fine: slight rain at night. 3. Drizzly: 

 Cloudy. 4. Fine : rain at night. 5. Cloudy. 6. Sultry : with thunder. 

 7. Fine : drizzly at night. 8. Fine. 9. Showery. 10. Fine. 11. Cloudy. 

 12 — 15. Very fine. 16. Sultry: much lightning at night. 17 — 20. Very 

 fine. 21. Cloudy: with showers. 22. Cloudy morning : fine. 23. Very 

 fine. 24. Heavy rain in morning : showery. 25. Fine. 26. Showery. 

 27. Fine morning : showery. 28. Fine. 29. Showery. 30. Very fine. 

 31. Fine. 



Boston. — May 1, 2. Fine. 3. Cloudy. 4. Cloudy: rain p.m. 5. Rain. 

 6. Fine. 7. Cloudy. 8, 9. Fine. 10, 11. Cloudy. 12—15. Fine. 

 16. Cloudy. 17— 19. Fine. 20. Cloudy. 21. Fine. 22, 23. Cloudy. 

 24. Rain. 25, 26. Cloudy. 27, 28. Fine. 29, Rain. 30, 31. Fine. 



Penzance. — May 1. Clear. 2. Fair. 3. Fair: a shower. 4. Clear: 

 showers. 5— 10. Clear. 11. Fair: clear. 12, 13. Clear. 14. Clear: 

 fair. 15. Clear: rain. 1 6. Fair : rain at night. 1 7. Rain : clear. 18. Clear: 

 fair. 19. Rain. 20. Cloudy : rain. 21. Rain: showers. 22, 23. Fair: 

 showers. 24. Rain : blowing strong. 25. Fair. 26. Rain: showers. 27,28. 

 Fair : showers. 29. Clear. 30. Clear : fair. 31. Rain: clear. — Rain-gauge 

 ground level. 



Meteoro- 



