METEOROLOGICAL NOTES DURING THE YEAR 1897. 171 



The chanfijeable nature of the weather is well shown bv the 

 barometric readings. The pressure was steady, and above 30*00 

 inches until the 10th, after which it was verv irregular, with two 

 very marked depressions. From 30*10 on the 10th it fell to 

 29*10 on the 13th. On the 16th it was up to 29*98, then down 

 to 29*60 on the 17th, then rising steadily till, on the 21st and 

 2 2nd, it was at 30*39. From that point the pressure rapidly declined 

 to 28*90, when a severe gale, with rain, took place. 



The comparative absence of hard frost during this month was 

 notable. Only on three mornings was any frost registered, and 

 the total amount was only 15°, a somewhat unusual occurrence for 

 November. The average temperatures — maximum, 49°, minimum, 

 40" — are respectively 3" and 5° higher than those for November, 

 1896. 



Considering the open, mild nature of the weather, none of the 

 precocious-flowering plants showed any sign of growth, even the 

 Jasminum nudiflorum, Lindl., which frequently flowers in 

 November, had not a blossom open. 



December. — After the first three days, which were fine, with 

 slight frosts in the mornings, the weather was stormy and 

 unsettled, and gales and heavy rain were frequent until the 17th. 

 Then for eight days the weather was frosty, and the atmospheric 

 conditions extremely unpleasant, on account of the prevalence of 

 dense fogs. On the 22nd and 23rd the fog was particularly bad, 

 and as it was continuous for over forty-eight hours, traffic in the 

 city was seriously interfered with. A change set in on the 24th, 

 and, with the disappearance of the frost, the fog cleared off. The 

 last week of the vear was stormv and wet. There was a 

 preponderance of westerly winds, and the rainfall was much 

 above the average, the amount registered being 5*56 inches. On 

 five occasions the rainfall in twentv-four hours exceeded i- inch : 

 the greatest fall for one day was 1*20 inches on the 26th. There 

 were thirteen drv davs, the same number as in December, 1896, 

 which, however, had onlv a rainfall of 4*85 inches. 



As in November, the barometric records show a varied and wide 

 range in the pressure. From 29*30 on the 1st it rose to 30*10 

 on the 2nd, then it rapidly fell till, on the 9th, it was at 28*70 ; 

 rising steadily, with very little variation, on the 23rd it stood at 



