166 J. HOPKINSON METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 



only four niglits was the minimum below 32° ; but the temperature 

 was very variable, especially during the drought of 16th to 3Uth ; 

 thus at 9 a.m. it was on 19th 37°-5, and on 20th 46°-9 ; on 24th 

 37°-7, and on 25th 50°-8; on 29th 39°-0, and on 30th 48°-8. Iv"o 

 rain fell from 16th to 30th, there being thus an absolute drought of 

 fifteen days ; on the other hand the rainfall for the five days 11th 

 to 15th was an inch and a half, nearly all, however, falling on 

 12th and 14th. 



April. — Very warm, especially during the first half of the 

 month, with a considerable daily range of temperature, a humid 

 atmosphere of rather high pressure, a rather cloudy sky, and 

 about the average rainfall on the usual number of days. Coldest 

 days 21st, mean 43°-6, and 22nd, mean 43°"5 ; warmest day 8th, 

 mean 57°'2. Min. below 42° on 14 days; max. above 52° on 

 26 days, above 62° on 8 (1st, 3rd, 7th to 11th, and 29th). For 

 the first 13 days in the month only 0'15 inch of rain fell, on three 

 days ; but rain fell every day from 14th to 18th and from 23rd 

 to 30th, none falling for the 4 days 19th to 22nd. A ^jflr^/«^ 

 drought of 30 days, with 0*26 inches of rain, terminated on 13th. 

 The maximum temperature recorded has but slightly been exceeded 

 during the previous seven years ; the minimum has been 9 degrees 

 lower during that period. 



Mat. — A cold month, being about half a degree colder than 

 April, with a small daily range of temperature, a rather humid 

 atmosphere of about average pressure, a sky of ordinary brightness, 

 and an average rainfall on the usual number of days. Coldest day 

 20th, mean 42°"4 ; warmest day 16th, mean 59°-8. Min. below 

 42° on 20 days; max. above 52° on 28 days, above 62° on 6 (14th 

 to 17th, 24th, and 25th). On the first eight days only 0-06 inch 

 of rain fell, on two days ; between 9th and 15th 0"80 inch fell, and 

 between 21st and 31st r55 inch; none falling on the five days 

 4th to 8th nor on the five days 16th to 20th. There was a slight 

 fall of snow on 20th, and on the night of 21st-22nd a sharp ground- 

 frost, which did much damage to young fruit and vegetation 

 generally, potatoes, gooseberries and currants, and the blossoms 

 of the earlier strawberries, specially suffering. 



June. — A rather cold month, with a small daily range of tempera- 

 ture, a rather humid atmosphere of considerable pressure, a sky of 

 average brightness, and a small rainfall on about the usual number 

 of days. Coldest day 6th, mean 49°-4 ; warmest day 31st, mean 

 67°'0. Min. below 52° on 26 days; max. above 62° on 18 days, 

 above 72° on 3 (28th, 29th, and 30th). The month may be divided 

 into a cold and wet, and a warm and dry period, all the raiii 

 falling during the first 20 days, the mean temperature of which 

 period was 54°-9 (9 a.m. 55°-"'l, min. 48°-l, max. 61°-5); while 

 the last ten days — the rainless period — had a mean temperature 

 of 6()°-4 (9 a.m. 60° 2, min. 50°-6, max. 70°-6). The highest 

 temperature during the wet period was 67°*7 : this was exceeded 

 every day but one during the dry period, and on each of the last 

 three days the maximum exceeded 76°. 



