224 



J. HOPKINSON — METEOEOLOGTCAL OBSERVATIONS 



•was 1 per cent, less than the average, but as the temperature was 

 high the amount of moisture in the air was about the same as 

 usual. The sky was rather brighter than usual. The mean 

 temperature was between that of the years 1897 and 1898, and the 

 rainfall was a little more than half an inch greater than in the 

 year 1897, and nearly six inches greater than in the year 1898. 



Table II. — Means of Climatological Observations {tvith Extremes of 

 Temperature) for the Seasons o/ 1898-99. 



Seasons 



Winter 

 Spring 

 Summer 

 Autumn 



The winter of 1898-99 (Dec. to Feb.) was exceedingly mild, 

 the days being 5^ degrees and the nights 4 degrees warmer than 

 usual. The air was rather dry, the sky of average cloudiness, and 

 the rainfall very heavy, being 48 per cent, above the average, 

 and on a much larger number of days than usual. 



The spring (March to May) was rather cold, both days and 

 nights being so, and the daily range of temperature being about 

 the same as usual. The air was rather humid, the sky of average 

 cloudiness, and the rainfall about 10 per cent, above the average, 

 and on more than the usual number of days. 



The summer (June to August) was very warm, the days being 

 nearly 4^ degrees and the nights more than one degree warmer 

 than usual, the daily range of temperature therefore being great. 

 The air was rather diy, the sky very bright, and the rainfall very 

 small, being 31 per cent, less than the average, and on little more 

 than half the usual number of days. 



The autumn (Sept. to Nov.) was rather warm, chiefly owing to 

 the wannth of the days, the daily range of temperature being 

 ratlier greater than usual. The air was dry for the season, the sky 

 a little brighter than usual, and the rainfall heavy, being 22 per 

 cent, above the average, but on less than the usual number of days. 



We thus had a very mild and very wet winter, a rather cold and 

 rather wet spring, a very warm and dry summer, and a rather 

 warm and very wet autumn. March, however, was rather dry. 

 Januaiy had the greatest excess of temperature (5°'2 above the 

 average), and August the next (4°*3 above the average). December 

 was much the coldest month, having a temperature 2| degrees 

 below the average. 



The above comparisons are with the average of the twelve years 

 1887-98, and are subject to a little modification owing to the 



