NOTES ON THE METEOROLOGY AND MORTALITY OF 

 THE MONTH OF JANUARY, 1871. 



By E. Swarbreck Hall. 



The year 1871 opened with weather of a very anomalous character, there 

 being a considerable covering of snow on Mount "Wellington, and a fresh cold 

 south-east wind, with sprinkles of rain. Nevertheless, the mean temperature 

 of the whole month was above the average, and nearly every other of the re- 

 cords departed more or less from the adopted mean. On the whole, this month 

 — following the very dry one of December— was not very favourable to health 

 and life, the deaths being within a trifle of the 14 years' average. 



Atmospheric pressure had the mean of 29*887, being + "160 above the 25 

 years' adopted standard. With the exception of 1868, when the mean was 

 29 '918, the present year's January was the highest of 31 years now on record. 

 The maximum, 30-315, was registered on the 3rd; the minimum, 29-380, on 

 the 14th, the extreme range of the month being '935 of an inch. The greatest 

 movement of the barometer in any 24 hours, was a rise of -t- '458 on the 1st, 

 and there were only seven other days on which it exceeded one-fifth of an 

 inch — so that, tolerably steady, but high atmospheric pressure, may be 

 deemed characteristic of the present month. 



TFi/io?-/(>rce total was only 49 -eClbs., which is— 28-631bs. less than the average 

 for January. Both in number and force, the ozone-bearing sea breezes from 

 the south-east to west far exceeded all from the other four points of the com- 

 pass, and, no doubt, to a great extent counteracted other phenomena less 

 favourable to health. At no one record was a stronger pressure to the square 

 foot recorded than 2-601bs. There were 15 calms, being —1-90 less than 

 the average. The 19th, 22nd, 26th were hot-ioinds,VQxy weak in point of wind- 

 force, but very hot as to temperature. 



Temjoerature mean, 64-90 degrees, was -t- 2-06 above the 25 years' average, 

 and hotter than any January since 1863. The extremes of temperature were : 

 — Maximum, 95 degrees on the 19th (only one other above 90), and minimum, 

 43 _ on the 15th, 17th, 28th. The wet-bulb theimometer mean was 57-56, 

 being + 1-18 above the average. 



Daily range of Temperature mean was 21-71 degrees,being ^- '95 above 

 the average. The greatest was 38 degrees on the 22nd. 



Solar-intensity had the mean of 106*45 degrees, being •— 3-19 below the 

 average. This is singular enough, for the cloud mean was but a trifle above 

 the average, and the month was not a hazy one. The maximum was 130 

 degrees, on the 19th and 22nd. 



Terrestrial-radiation mean, 49 "71 degrees, was — I'SS below the average; 

 the coldest night being the 17th, when this thermometer fell to 38-5 degrees. 



Electric-fmxe of vapour, 393, was -f 20 above the average, and the highest 

 noted since January 1863. It ranged from minimum 245 on the morning of 

 the 15th to maximum 592 at noon on the 25th. 



Humidity mean was 64, and — 3 below the average. 



Rain fell on 8 days being — '64 below the average. The quantity gaug^ed 

 was 1*25 inches, being — '11 less than the average. More than half of it ('71) 

 fell on the 23rd, being a thunderstorm. Snow, to a considerable amount, 

 covered the summit of Mount Welhngton on the morning of the 1st, but did 

 not last long. A frost deposit appeared again on the 14th. 



Spontaneous Evaporation amounted to 4.19 inches. 



Cloud mean was 5-89, being -j- -19 only above the average. 



Ozo^ie mean, 5-43, was— 1.44 less than the average. It is the lowest record 

 ever made for January. The maximum was 8 on the 1st and 24th, with 

 south-east bi'eezes. The minimum was 3 on the 21st. 



The Electricity records were, 18 positive, with tension ranging from 2 to 8 ; 

 Negative 44, with tension from 1 to 6. No " nils." Thunder and Lightning 

 were observed on the 23rd and 26th, both grand displays, and of rare oc- 

 currence of late years. Lightning only was seen on the 15th. Thunder 

 only heard on the 19th. 



The deaths in the month were 47, being — 3 2-14th less than the average of 

 the previous 14 years, but 17 less than 1870 had. Under one year old there 



