NOTES ON THE INIETEOROLOGY AND MORTALITY OF 

 THE MONTH OF AUGUST, 1871. 



By Dr. E. Swarbreck Hall. 



Except in a warmer temperature than usual, the weather during this 

 month departed less from tlie average normal cbaracter than usual. Tlie deaths 

 were much below tlie average of the previous 14 years, and specially so in 

 those at all ages under 20 years old. 



Atino.-<i)lurU: pnsaare mean, 29 TGI, was only — '046 below the 25 years* 

 standard mean. The maximum, 30 '224, occurred on the IGth ; the minimum, 

 29 '281, was noted on the 20th. The extreme range of the barometer for 

 the month was only '943 of an inch, which has been largely exceeded in 12 

 out of the previous 16 years. Nevertheless, the daily mutations, within 

 this extreme range, were very great ; the greatest being a fall of — '589 on the 

 29th'; and on the 2Gth there was a I'ise of + "527. On 10 other days there were 

 variations exceeding one-fifth of an inch. As usual, these excessive fluctu- 

 ations of atmospheric pressure told heavily on diseased, feeble, and aged 

 peoide, while young and healthy persons were little affected by them. 



Wind-force recorded at the usual hours of observation amounted on the 

 whole to 35 '88 lbs., being — 10 'Gl lbs. below the average ; but in the nights 

 of the 21st and 2Gth there blew gales having a pressure of 15'G2 lbs. each 

 to the square foot, which really made the wind-force of the month in excess. 

 The strongest winds recorded at the usual hours of observation, 7 a.m., 1 

 p.m., and sunset, were only 2 "GO lbs., registered four times. North-west 

 winds had GO out of the 93 observations with strength of 23*40 lbs,, but this 

 must be qualified by the same remarks that were made in the previous month; 

 many of these winds so registered being really deflected West winds. 

 The calms were 30, being — 5 '33 below the average. 



Temperature mean, 51*45 degrees, was + 3*38 above the 25 years' average. 

 The extremes were 70 degrees at about midday on the 6th, and 32 in the 

 right of the 28th. Both higher and lower registers have often been made in 

 August. Wet bulb mean was 46*45, being only + 1*39 above the average. 



Daily Range of Temperature mean, 19*90 degrees, was -f- 3*47 above the 

 average, showing how necessary it is to take into consideration every meteor- 

 ological record before drawing conclusions from the means of any one instru- 

 ment. The greatest range was 31 degrees, noted oq the 6th and 19th. 



Solar-Intemity mean, 83*53 degrees, was -f- 8*08 above the average. The 

 maximum was 93 degrees on the 13th and 22nd, and much greater heat than 

 this has often been recorded. 



Terrestrial-Rxdiation mean,37*08 degrees, was + 1*28 above the average. 

 The coldest night was the 16th, when this self -registering thermometer on 

 the grass recorded 29 degrees only. 



Elastic-force of vapour mean, 235, was — 3 below the average. The range 

 was from minimum 175 at 7 a.m. on the 16th to maximum 353 at noon on the 

 6th. 



Humidity mean, 71, was — 9 below the average. Saturation (100) was 

 never recorded. 



Rainfall — 1 "99 inches was + "16 above the average. It fell on 11 days, 

 being — 2*45 below the average. In another and more elevated part of the 

 city 18 wet days were registered, with a total fall of 2*51 inches. It was 

 generally felt that this August was much wetter than usual. Snoio was never 

 absent from Mount Wellington during the month, and received frequent and 

 copious additions, but none ever fell in the city. 



Spontaneous Evaporation amounted to 2*92 inches. 



Cloud Mean, 5*39, was — "31 below the average. 



Ozone Mean, 6*42, was — 1*10 below the average, ranging from 3 '5 to 9. 



Electricity had 21 positive indications with tension ranging frooa 3 to 6. The 

 negatives were 36, with tension from 1 to 6. There were 5 nils. Neither 

 thunder nor lightning were observed during the month. An Aurora was 

 registered on the evening of the 6th. 



The Deaths during this month were 34,being — 12 less than the average of the 

 previous 14 years. Only one year out of the fourteen, 1866, had less, i.e., 33. 

 The range being from that to 74 in 1858. Under one year old there was only 



