NOTES ON THE METEOROLOGY AND MORTALITY OV 



THE HOBART TOWN REGISTRATION DISTRICT DURING 



THE MONTH OF JANUARY, 1872. 



By E. Swarbreck Hall. 



The meteorology of this month is quite peculiar, and had not some of tho 

 phenomena most adverse to health and life been counteracted by others of 

 the opposite character, the health of the community would have been 

 seriously affected, and the death-rate have been much in the excess of the 15 

 years' mean for January. As it was, the excess of deaths is scarcely appreci- 

 able, being only the fifteenth of one, and no epidemic disease became prevalent. 



From the commencement of this year the meteorological standard of com- 

 parison for my monthly notes will be (in most of the phenomena) for 30 years 

 instead of for 25 years as before. By the conjoint labours of Mr. Francis 

 Abbott, F.R.A.S., Mr. Roblin, Curator of the Koyal Society's Museum, and 

 myself, tables for the longer period have been compUed, thus extending our 

 Meteorological Records from 1841 to 1870 inclusive. They will soon be in the 

 hands of the Government printer, and available for aJ& interested in the 

 subject. 



Atmospheric-pressure mean, 29 "822, was only + '078 above the 30 years' 

 mean. The maximum, 30 •381, occurred on the 24 tb, the minimum, 29170, 

 on the 22nd, so that the whole range of the month was 1*211 inches, and 

 recorded within two days. This is by far the highest range in any January 

 since 1855, except 1856. Between the morning observations of the barometer 

 on the 22nd and 23rd the mercury rose + '864 of an inch. In January, 1856, 

 it was 1'014, but no other January approached to anythisg near that of the 

 present month. On 13 other days the variations of atmospheric-pressure were 

 a,bove one-fifth of an inch. The lethal influence of this, conjoined with great 

 heat, and wide alterations of temperature, wag exemplified in the heavy 

 death-rate from diseases of the brain, &c. 



Wind-force total, 77 '52 5" lbs,, was -f 176 lbs. above the mean. The 

 ozone -bearing, health-promoting, gentle sea breezes from the South East 

 were the greatest in number, but those of the opposite character from the 

 North "West were the gi-eatest in force. The four strongest winds recorded 

 had 5*21 lbs. pressure to the square foot each, three were from the Norih 

 "West on the 2nd, 16th, and 17th, the other a South West on the 22nd, when 

 the barometer attained its minimum. Hot winds were recorded on the 

 9th, 16th, 21st, 22nd. Calms were 19, beinsr — 210 below the average. 



Temperature mean, 66*81 degrees, was + 412 above the 30 years' mean for 

 January. Only January 18-56 had a higher mean, ie., 7110. The greatest 

 high-day temperature was 96 degrees on the 9th. The smallest low-night 

 temperature was 40 degrees on the 3rd, giving the extreme range for the 

 month of 56 degrees, the same as in the month of December preceding. 

 Only January 1849 had a wider range, the maximum being 305— (the highest 

 ever recorded here)— the minimum 43. The wet bulb thermometer mean 

 was 59*31 degrees, being -f 3*41 above the 30 years' standard. 



Daily range of temperature had the mean of 25*00 degrees, being -f 4*36 

 above the 30 years' standard average. Three years only had higher means, 

 t.c., 1862, 25*03; 1856, 25*13; 1841, 25*50. The greatest range in any 

 twenty-four hours was 34 degrees on the 9th. 



Solar intensity mean, 111*06, was -i- 3*04 above the mesm of the 15 years 

 recorded in the standard tables. The years 1856, 1857, 1862 only had higher 

 means. The maximum was 126 degrees on the 9tb, this has been exceeded 

 in nine years out of the 15. 



Teirestrial radiation mean, 60*60 degrees, was — *10 below the 15 years' 

 average. The maximum was 62 degrees in the night of the 22nd, the 

 minimum 36 degrees in the night of the 3rd. 



Elastic force of vapour mean, 419, was -f 46 above the 30 years' average. 

 In only three years was this mean exceeded, i.e., in 1856, 1859, 1861. The 

 range of the month was from minimum 214 on the morning of the 3rd, to 

 maximum 675 at 1 p.m. on the 16th. 



Humidity mean, 64, was — 3 below the 30 years' standard. 



Eain fell to the aggi-egate amount of 1*72 inches, which is + '15 of ao 



