METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE OF CANADA 



Central Office 



The regular recognized work of the Central Office has been carried 

 on systematically throughout the year. Forecasts have been issued 

 twice daily to all parts of the Dominion, exclusive of British Columbia, 

 and to Newfoundland. Since the early spring the weather bulletins 

 have been supplied with the utmost despatch to the British Admiralty 

 through Halifax, and also the Government wireless stations for 

 transmission over the Atlantic routes. Also, when deemed necessary, 

 warnings of expected storms have been issued to those ports which 

 are equipped with storm signals. 



The warning service has continued throughout the year to ports 

 on the Nova Scotia coast and the season of navigation on the Great 

 Lakes and Gulf of St. Lawrence. The severest storm of the season 

 on the Great Lakes was that of November 29th, but, owing to the 

 lateness of the season and the issue of a timely warning, there were 

 few, if any, marine disasters. A succession of noteworthy storms 

 passed across the Maritime Provinces during February and the first 

 part of March, several of the gales being of great violence. Shipping 

 was warned in each instance. 



The daily Weather Map containing the data on which forecasts 

 are based has as for years past been printed in Toronto, and distri- 

 buted quite widely both in that city and in the country generally, 

 and quite recently arrangements have been completed whereby a 

 similar map will be printed in Winnipeg in order to serve Manitoba. 



Physics Branch 



It was about the middle of September, 1919, before Mr. J. Pat- 

 terson, M.A., had sufficiently perfected the process of separating 

 Helium from Natural Gas, on which he had been engaged for nearly 

 two years with the Department of Experiment and Research of the 

 Board of Invention and Research of the Admiralty, to enable him to 

 resume his duties at the Meteorological Office. Since that time he 

 has devoted his time to getting the work of the Physics Branch 

 organized. 



The investigation of the upper atmosphere by means of balloons 

 carrying instruments was started immediately, but the company 

 from whom the balloons were obtained have been unable to supply 

 more than two or three, and the work has been temporarily held up 

 until they can furnish them regularly. 



