2U4 Transactiuns. 



Barometer. — The highest reading of the barometer occurred 

 on the 5th December, on the evening of which day it stood at 

 30-725 inches — the highest reading for the last four years. The 

 lowest reading was on the 7th October, when the mercury fell to 

 28.445 in. On that occasion a very deep depression moved from 

 south-west to north-east, the centre of wliich passed over the north 

 of Ireland and the extreme south of Scotland, and about 9 A.M. 

 was very near Dumfries. A large amount of cirrus cloud in the 

 afternoon of the previous day, with a backing Avind and a falling 

 barometer, gave premonition of the approach of a cyclonic disturb- 

 ance ; and the fact that at the hour mentioned, the wind, when the 

 liarometer was at the lowest, was comparatively moderate, though 

 it had been very strong and squally during the night, was an 

 evidence that the centre of the cyclone was then passing over this 

 district. Between 9 P.M. on the 6th and 9 a.m. on the 7th, twelve 

 hours, the fall in the barometer was 1072 in. The range for the 

 year was 2-280 in., and the mean pressure (reduced to 32 deg. and 

 sea level) was 29-925 in. — very nearly the average of the three 

 previous years. Low barometer readings, ranging from 28-9 in. to 

 29-2 in., occurred in January, February, Marcli, April, August, 

 November, and December, and were for the most part accompanied 

 by storms of wind and rain, but the year has not been exceptional 

 in this respect, and in no case has the mean pressure of any month 

 fallen below 29-661 in., which happened in October, the month in 

 which most rain fell. In January, June, September, November, 

 and December the mean pressure exceeded 30 in., and in all these 

 months the weather was of a favourable character. 



Temperature. — The highest temperature of the year was 

 recorded on the 22d June, when the maximum reading of the ther- 

 mometer was 82-4 deg., as compared with 83-6 deg. on 26th June, 

 1888, and 87 deg. on 25th June, 1887. It is worthy of remark 

 that the highest single day readings during the past three years have 

 occurred in June, about or shortly after the summer solstice. The 

 mean temperature of June last was also the highest of the year, 

 viz., 59-8 deg., as compared with 57-8 deg. in July, and 57-7 deg. 

 in August, though as a rule the highest mean tempei'atures usually 

 occur in July. From the 14th June to the 6th July, there was 

 very bright sunny weather, during which the maximum readings of 

 the thermometer ranged from 64 deg. to 82-4 degs., and the 

 minimum from 4G deg. to 54 deg., and no rain fell, and in all 

 during the summer there were 46 days on which the maximum 



