32 REPORT — 1853. 



la conclusion, Mr. Lawton presents a few facts referring to the chief meteorological 

 features of the present year. The mean temperature of February was 32°'2, being 

 9° below the average of the past four years. The lowest of the month was 18°, the 

 highest 38°. Snow fell on eighteen days. 



The mean temperature of Marcli was 35°"4, being 8° below the average of the 

 same period. Snow fell on twelve days. 



During a considerable portion of March, April, May, and June, easterly and 

 north-easterly winds prevailed. The fall of moisture was also in excess, being, 

 during the first six months of the year, in inches, 5"47 above the average of the pre- 

 vious four years. 



The atmosphere, during the months of June, July, and August, was unusually 

 cloudy. 



No thunder-storm worthy of note has occurred in this neighbourhood during the 

 present year. 



But in the summer of 1851 thiinder-stormsof extreme severity occurred on the 21st 

 June, 29th July, 13th and 17th of August. The one on Saturday the 21st of June 

 continued from 3"30 to 5'30 p.m., during which there fell in inches 1'68 of rain, the 

 heaviest fall of many years. The storm of the 29th of July continued from 5"30 to 7 

 P.M., and was remarkable for the long continuance of vivid fork and sheet lightning 

 prior to rain descending; the quantity of rain in inches was 76 hundredths, which 

 fell in about one hour. That of the ISth of August was accompanied by a terrific 

 and most destructive bail-storm. 



Meteorological Sum7nary for 1 852 of Observations at Htiggatey Yorkshire. 

 By the Rev. T. Rankin. 



Continuation, across the Country, of the Thunder and Rain Stonn, which 

 commenced in Herefordshire on September \th, and terminated on the 

 Yorkshire Wolds on September 5th, 1852. By the Rev. T. Rankin. 



Notice of a terrific Thunder- Cloud on the Wolds, September 26th, 1852. 

 Sy the Rev. T. Rankin. 



On the Action of the Winds which veer from the South- West to West, and 

 North- West to North. By R. Russell. 

 In almost all the violent storms which occur in the British islands, the currents 

 above seldom coincide with those at the surface of the ground, which statement also 

 often applies to ordinary weather, when there is little atmospheric disturbance. On 

 previous occasions, Mr. Russell had endeavoured to show that many of the phe- 

 nomena of our storms would ultimately be explained by the mutual action of the 

 under and upper currents. He had never seen an instance of a British storm that 

 admitted of being explained on the rotatory theory, and he thought this theory 

 altogether erroneous as applied to our high latitudes. A south-east current in the 

 upper regions of the atmosphere seldom occurred in Britain, but south-east surface 

 winds were common in moist and rainy tracts of weather. In these circumstances, 

 however, an upper current of S.W. overlies the S.E., and supplies it with rain. Di- 

 rect E. winds, prevailing not only at the surface, but ;it those atmospheric heights 

 where the cirrus clouds are formed, aie much more common than from the S.E., 

 and undivided currents from the N.E. are still more frequent. A west wind seldom 

 or never blows below when an east wind prevails above ; but on the contrary, it is 

 very common for a S.W. current to prevail above, when a N.E., E., or S.E. wind 

 may blow furiously below. The solution of many of the primary phaenomena of 

 those storms which commence in Britain with easterly winds and terminate with 

 westerly or northerly winds, is to be found in the mutual action of the upper and 

 lower currents moving in different directions, and not in the principle of rotation. A 

 current from the N.W. at the surface of the earth never blows for any length of 

 time with an upper current from the S.W. ; but in certain tracts of weather, it is 

 very common for a S.W. under-current to prevail, while a N.W. or N. wind is 

 blowing above. It has been noticed that gales begin to blow from the S.W. or S., 



