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of the storm the vane veered suddenly and with great rapidity 
through the whole points of the compass, again setting in the 
south. For the space of three or four hours afterwards it con- 
tinued very inconstant, changing in all directions, and even- 
tually settling in the S.W. In the short space of half an 
hour 1.945 inches of rain fell.’ 
‘* Such were the phenomena at Birmingham as the thunder- 
cloud passed over it. Its arrival was preceded by oppressive 
heat and a dead calm, while a fresh breeze blew at Leamington. 
Its passage was marked by a whirlwind, with constant light- 
ing, and the fall of nearly two inches of rain in half an hour. 
“ Particular circumstances led me to be an attentive observer 
of the state of the atmosphere from seven to half-past eight on 
the evening of the 6th of July. 1saw the thunder-cloud appear 
in the south-west, and pass over Birmingham in its course to- 
wards the north-east ; it was of great extent, and I should think 
very high; a rapid current of air in the same direction carried a 
light seud under the cloud, or at least between me and it, so as 
toappear under it. The heat was intense thewhole evening, 
but previous to and during the storm we had a constant fresh 
breeze from the south-east; thecloudcame from south-west. The 
lightning was very brilliant and constant, but I heard very 
little thunder, perhaps owing to the state of the wind. In shape 
and appearance the cloud might be represented by the map of 
Africa, from the Bight of Benin southwards, laid on its side, 
with the eastern coast and the island of Madagascar upper- 
most. A cloud of the relative size and position of this island 
kept constantly and steadily in advance of the larger one, and 
all the lightning which I saw until the cloud passed was from 
the upper surface, and generally played round the cloud repre- 
sented by Madagascar, though it sometimes darted out from 
the latter in every direction. It was forked lightning, but its 
appearance was not that of bars of light, but such as one 
would observe were the electric current sent along a nig-79g 
chain in a darkened room. 
