Extra Meteorological Observations, September 26, 1844. 323 



ADDITIONAL METEOROLOGICAL NOTES. 



1844. 



d. h. m. s. 



report. 55™. Vivid flashes, interval till thunder 13^. 56^™. Flash, interval till 

 tliunder 5^; very loud report in zenith, which made the observatory rattle. 58™. 

 Flash, interval till thunder 10*^. 59™. Flashes very frequent at this time, intervals 

 till thunder about 11^ Bi" 0™. Rain ^. 1™. Flashes, with intervals till thunder of 

 12 — 20^. 3™. Intervals 9 — 20^. Now more to westward. Flash, witli interval 

 till thunder of 23'. 6™. Very brilliant flash, quite hlinding for a second or two, 

 nearly overhead, a little to the south ; a short sharp report at an interval of 6* ; 

 another at an interval of 6'. Rain 6—?. Flashes were seen at the following minutes : — 

 9™. Thunder in 10'. lOJ™. Thunder in 9^ 11™. Thunder in 9^. 12™. Thunder in 9^ 

 and another with thunder in 29^. 14™. Thunder in 22'. 16™. Thunder in 17". 

 17™. Thunder in 6'. 19™. Thunder in 18^. 21™. Thunder in 40^ No lightning 

 was seen nor thunder heard till 35™, when two or tliree flashes of sheet-lightning were 

 seen, but no thunder heard. 38™. A faint peal of thunder, 72^ after a flash of sheet- 

 lightning. 40™. A vivid flash and bolt to Nii., altitude 15°; interval till thunder 

 10s. 44m. Flash to NE., interval till thimder 71^ 45™. Flash of sheet-lightning 

 to NE. ; thunder heard in 32=; faint rumbles were heard at 8', and at 20» after the 

 flash, but they probably did not belong to it ; duration of the last peal 30'. 47'" 

 Two flashes, one to E. by N., and one to NE. 48™. Flash to E. by N. 48^-">. 

 Flash to NE. ; all sheet-lightning, no thunder heard. 49™. Very small flash like 

 an opening in the clouds to E. by N ; thunder heard in 31'. 50™. Flashes to 

 NNW. and to E. 51'". Splendid sheet of lightning to NE., shewing the contour of 

 the cumulous clouds, which seemed as if edged with silver ; thunder heard in 45'. 

 53™. A flash to NW., the thunder was not heard for 85', being the greatest interval 

 between the lightning and thunder heard during this storm. 53^-™. Flash to NE. : 

 no thunder heard. 56™. Flash to NNE. ; thunder heard in 40'. After this time 

 there was a continuous fiickering of sheet-lightning to E., mostly close to the 

 horizon ; no thunder heard ; brighter flashes occasionally extending along about 30" 

 of horizon, and diftusing upwards to an altitude of about 30°. A flash at 9'' 25™, 

 very bright, diff'used over the whole sky. The average number of flashes from about 

 g*" 0™ till g*" 30™, was one every 15'. About 9*" 20™ clouds covered 6 parts of the 

 sky ; dark to NE. Q^ 40™. Sheet-lightning still to E. ; more overcast ; very black 

 to NE. 10'' 5™. Only occasional flashes now seen. The wind rose about 9'' 50'". 

 A bright patch on horizon to E. by N. ; the rest of the sky very dark. 10'' 20™. 

 Rains *-5. 10'' 55™. Two flashes. IP 40"!. Two flashes. 12'' 0™. One diffused 

 flash. 12'' 10™. Another like the last. 12t' 20™. The bright space on the ENE. 

 horizon still continues with marked fluctuations in its intensity, the brightest part 

 varying also in position. It has been so continuous, that it seems doubtful whether 

 it is electric, or merely the reflection of some great fire. The brightest part moves 

 through 4°, and is sometimes nearly spherical. The storm was watched throughout 

 by two observers, B and W. 



Note. — The thunder commenced to SSW., passed by the W. of the zenith to NE., and went off finally to 

 E. This storm differs considerably from any observed here previously ; although there were large 

 piles of cauliflower cumuli and cumulo-strati with scud throughout the day, yet there was none of 

 that tormented appearance which the clouds generally assume previously to and during a thunder- 

 storm. The scud seemed, as long as it could be observed, to move nearly from the same quarter, S., 

 or S. by W. The bolts of lightning seemed on every occasion to move nearly vertically and from 

 below, upwards; in one instance, the bolt took the form of the cima reversa, and, like many of the 

 others, seemed formed of a series of beads ; some terminated in large balls enveloped in sheet 

 lightning. Many of the flashes were so vivid, as to render sight difficult for some seconds. The 

 rumbling of the thunder was often very irregular, having several breaks and starts, the sound being 

 very various, from that of a distant waterfall to the sharp brattle of a railway-carriage starting. 



Sept. 26 13. Woolly cin'o-stratus, which seems movingrapidly towards the moon, but which never arrives at it. 



14. As before, the clouds in the same positions; one band of cirro-stratus reaches from S. to 



about 6° altitude above W. Another band from S. to W. of meridian continues of the same 

 magnitude as last hour, and seems moving rapidly towards the meridian, yet never attains 

 it. Another band to E., rising to an altitude of 10° above ESE. These bands lie in a 

 Southerly direction, and the positions noted are nearly as last hour. 



