158 Meteorological Observations for Dece7nher 18'28. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR DECEMBER 1828. 



Gosport. — Numerical Results Jbr the Month. 



Barom.Max. 30-32 Dec. 2,13,&14.WindE.— Min.29-20 Dec. 8. Wind S.W. 

 Range of the index 1-12. 



Mean barometrical pressure for tlie month 29-930 



Spaces described by the rising and falling of the mercury 7-260 



Greatest variation in 24 hours 0-630. — Number of changes 20. 



Tlierm. Max. 57° Dec. 4, 13, & 22. Wind W.S. & S.W.— Min. 34° Dec. 28. 



Wind N. 

 Range 23°.— Mean temp.of exter. air 48-40°. For 30 days with © in ^ 5077 

 Max. var. in 24 hours 16°-00 — Mean temp, of spring water at 8 A.M. 54°-34 



De Luc's Whalebone Hygrometer. 



Greatest humidity of the air in the evening of the 29th 100° 



Greatest dr3'ness of the air in the afternoon of the 2nd 57 



Range of the index 43 



Mean at 3 P.M. 74°-2— Mean at 8 A.M. 80°-0— Mean at 8 P.M. 79-9 



of three observations each day at 8, 2, and 8 o'clock 78-0 



Evaporation for the month 0-95 inches. 

 Rain near ground 3-825 inches. 



Summary of the Weather. 

 A clear sky, 3; fine, with various modifications of clouds, 8j ; an over- 

 cast sky without rain, 12 j foggy, J ; rain, 7. — Total 31 days. 



Clouds. 



Cirrus. Cirrocumulus. Cirrostratus. Stratus. Cumulus. Cnnnilostr. Nimbus. 



13 5 30 1 13 19 20 



Scale of the prevailing Winds, 



N. N.E. E. S.E. S. S.W. W^ N.W. Days. 

 1 ^ 2 4,1 6,t 8i 7 1 31 



General Observations. — The state of the weather this month was mostly 

 wet and overcast, with a series of boisterous gales, and a very humid air 

 near tlie earth ; yet it has been re-nark-.ibly mild for the season, as only 

 three or four slight frosts have occurretl. 



In the night of the 7th inst., much rain and hail fell here, accompanied 

 with a heavy gale from the S.W., and vivid lightning for several hours, with 

 some distant thunder : notwithstanding the gale died away about seven 

 o'clock in the morning of the 8th, still the atmosphere, to an unlimited 

 extent, presented an unusually turbid and frequently an electrical aspect, 

 which threatened a renewal of the storm ; and about eleven the gale sprung 

 up again from the S.W., with vivid lightning and long reverberating peals 

 of thunder. Soon after twelve, an electric ball fell into a field on the 

 western side of the town, when the expansion of the air was so great, that, 

 in regaining its position, all the houses were sensibly shaken. Several 

 flashes of lightning from the tail of the storm were perceived in the sun- 

 shine immediately it had passed the meridian. No damage was done here; 

 but the darkness of the sky and the vivid lightning at noon were very ap- 

 palling, and served to point out the great density and electric state of the 

 passing nimbus: a few of its effects are as follows. The spire of Ryde Church 

 in the Isle of Wight was considerably damaged by the electric fluid ; and 

 the main-mast of the Roebuck cutter lying at the Motherbank was much 

 shattered, as was also a poplar tree at Farlington, and torn up by the roots. 

 The spire of St. Michael's Church at Southani|)ton was slightly damaged, 

 and the tower of Stoke Abbot Church near Bcaminstcr, Dorset, was i-e- 



portcd 



