Meteorological Summary for 1 83 1 .—Hampshire. 3 1 5 



Barometrical Pressure.— The mean pressure this year is 

 comparatively low, and the number of changes small. 



The annual mean pressure at 8 A.M. and that at 8 P.M. comcide 

 with each other. The mean at 2 P.M. h^VU of an inch lower than 

 the annual means of 8, 2, and 8 o'clock, in consequence of their 

 having all been corrected for capillarity, and external temperature; 

 viz. by reducing the temperature of the mercurial column to 32° of 

 Fahrenheit. 



Temperature.— The annual mean temperature of the external 

 air is about one degree higher than the mean for the last sixteen 

 years. The difference between the annual mean temperature at 

 8 A.M. and 8 P.M. is -^ of a degree, the latter being the highest. 



Winds.— The South-west aad West winds were, as usual, the 

 prevailing ones this year, and those from the North and East the 

 least, but nearly the same in duration. The North-east and South- 

 east winds were also nearly the same in duration, but each less 

 than that from the North-west. 



The number of strong gales of wind, or days on which they have 

 prevailed this year, is as in the following scale : 



January was dry and cold, with a high pressure till the 15th; the 

 latter part was mostly wet and windy, and a heavy fall of snow oc- 

 curred on the last day. It was particularly distinguished by the 

 appearance of five aurorse boreales, and an overcast sky for thirteen 

 successive days. 



February was generally showery and windy, but mild, with the 

 exception of a few days. On the 1st and 2nd about six inches in 

 depth of snow fell, nearly all of which had disappeared, by means of 

 a rising temperature and a south-east wind, by the morning of the 

 3rd. On the 9th the thermometer in the shade rose to the unusual 

 height of sixty degrees, which seemed to be effected by a great ac- 

 cumulation of electricity in the lower stratum of clouds, and the 

 reflection of heat downwards. 



March was wet till the 15th; it was truly a boisterous month, 

 with strong equinoctial gales, and frequent changes in the tem- 

 perature of the air. The mildness of the preceding month brought 

 on the budding of the fruit-trees so early as the 2nd, which con- 

 tinued till the 16th, when a suspension evidently appeared, in con- 

 sequence of the cold northerly and easterly blasts almost to the end. 

 Lightning and thunder occurred in the evenings of the 13th and 

 14th ; and it snowed several hours in the morning of the 24th. 

 Four aurorse boreales appeared during the month. 



April was fine and mild, excepting a few days. Soon after the 



sun entered Aries last month, Nature revived from the sleep ot 



winter, and the vegetable world from torpor to animation. On the 



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