Meteorological Observations taken in Edinburgh. 129 



viz., 51°-8 and 52°-0 respectively, were higher than anything 

 experienced during at least the last hundred years. No 

 snow fell during the month, and the precipitation, all in the 

 form of rain, was under an inch. The mean barometric 

 pressure was much above the normal, but sunshine was 

 greatly below the average. The temperature of the soil was 

 very high and equable throughout the whole month. 



February. — The characteristic features of the weather of 

 February were a high mean temperature, rather low pressure, 

 and but little rainfall. Sunshine was in excess of the normal, 

 the total for the month — 90 hours — beino; the greatest 

 recorded in February since 1880. The winds were almost 

 wholly from the west, and blew with the force of a gale on 

 the 1st and 12th. On the 6th the unusual phenomenon of 

 a thunderstorm took place, at 3.31 p.m. Heavy snow and 

 hail showers and a great darkness accompanied the thunder- 

 storm. Snow also fell on the 21st and 26th. 



March. — During March most of the meteorological elements 

 agreed closely with their normals, but the rainfall was again 

 in defect, less than one-third of an inch falling during the 

 first twenty-five days. The last week was, however, stormy 

 and unsettled, with frequent showers of snow, sleet, and 

 hail. There was a fog on the 7th, and a brilliant aurora on 

 the 15th. 



April. — The mean temperature was 2°'7 above the average, 

 being the seventh consecutive month with a mean above the 

 average of one hundred and thirty-four years. The warmth 

 was unequally partitioned between the day and night values, 

 the mean maximum being 1°*8, but the average minimum as 

 much as 3°*6 in excess of the normal, the nocturnal warmth 

 being thus a noticeable feature. Eainfall was just the 

 average, but bright sunshine (94 hours) much below the 

 mean. Distant thunder was heard at 2.45 p.m. on the 10th, 

 and a solar halo was seen on the 19th. 



May. — The weather of May was without any special 

 feature, having the average sunshine, humidity, and rainfall. 

 Mean temperature was, however, a little over a degree below 

 the average. Thunder and lightning were observed on the 

 3rd, hail and lightning on the 4th, while sleet and hail fell 



