Meteorological Observations taken in Edhiburgh. 397 



pressure was above the normal, but sunshine and rainfall 

 both slightly under the average. 



The characteristic features of the weather of August were 

 a very high mean barometric pressure, a low temperature, very 

 heavy rainfall, and an unusual deficiency of bright sunshine. 

 The mean temperature was 56°*6, being the lowest since 

 1888, when it was a degree lower ; the total rainfall regis- 

 tered was 5*68 inches, the greatest since 1881, with 6 '07 

 inches. During the first half of the month, the bright 

 sunshine amounted to 66 hours, but the last fortnight was 

 exceptionally dull, only 13 hours being recorded, the total 

 of 79 hours being the least registered in August since 1866, 

 which had 73 hours. Owing to barometric pressure being 

 much higher in the north than in the south, the prevailing 

 winds were from the east, which explains the low tempera- 

 ture, heavy rainfall, and general cloudiness of the month. 

 Some notable meteorological phenomena were observed, 

 notably the rainstorm of the 6th, when 2 inches of rain fell, 

 and the waterspout of the 23rd, when in 18 minutes the 

 Eichard pluviograph recorded 0'62 inch of rain and hail, or 

 at the rate of 2*07 inches per hour. As regards the rainfall 

 on the 6th, it was the heaviest daily fall in Edinburgh for 

 21 years, while the waterspout of the 23rd was the third 

 well-authenticated appearance of this phenomenon in the last 

 200 years, the only previous cases occurring on 13th August 

 1744, when a waterspout burst on the west side of Arthur's Seat, 

 dividing into two portions, one of which tore up the channel 

 under the Lion's Head known as the Gutted Haddie, while the 

 other flowed down the west side and inundated the village of 

 Duddingston, carrying away the gable of the most westerly 

 cottage, and flooding the loch over the adjacent meadows. 



Another waterspout was seen on 14th May 1826, a de- 

 scription of which appeared in volume ix. of the Edinburgh 

 Journal of Science. 



In September mean pressure was just the average, there 

 being an excess of temperature amounting to a degree and 

 a half. Kainfall was considerably below the normal ; while 

 sunshine was slightly above the average. Taken as a whole, 

 the month was comparatively featureless. 



