54 AUSTRALIAN WEATHER. 



the wind attained, locally, to the abnormal velocity of one hundred 

 and fifty-three miles per hour in a gust, the rate of one hundred 

 and twelve miles for ten minutes, and fifty-seven- miles per hour 

 for nine hours, while its influence was severely felt for hundreds 

 of miles in every direction. The most remarkable points in this 

 diagram are, first the comparatively steady barometer curve ; and 

 second, the pulsatory action of the wind velocity shown by the 

 mean hourly number of miles registered during the heaviest part 

 of the gale. 



UNFAVOURABLE SEASONS FOR CLOUD OBSERVATIONS. 



The opportunities for making cloud observations this summer 

 have been eminently unfavourable, but I have made the best 

 use of such chances as presented themselves, showing the conditions 

 which prevailed for several hours, both before and after the burst. 

 During the present season they have been preceded by clear skies 

 and by overcast skies, and by cirrus and stratus and cumulus, 

 separately and in combination, and to varying extents. 



The skies obtaining with the north-westers were more often 

 than not, hazy or overcast, almost tropical of aspect, with hazy 

 stratus and occasional heavy thunder cumulus on the several 

 horizons, but with a special partiality to the south-west. 



With the north-easters the skies have been clearer and the 

 smoke-cloud arising from the metropolis, which is seldom notice- 

 able during a north-wester owing to the thick condition of the 

 atmosphere, has generally been perceptible round the horizon in 

 stratified form. The background, or upper strata, when seen, has 

 been composed of fine cirrus, the surface wind occasionally bring- 

 ing in detached cumulus travelling very low. At times also, as 

 with the north-westers, detached cumulus have been visible to the 

 south-west. The lower strata always moved with the wind, while 

 the upper moved from the west, with an occasional tendency to 

 west-north-west or west-south-west, but this motion could only be 

 discerned in a few instances. In the majority of cases no move- 

 ment could be detected. Whether the easterly motion is a current 



