82 AUSTRALIAN WEATHER. 



for the generation of these storms. The winds are generally 

 blowing any way, and .excepting those of the eastern high 

 pressure have apparently no circulating power. 



These were the conditions at 9 a.m., but as the day advanced 

 the col area advanced with its arid heat, and this acting upon the 

 precipitated moisture of the previous two days, resulted in the 

 tornado which we are about to describe, and which occured at 

 Bourke on the morning of March 21st, being one of the most 

 terrific ever witnessed in that district. It struck the town at 10 

 o'clock, but could be seen approaching for some time from a 

 north-westerly direction. It only lasted six minutes, but during 

 that period thirty-nine points of rain fell, and several hundred 

 pounds' worth of damage was done to houses. Chimneys, veran- 

 dahs, trees, etc., suffered and general consternation prevailed. 

 Many narrow escapes occurred, as the cyclone came across the 

 common from the direction of Fort Bourke. The theatre was 

 unroofed and a quantity of beams and iron was deposited in an 

 adjoining yard. Pleasure boats on the river were sunk, and a 

 steam-boat was considerably damaged by the falling of a large 

 gum tree. 



TYPE X. CYCLONES FROM NORTH-EAST. 



A comparatively small number of these storms reach the coast 

 of Australia, and owing to the almost complete absence of observ- 

 ing stations, New Caledonia excepted, and the small number of 

 vessels passing their tracks, it is usually impossible to trace their 

 course before they reach Australia, but there seems to be no reason 

 to doubt that they are more or less spent tropical cyclones, which 

 reach Australia in the act of recurving. The majority reach the 

 coast of Queensland between latitudes 20 and 26 ; some farther 

 north and south ; only one has been traced from the coast inland, 

 and then recurving there to south-east. It reached the coast in 

 the neighbourhood of Brisbane in January 1893, passed inland 

 over the mountains, gradually curving to south past Mudgee and 

 Dubbo, thence curving easterly it left the mainland about latitude 

 35 S. Its course was marked by violent cyclonic wind and rain. 



