10 



6.58 ; departure, -|-2.02. Average for August at Boston for 

 twenty-two years, 4.43 ; for August, 1892, 4.87 ; departure, 

 + 0.44. 



Prevailing wind. — South-west. 



Thunder-storms.— Uh, 5th, 9th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 19th, 

 26th, 31st. 



Remarks. 



The weather for Massachusetts for the month of Auijust 

 was characterized by a nearly average temperature, air 

 pressure and sunshine, while the precipitation was above the 

 average in the central counties and at or below the averao^e 

 in the eastern. 



The maximum temperature occurred generally on the 10th, 

 ranging from 88° to 98°. The minimum was felt on differ- 

 ent dates at different stations, and was about 50° ; hence the 

 range for the month was not nearly so large as was experi- 

 enced in July. 



The dry weather that prevailed during the greater part of 

 July was continued through most of August in Plymouth 

 and Bristol counties, causing damage to nearly all crops 

 there ; fruit dropped badly, field and garden crops dried up 

 for want of water, and fields and pastures turned brown and 

 bare. But in the central and western parts of the State sea- 

 sonable rains fell, and all vegetation was given rapid growth. - 



The local storms were heavy and frequent, and much 

 damage was done by lightning. During a thunder-storm in 

 north-eastern Massachusetts on the 5th, 0.50 inch of rain 

 fell at West Newbury ; Geo. Arnald was killed at Salem and 

 John Hannan at Peabody during the same storm, by light- 

 ning. High winds together with lightning did considerable 

 damage to buildings and crops at Phillipston, and a set of 

 buildings was burned at Otter River on the 9th. On the 12th 

 a heavy rain at Pittsfield did damage to the streets amounting 

 to several thousand dollars. At Boston, on the morning of the 

 same day, 0.85 inch of rain fell from 12.45 to 1.05 a.m., the 

 greater part falling in ten minutes of the time. On the 19th, 

 while Chas. B. Benson was standing in a barn door at Heath, 

 he was struck by lightning and instantly killed. During the 

 storm of the 25th to 27th from two to four inches of rain fell 



