204 



OBSERVATIONS ON THE WINDS. 



(136.) The total amount of the Horizontal Motion of the air at Liverpool, 

 as registered by the Anemometer, is also exceedingly alike in different 

 years, as shown by these figures : — 



Direction. 



]\Iiles 

 per hour. 



N. 

 N.N.E. 



N.E. 

 E.N.E. 



E. 

 E.S.E. 



S.E. 



S.S.B. 



S. 



7-8 



6-2 



6-6 



7-8 



11.0 



9-6 



11-6 



11-4 



10:3 



The Seasons have an influence on the velocity of the wind ; thus, these 

 observations show that in Winter (December to February), the mean rate 

 is 15"6 miles per hour; Spring (March to May), 12*1 miles per hour; 

 Summer (June to August), 11-8 miles per hour ; and Autumn (September 

 to November), 11*5 miles per hour. In the 

 day, winds are stronger than at night ; thus, 

 at midnight, it travels 11-2 miles per hour ; 

 6 a.m., 11-8 miles per hour; 9 a.m., 12-9 

 miles per hour ; noon, 13-2 miles per hour ; 

 3 p.m., 14-6 miles per hour; 6 p.m., 12-7 

 miles per hour; and 9 p.m., 11-6 miles per 

 hour. 



But the more important general deduction 

 to be derived from these observations is the 

 fact, as before alluded to (135), that all winds 

 having a Westerly bearing travel very much 

 the fastest ; those from South to East pro- 

 ceed at a much slower rate ; while such as 

 come from the North and East average but 

 little more than a third of the rate of the 

 Westerly winds. All this is made clear by 



a glance at the column of figures in the annexed Table, which gives the 

 Mean Rate in Miles per Hour of the winds from the various directions ; 

 and will show further that the wind-roses and figures of Maury's and other 

 charts do not give an accurate knowledge of this zone of winds, as the 

 Westerly winds, though by them made greatly to predominate, do not show 

 the actual amomit of those winds by, perhaps, one-half or two-thirds of 

 their real quantity. All the strongest gales recorded in those years came 

 from Western quarters. 



(137.) In continuation of the above observations, the Anemometer records 

 show the mean annual duration of winds from the various quarters, for 

 the twelve years 1852 — 1863 inclusive, to be as arranged in the following 



S.S.W 11-8 



S.W 16-7 



W.S.W 15-5 



W 18-9 



W.N.W 19-0 



N.W 17-4 



N.N.W 12-7 



