Marcu 21, 1907 | 
NAT ORE 
489 
are only received by telegram from western Europe, 
and the eastern portion of the map would always 
be blank. Advantage is taken of this misfortune to 
get a western extension of the lower part of the 8 a.m. 
barometric chart, and thus provide for the observ- 
ation from the Azores, for which we are indebted 
to Major Chaves and the Portuguese Government. 
It happens that the eastern point of the Azores and 
the western point of Iceland lie close to the meridian 
of 25° W. and it is a matter of importance to get 
observations from both these ‘‘ centres of action ’’ on 
the same chart. The bringing of Iceland into touch 
with Europe by the new telegrams emphasises the 
isolation of the Azores, and the ‘chart is a pathetic 
appeal for the extension of the area to be reached by 
wireless telegraphy. But in the meantime the daily 
problem of drawing isobaric lines to connect the 
Azores pressure readings with the European and | 
North Atlantic distribution 
aftords an intellectual exer- 
with the numerical results. The tracing of the rela- 
tion of sea temperature to the incidence of sea fog 
is the direct object of the new departure in obtaining 
the readings weekly instead of monthly as hitherto. 
But the most important addition to the report, 
although it makes little show, is on the new front 
page. It is the first result of an attempt to deal 
with climatological work from the point of view 
of frequency distribution. The weather of the week 
for each of the twelve districts of the British Isles 
as regards warmth, rainfall, and duration of sun- 
shine is characterised by a selection of adjectives for 
each element. To do this the results for the current 
week have to be referred to the mean values for the 
corresponding week which are smoothed to give 
appropriate averages ‘‘for the time of year.’’ The 
trouble is to define the characteristics of a weelx in 
such a way that when the weeks of a particular kind 
cise which would bear com- 
parison with some subjects 
of competition judged 
worthy of valuable prizes. 
In order to represent the B A.M. YESTERDAY. 
2 
SUPPLEMENTARY CHARTS 
F 
° 
BARGMETER AND WIND 
FoR 8 A.M. AND G P_M_YESTERDAY 
WEATHE R 2o0"Fe8.1907 
1. BAROMETER, WIND AND SEA AT 8 A.M. TO-DAY. 
WEDNESDAY, 
ry 
new arrangement of p. 2, 
the barometric charts for 
the issue of February 20 
have been reproduced, com- 
pleted for observations 
missing on the day. They 
show the development of 
the storm which caused 
the Berlin disaster at 6 a.m. 
on February 21. 
The extensions the 
daily charts have been 
carried out without sacri- 
ficing any of the inform- 
ation hitherto given on the 
of 
, 
. ye 
295 294 291 289 
EXPLANATION 
BAROMETER -/sodars 
are drawn for each 
tenth of an inch. 
WIND. - Arrows ey 
with the wind, show 
Direction and Force 
thus:— 
Force ab0ve 10 y—— 
inner pages of the daily 
report, except the map of 
6 PM. YESTERDAY. 
weekly results which has : 
occupied a place on p. 2 for 
some years. On p. 4 the 
table of hours of observ- 
ation has gone to make 
space for wireless  tele- 
grams, for which arrange- 
ments have been made 
through the courtesy of the 
Lords of the Admiralty 
\ 
BOONES | 
“eb atga a 
pe 
Only two messages have 
SCALE 
appeared as yet, but they 
5° 
3 + SOO MILES) 
OF NAUTICAL MILES E 
have been enough to show 
that the system, which 
needs careful organisation 
in order to avoid disastrous 
results arising from instrumental or 
errors, is capable of satisfactory working. 
The weekly report has been enlarged by two 
additional pages. The new features introduced last 
vear have been continued. They include temperatures 
on the grass and in the ground, from a considerable 
number of stations, and observations in the upper 
air contributed by Mr. W. H. Dines from his new 
station at Pyrton Hill, Oxon., Mr. C: J. P. Cave 
of Ditcham Park, Mr. S. H. R. Salmon of Brighton, 
and Mr. J. E. Petavel, for the physical laboratory 
of the University of Manchester, working at Glossop 
Moor. To these have now been added a table of 
temperatures of the sea, at coastguard stations and 
elsewhere on all coasts. No one doubts the influence 
of the sea temperature upon the climate of this 
country, but few attempts have been made to deal 
NO. 1951, VOL. 75] 
telegraphic 
Form of the new Daily Weather Report of the Meteorological Office. 
come to be counte for a season or a year, the result 
shall not be misleading. This seems at first sight 
an easy matter, but ‘he frequency distribution of the 
values of the elements introduces a difficulty that is 
curious and interesting. 
Take as an example the rainfall in a district like 
that of the eastern counties. The mean value for 
the week is by no means the most frequent value. 
The commonest kind of week is one with very little 
rainfall and the frequency of weelxly falls of successive 
intensities is less and less until we come to rare 
weeks of very heavy rainfall. The mean rainfall 
beiongs to a group which is comparatively infrequent 
Consequently, if we call a weelkk with less than 
average rainfall a dry week, and it seems at first 
sight reasonable to do so, we shall find that in an 
ordinary season most of the weeks appear as dry 
