METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON REN NEVIS. 



57 



Table I. — continued. 



The above table shows for 1902 the mean monthly and extreme 

 temperature and pressure ; the amounts of rainfall ; the number of days 

 of rainfall, and the days on which it equalled or exceeded 1 inch ; the 

 hours of sunshine ; the mean rainband ; the mean velocity in miles per 

 hour of the Avind at the top of the mountain ; and the mean cloud 

 amount. The mean barometric pressures at Fort William are reduced to 

 32° and sea-level ; but those at Ben Nevis Observatory to 32° only. 



At Fort William the mean atmospheric pressure was 29-^79 inches, 

 or 0'022 inch above the average, whilst the mean at the top was 25'310 

 inches, or 0'004: inch above the average. The mean difierence for the 

 two Observatories was 4'569 inches, the mean monthly difference varying 

 from 4*498 inches in June and August to 4643 inches in January. At 

 the top the absolutely highest pressure for the year was 26'258 inches at 

 11 P.M. on January 31, and at Fort William 31'103 inches an hour 

 earlier on the same day. These are the highest barometric readings 

 hitherto recorded at the Observatories, though they were closely approached 

 in January 1896. They occurred while the British Isles lay under an 

 anti-cyclone of extraordinary intensity, and on the top of the mountain 

 the barometer remained above 26 inches from 6 p.m. on January 30 till 

 3 P.M. on February 2 ; whilst at Fort William the sea-level pressure 

 exceeded 31 inches from 5 p.m. on January 31 till 1 p.m. on February 1. 

 At the top, the lowest pressure for the year was 24'000 inches on 

 December 29, and at Fort William 28*412 inches on the same day. The 

 difference of the extremes at top and bottom were, therefore, 2*258 inches 

 and 2*681 inches respectively. 



