TKANSACTIONS OF THK SECTIONS. 



53 



Meteoeologt. 



On Oreeic Meteorohgi/, By the Rev. H. A. Boys. 



Athens, tlie only place in Greece where, to tlie best of the author's knowledge, a 

 meteorolog'ical register is regularly kept, is by no means a representative station,being 

 more bracing- and dry, hotter in summer, colder in winter than any other place at 

 the same elevation in the kingdom. Patras, where the author, under considerable diffi- 

 culties, lias with tolerable regularity for nearly two years conducted observations of 

 temperature, rainfall, barometer, hygrometer, wind, clouds, and earthquakes, lies on 

 the shore of a gulf open to the west, and more or less shut in by mountains on the 

 remaining sides. Its climate is mild, soft, and relaxing, cooler in summer, hotter 

 in winter than Athens. Standing just to one side of the draught through the nar- 

 row entrance of the Gulf of Corinth, it has little variety in the direction of the 

 ■winds, which nearly alwaj's turn the weathercocks E. or W. 



But of those winds whose direction is more or less E., there are three distinct 

 kinds: — First, a real N.E., which blows in early spring and in summer for ten or even 

 fifteen days together, dropping at night, wliich brings brilliantly clear, dry, cold 

 weather in February and March, and brilliantly clear, dr}', hot weather in the sum- 

 mer time ; it covers the pools with a film of ice in winter, and makes even well- 

 seasoned wood warp and crack in summer. Second, an apparently E. wind, which 

 originally proceeds from Africa, and blows occasionally from October to June in 

 gales which continue 70 or 80 hours ; it is charged with impalpable sand, hiding 

 the Sim behind a grey haze, is very violent and hot, and painfully dry, bringing 

 temperature up to 77° even in March. Third, a local wind oft' a moimtainnear the 

 town, which sweeps down, at night usually, in brief and furious squalls. 



The Sirocco, a warm, damp, S. or S. W. wind, brings heavy autumn and winter rains. 



The W. wind, which divides with that first mentioned the greater part of the year, 

 is not remarkable in any way, but brings beautiful weather at almost any time. 



The Mistrale, a fresh N.W. wind, blows in the summer time after rain in the 

 Adriatic, bringing coolness and moisture when most needed. 



Rainfall. — That in Patras differs very much from that in Athens, Patras having 

 by a great deal the larger quantity ; and the times at which the rain falls in the 

 two places have no more than a very general agreement. It is best to consider the 

 year's rain from July to June, and so to avoid cutting the rainy season in two, as 

 would be done by dividing the year between December and January. 



It is hazardous to attempt general rules from only two years' experience j but the 

 author believes the following will usually hold good : — 



July. No rain. 



August. A few light showers ; perhaps a heavy one. 



September. At least one heavy thunder-storm. 



For the next four months frequent thunder-storms with heavy rain. 



A spell of fine weather in Feljruary and March, followed by unsettled weather, with 

 light rains, until the end of April, after which continuous tine weather may be ex- 

 pected, relieved rather than interrupted by a few short though perhaps heavy showers. 



In tlie wettest months a long-continued drizzly rain is a rare occurrence ; it comes 

 generally in short hea-s-y showers, between wliich the sun shines brightly, and the 

 roads, where good, dry up directly. 



Temperature. — The author is inclined to estimate the average maxima and minima 

 for the several months as follows : — 



Average shade, maximum (Fahr.) 

 ,, ,, minimum 



f^ 



1^ H 



56 60,68 

 404450 





8390 

 62,69 



