110 



RETORT — 1894. 



continuance of anti-cyclonic weather during the time when, as lias been 

 often referred to in our Reports to the British Association, the tempe- 

 rature at the top is frequently much higher, absolutely, than it is at 

 Fort William. 



The lowest mean monthly temperature at Fort William was 37°"6, for 

 January, and at the top 23^'2 in the same month, these being respectively 

 1°*7 and 1°*5 under the average of the month. The warmest month was 

 August at both stations, where the means were 59° -5 and 43° "6, or 2°'5 and 

 4°'l in excess of their averages. 



The maximum temperature at the top was 62°-6 on June 18, and at 

 Fort William 83°-2 on August 9. The minimum at tlie top was 6°-4 on 

 January 2, and at Fort William 13° -9 on January 6 As compared with 

 previous years the minima for the five months from April to August were 

 relatively high reading at both .stations, showing that the temperature 

 was during these months not only high as regards the means, but was 

 marked by a singular absence of such low temperatures as usually occur. 



At the top the registrations of the sunshine recorder show 680 hours 

 out of a possible 4,470 hours, being 122 hours fewer than during the 

 previous year, and 228 fewer than during 1891. The following months 

 exceeded "the averages : March by 20 hours, April by 60 hours, November 

 by 23 hours, and January by 6 hours. The maximum was 151 hours in 

 April, and this is also longer than any pre\ ious recorded April. All other 

 months fell short of the averages, and during the whole of December only 

 one hour's sunshine was recorded, and on the following month, viz., January 

 1894, only three hours' sunshine occurred. At Fort William the number 

 of hours of sunshine were 1,065, which is respectively 114 and 155 hours 

 fewer than during the previous two years. The maximum was 186 hours 

 in June, and the minimum 6 hours in December. At these stations, in 

 common with a lai'ge sun-ounding district, 1894 was characterised by a 

 singular deficiency of sunshine, which is remarkable in view of the high 

 temperature of the year. At the top of the mountain the proportion of 

 the actual to the possible sunshine was only 15 per cent., and at Fort 

 William the percentage was 30, or double that at the top. 



At the top the percentage of cloud covering the sky was 84, being the 

 average of previous years. It varied greatly in the different months, 

 being above 90 per cent, in February, July, August, October, and December, 

 which were characterised by a marked deficiency of sunshine, and reached 

 98 per cent, in December, when, as already stated, only one hour of sun- 

 shine was recorded. On the other hand, the minimum 61 per cent, 

 occurred in April, the montli of the absolute maximum sunshine, being 

 66 per cent, above the maximum of the month. 



The following table shows the lowest humidities of each month : — 



As compared with the similar table in last year's Report the following 



