METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON BEN NEVIS, 200 
13°:3. Itis to be noted that with these humidities the accompanying dew- 
point fell only once below zero, viz., to —6°°5 on December 8, being in this 
respect very different from the low humidities of previous years. 
The registrations of the sunshine recorder at the top 765 hours out of 
a possible 4,470 hours, being 48 hours fewer than in 1897. This is 
17 per cent. of the possible sunshine. The monthly maximum was 
149 hours in May, and the minimum 11 hours in January and 12 hours 
in December. At Fort William the number of hours was 1,241, being 
the largest hitherto recorded. The maximum was 213 hours in May, and 
the minimum 11 hours in December. The annual number of hours, 
1,241, is 36 per cent. of the possible sunshine at Fort William. 
At the Ben Nevis Observatory the mean percentage of cloud was 85, 
which is nearly the average, the highest being 95 in January and 
February, and the minimum 76 in May, July, and October ; and at Fort 
William, the mean was 73, the highest being 86 in January, and the 
lowest 64 in September. 
The mean rainband observation (scale 0O—8) was 2-3 at the top for the 
year ; the maximum being 3:0 in July and the minimum 1:5 in March. 
At Fort William the mean for the year was 3°7, the maximum being 4°3 
in April and the minimum 3-4 in February, March, and July. 
The mean hourly velocity of the wind was at the top of the mountain 
14 miles per hour, the maximum velocity being 21 miles in October, and 
the minimum 6 miles in July, being the lowest mean yet recorded on 
Ben Nevis. The means of 10 miles for May, 8 miles for June, 6 miles for 
July, and 10 miles for August, were the lowest means yet observed in 
four consecutive months, thus forming a striking feature of the meteorolog 
of Ben Nevis during the summer months of 1898. 
The rainfall for the year was 240-05 inches, which is by far the largest 
rainfall of any year yet observed on the top of Ben Nevis, being 
59 per cent. above the average of the observations made since 1881. This 
high percentage above the average was approximated to at several 
stations in this part of the West Highlands. The largest monthly 
amount was 43°65 inches in December, and, as will be seen from Table I., 
the amount for six of the months was exceptionally largé. Another 
singular circumstance is that the amounts for each of the months exceeded 
their average. The heaviest fall on any single day was 5°39 inches on 
November 2. At Fort William the amount for the year was 106-51 inches, 
the largest yet observed here, being 38 per cent. above the average. The 
largest monthly amount was 24:01 inches in December. The heaviest fall 
on any single day was 3:66 on December 4. 
On the top of Ben Nevis rain fell on 281 days, and at Fort William 
on 265 days. At the top the maximum number of rainy days was 29 in 
‘December and the minimum 17 in June ; the numbers for Fort William 
being 30 days in December and 15 in June. 
During the year the number of days on which 1 inch of rain or more 
was collected was 86 at the top and 26 at Fort William, these being very 
greatly above the averages, the percentages excess being 80 and 69 
respectively. In December, at the top, more than 1 inch of rain fell on 
eighteen days andin February on fifteen days. The prominent feature of 
the meteorology of Ben Nevis in 1898 was the unprecedented number of 
days characterised by heavy rainfalls, April and May being the only 
exceptions, 
Auroras are reported to have been observed on the following dates :— 
