jf ON THE CLIMATOLOGY OF AFRICA. 449 
Nyasaland. 
Mr. J. McClounie, head of the Scientific Department of British Central Africa, has forwarded to the 
Committee the following remarks on the weather, dated Zomba, May 12, 1899 :— 
' The year of 1898-99 has not been marked by any extraordinary features, In the absence of any 
7 records for past years, 1898-99 may be taken as a good one all round. No lengthy damaging drought 
was experienced. No great rainfall was registered for the year, i.e. what may be termed zero to zero, 
and being the twelve months from October to September, both inclusive. 
The rainy season practically commences in October and continues to May, during which time spring 
and summer prevail, autumn following on in the coldest months, and winter, antipodal to England with 
regard to temperature, as the temperature rises daily all over the country until the rains of October and 
the following months cool the atmosphere. Be it understood, of course, that in what is termed the 
‘wet season’ there is no inference that rain falls continuously during these months, as this is not the 
ease. Thunderstorms, though frequent, are of brief duration. From Zomba, the progress of thunder- 
storms can be seen forty miles away; they are seen to traverse the plain quickly, and rain may be seen 
falling at three or four different places simultaneously. 
During the months of August, September, and October, and sometimes November, vegetation is at a 
standstill, the accumulating heat from the sun’s southing having completely dried the grass and made 
hard and hot the paths, Bush fires are numerous, and soon there remains nothing but large blackened 
areas. On this the ground temperature is very great, and almost unbearable by the natives, whose 
bare feet get badly cracked. Asa result of the great temperatures, whirlwinds may be observed long 
distances away speeding across the plain ; a long black column, small at the ground but widening out 
at the top, 150 feet to 200 feet high, is a frequent object of interest. Occasionally a whirlwind of more 
than usual violence may reach the dwellings at Zomba or Blantyre, and dangerously shake the iron 
roofs. Trees and shrubs are also very much blown about, and sometimes overthrown. 
The sunshine during August, September, and October is almost continuous from morning till evening. 
High temperatures are the rule, and the atmosphere very dry. The bush fires continue, and a heavy 
haze hangs like a pall over the land until the copious rains in November extinguish the fires and clear 
the air. Two or three showers are looked for in September, and are called (locally) Kokalupsya, or the 
early rain, but these are slight. On them, however, the planting community base their hopes for the 
success of the next year’s crop, by their bringing the coffee into flower and setting the fruit. 
From Fort Johnston full and excellent returns have been received, observed by Mr. F. S. 8. Wright, 
of the Naval Department. 
Excellent climatological returns were received from Nkata Bay and Cholo, the observers being 
Mr. C. A. Cardew and Mr. Geo. Adamson. 
Other climatological stations commenced during the year, and good registers are now being received. 
The way in which planters and missionaries have responded to the request for rainfall readings has been 
ry encouraging, and these, together with administration stations, give rainfall readings for twenty-two 
places. 
It is not my desire at the present time to go into the tables and make comparisons of the different 
stations, or point out any special feature, the object of this—the first Report—being to try in a way to 
illustrate the general nature of the climate of British Central Africa, and which, I hope, may be found 
compatible with the tables. The barometric and other reductions have been obtained from ‘Smithsonian 
Meteorological Tables,’ 1896 edition, and my thanks are due to Mr. Ravenstein for the courteous manner 
~ in which he has at times assisted and advised me. 
Kambola, Tanganyika Plateau. Lat. 8° 50' S., Long. 31° E., 4,880 feet (by B. Pt.). 
e Observer: James F. Mackay, L.R.C.P. Ed. 
Mean . 
Temp. Vapour| Dew Relative te 
Mean Temperature eicenies ee Bi ee Point | Humidity Rain 
et Bulb 
Months 
8 3 ret wean \ientirad 
Beale: & z Se (ei lie wp cleans Par, | Se (ee ota Seebeck hd Be [ie 
A.M. | P.M. | Max.| Min.|Mean| ‘to 2 |aa.| pa. lam.[polaa|pm.| am.) pm.| § | A | Se 
i ish a 3 
° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° |Inch |No.| Inch 
70°90) 73°23) 84:10) 57-90] 71:00} 90 52 | 62°42) 63-26] 484) 490] 58:2| 585) 64 60 135}; 4 | 1:00 
68°73) 69°56) 78°11; 52°13) 65°12) 86 54 | 63°60) 65-LU| *b40) °577| 61:2) 6371) 77 80 7°67 | 16 | 1:27 
66°97) 63°78) 78:19) 57-06) 67-62) 85 53 | 62°84) 64°81| -622) 575) 65°3/ 63°0) 95 82 6°17 | 18 | 2°18 
64°11) 67-70| 76°25) 57:22] 66-74] 82 55 | 63°38] 64°74] *577] °583| 63°1| 63-4) 97 85 | 12°64) 25 | 2°68 
65°17) 67°33) 76°79| 58:16] 67:47| 84 55 | 62-00] 63°91] *535] 562| 61°0| 62°4| 86 84 8:30) 19 | 1:72 
69°09 69°74 82°16) 58:00/ 70°08) 88 56 | 63°53] 65°38] 533) °585| 60°9) 63°5| 75 81 9:06 | 16 | 156 
65°86 68°73) 81-43] 56°40| 68°91, 89 | 52 | 61-43] 64-23] -502|557| 59°1/62-1| 79 | 80 | 6°62] 17 | 2:10 
64-41] 73°77) 80-96] 54:19] 67-58; 88 | 51 | 58-32] 65-70] -431|°556|55°0|620| 71] 66] 0-00} 0) — 
} 59°03) 70°73] 78-96] 49°33| 67°14| 85 45 | 52:00] 60°17) 323) -424/ 47*1) 54:5) 65 56 0°00) 0 _— 
: 58°59 71:92 80°70| 43°66] 62:19) 85 42 | 57-86] 58°14] -474| *355| 57°6) 49°6| 97?) 45 0-00; O oa 
+ | 62°14) 73°42| 82-39] 40°57| 61:48] 88 45 | 52°07| 56°45] *297| *308] 44:9) 45°8) 51 37 0:00; 0 -- 
September | 68°80) 77-86] 86-70] 57-76] 72:23] 90 53 | 5626] 60°43] 338] *361| 48°3| 50°1| 48 37 014] 2 | 0:07 
, October + | 70°45) 74°93) 86°38] 60°41] 73°40] 90 57 | 60°93] 61°80] *447| *430] 56°0| 54:9) 60 50 066! 5 | 0-40 
_ | November | 67°10] 70:96} 80-36| 60-00] 70:18] 88 | 58 | 62-80| 65-10] -531| -564| 60'8| 62-4) 80 | 75 | 5:56) 22 | 112 
_ | December | 66°97) 69:45| 78:90| 59:22] 69-06] 85 | 57 | 63-06) 63-70|-541|-536| 61-3| 61-0] 82 | 74 | 11-43] 18 | 4-04 
a 
7 1898 65°05 a 80°83) 55°41! 67-79) 90 42 | 59°46] 62°5 | 461) -484| 56°3) 57°6} | 74 64 | 5441/12 4-04 
Pi alana errors (if any) are not known, The mean is deduced from } (max. + min.) and are consequently 
; 1899. GG 
