202 



EEMARKS ON THE METEOROLOGY OF 1869. 



It will be convenient to follow the course adopted in former years, by 

 giving first a summary view of the character of each month separately, as 

 illustrated by the returns from the several stations in the county, and ap- 

 pending any more general remarks which may seem called for. 



January was a mild and wet month. At Truro only four nights were 

 frosty, and the lowest temperature was 28' ; at Falmouth, 36. The rainfall 

 {6'84 inches) was one fourth above the average of the last 20 years ; and it 

 was in excess at the other stations, except Helston, where the fall was only 

 3-56, the average being 4-18. At Penzance the fall was 6-93, the average 

 being 5-33. The smallness of the fall at Helston, an intermediate station, 

 is very remarkable. The difference was in great part due to its escaping 

 some very heavy rain ; thus on the 4th, while 1-23 was measured at Truro, 

 there was only -O^ at Helston ; and on 28th, 1-25 at the former place is con- 

 trasted with -73 at the latter. The number of days on which rain fell (from 

 20 to 23) was about the average for the month at all the stations. There 

 were very heavy gales at the end of the month, with thunderstorms ; some 

 wrecks occurred on the shores of Mount's Bay, and much damage was 

 done near Penzance by the breaking of the waves over the Greens, east and 

 west. 



Fehruanj maintained the same character ; the quantity of rain (3-88 

 inches) being again one fourth above the average, and the number of rainy 

 days (21) equally in excess. The forwardness of vegetation was noted every- 

 where. The blossoming of peaches and pears at Helston, on the 10th, is 

 recorded by Mr. Moyle ; and Mr. Tripp mentions that two vipers were killed 

 on the 23rd, near Altarnun. 



With March a colder and drier season commenced, and continued, with 

 about a week's interruption in April, till the beginning of May. There were 

 five frosts at Truro, twenty-three at Altarnun. At this place, Mr. Tripp notes 

 for the 20th, " Bright, cold day, wind N.E. At 4.30 p.m. thunder ; immense 

 hailstones fell for four or five minutes ; one, when measured, of circular 

 shape, was 3-4ths of an inch in diameter ; the others appeared mostly of the 

 same shape and size " ; and for the 27th he records " three inches of snow, 

 with hail, thunder, and lightning during the day." Snow fell at Truro on the 

 same day. The Mining Journal relates a strange occurrence at Carnyorth 

 Mine, St. Just, during an awful thunderstorm. The lightning struck the 

 engine-house, cleaving the spring-beam, a balk of timber 9 inches square, 

 knocking the stair to pieces, with the windows, roof, and stack. The fluid 

 went down the shaft, at 50 fathoms striking H. Boyns in the arm, and 

 rendering H. Lanyon speechless. They thought a gun had been fired at 



