204 METEOROLOGY. 



gales raged from the S.W., causing great destruction to life and property. 

 On numerous occasions pressures were registered above 30 lbs. on the square 

 foot. At the Falmouth Observatory, 10 lbs. was the highest average pressure 

 recorded for 12 consecutive hours. Mr. Eichards mentions that, on the 2Sth, 

 " from 6 to 9 a.m., Mount's Bay was visited by an extraordinary action of 

 the tide, which rose and fell five feet in about as many minutes, several 

 times." On the same day thunderstorms were very general in Cornwall and 

 further east, and they occurred in the midland counties on the following day. 



The rainfall in October was 2-27 inches at Truro, less than half the 

 average amount, although there were 19 more or less rainy days,— just the 

 usual number. The first half of the month was generally fine and genial, 

 and the temperature was very high for the season, reaching 75 on the 9th 

 at Truro and Bodmin; the greatest heat, Capt. Liddell remarks, ever recorded 

 there in October ; at Altarnun it reached 79'5. On the 17th the weather 

 suddenly changed, and there were gales from the north with heavy rain. On 

 the 18th, Capt. Liddell notes that 35 in fell at Bodmin in 18 minutes, and 

 Mr. Tripp states that, on the same day, 96 in. fell at Altarnun between 

 4 a.m. and 9 a.m. On the 2nd he records a mock sun, red with prismatic 

 colours, near sunset ; and on 6th, a large meteor followed by aurora. 



November must be accounted a rather wet month, the quantity of rain 

 (4-81 in.) being above the average, and the number of rainy days, 23, 

 being nearly one quarter in excess. The rains were very heavy on the 27th 

 and 29th. Capt. Liddell notes that the river flood on 27th was the greatest 

 since Oct., 1847. The temperature fluctuated much and rapidly : thus the 

 10th, 11th, and 12th days were very cold, whilst the four following were re- 

 markable for warmth. As a whole, the month was nearly 2 deg. above the 

 average. The minimum at Helston was 34, at Palmouth 36, at Truro 27, at 

 Altarnun 23. A splendid meteor, stretching from east to west, leaving a 

 luminous band visible for nearly 20 minutes, was seen throughout the county 

 and beyond it about 7 p.m. on the 6th. 



December had a rainfall (5 "62 inches) more than one-fifth in excess of 

 the Truro average, and the number of more or less rainy days (22) was also 

 greater than usual. There were two cold periods, the first less marked, from 

 the 1st to 8th, when the lowest temperature at Truro was 28, that at Altarnun 

 being 13 ; the second commencing on the 20th, and culminating on the 27th 

 and 28th, when the cold was very intense. The minima were as follows : — 

 at Penzance, 25 ; Helston, 23 ; Falmouth, 25 ; Truro, 10 ; Bodmin, 18 ; Lis- 

 keard, 18 ; Altarnun, 8 5. At Greenwich it was 21-3. The interval between 

 these cold periods was rather mild, but very stormy and wet. Hail was un- 

 usually frequent, it was registered on nine days ; snoiv- on four other days. 

 Mr. Glaisher states, for Greenwich, that upon the whole quarter of 92 days, 

 the temperature was below the average to the amount of P-15 daily. 



The characteristic features of the last summer season may be accurately 

 appreciated by an examination of the following table, which presents a 

 numerical comparison of those six months in 1869 with the same in a long 

 series of years, in regard to the important qualities of amount of sunshine, 

 proportion of dry weather to wet, and the quantities of rain which fell. 



