412 METEOROLOGICAL BEPORT, 1889, 



On the 17tli the Island of St. Thomas, in the West Indies, 

 was shaken by a very violent earthquake. Somewhere about 

 the same time the rock off the coast of Newfoundland, on which 

 the "Grermania" and "Cleopatra" were wrecked, was raised 

 considerably by volcanic agency. 



On the 26th there was a great eruption of Mount Etna, and 

 violent earthquakes in many parts of the world about that time. 



Greenwich. — On September 4th the temperature passed above 

 the average, and the weather was generally warm until the end 

 of the month, with frequent heavy gales and storms. The aver- 

 age daily excess of temperature in the last twenty-seven days of 

 the month was 3*2°. Upon the whole of the three months end- 

 ing September 30th the temperature was in excess to the amount 

 of 1-9° daily. 



The mean temperature of September was 69°, being 2-5° 

 higher than the average of 98 years. In 1868 the value re- 

 corded was 60-5°; in 1867 and 1866, 57-6° and 56-4° respectively. 



On the 1st of September a fall of the barometer set in and 

 reached its minimum (29*50 inches) on the 6th ; a rise then oc- 

 curred to 29*76 inches on the 7th. Decreasing readings were 

 again recorded to 29*20 inches on the 10th, succeeded by a small 

 increase to 29*40 inches on the 11th. A rapid fall then took 

 place, and reached its lowest point at 5 a.m. of the 12th, 28*68 

 inches being recorded ; and this again was followed by a steady 

 rise to 30*08 inches on the 23rd. From this time to the end of 

 the month the mercury was very fluctuating. 



During the periods of great depression in September, viz., 

 from the 9th to the 20th, violent gales raged from the S.W., 

 causing great destruction of life and property. The mean pres- 

 sure of the wind during this month was as much as one pound 

 the square foot. On numerous occasions pressures were regis- 

 tered above thirty pounds to the square foot. The mean daily 

 horizontal movement of the air in September was 349 miles, 

 against 213 and 224 miles in July and August respectively. 



North Sunderland. — A dull unsettled month. Very wet from 

 the 8th to the 19th. Windy from the 17th, with some very 



