1888.] occtirred at Dacca on April 7th, 1888. 193 



took place, the mean temperature of the province at the end of March 

 being nearly 10° higher than at the commencement. The winds blow- 

 ing in the various districts were nearly normal in character ; dry wes- 

 terly and north-westerly winds were reported in the west and north-west 

 of the province, moist south-westerly and southerly winds were blowing 

 at the southern stations, and moist south-easterly and easterly winds at 

 the eastern and at some of the northern stations. In consequence of the 

 interaction between these wind systems, a considerable number of local 

 storms or nor 'westers occurred, principally about the middle of the 

 month ; these ceased about the 18th of March and weather became fine, 

 but again on the 27th, without any particular change in the ordinary 

 conditions, a series of storms set in, very local in character, but some of 

 which were exceedingly fierce. One, if not two, of these storms appear 

 to have been whirlwinds or tornadoes. One of them occurred in the 

 Magura subdivision of the Jessore district, and Mr. F. H. Barrow, C. S., 

 Magistrate of Jessore, describes it as follows : — 



" I have the honor to report that at sunset of 27th March last, a 

 hail-storm blew in the Magura subdivision and devastated the villages 

 Barbhanga, Kukhila, Gobindpore, Nurandia, Ghoranach, Jagdal, and 

 Dakurbhila. It is described as having risen in the shape of a whirl- 

 wind from Kalijir bheel about 2 miles to the south-east of Magura 

 and blown right across the south over the villages in the order they are 

 noted. It blew in a cyclonic form, throwing down almost all the huts 

 and uprooting and smashing extensivq bamboo topes and fruit trees, 

 it is said by thousands. There was a large tank in village Ghora- 

 nach which supplied drinking water to the inhabitants of the neighbour- 

 ing villages. This tank has been literally filled with falling trees and 

 branches, and the water rendered undrinkable. 



" Four persons died by the fall of trees and huts, and nearly 24 

 persons, chiefly women, have received hurt. 



" The storm has caused great hardship to the inhabitants of the 

 7 villages named. They have lost almost everything they had, and have 

 no shed to shelter them." 



The following is a further note by Babu Kali Prasanna Sircar, 

 Subdivisional officer of Magura. 



" The tornado blew towards the south, inclining a little towards the 

 east. It is said that two gusts of wind, one blowing from the east, and 

 the other from the west, met together at Kalijir bheel, about 2 miles 

 south of Magura, and then swept across the country. The area affected 

 is about 7 miles in length and 1 mile in width, and the duration was 

 about 10 minutes. The people say that the tornado blew in the shape 



