1890.] Relations hetween the Hills and Plains of Northern India. 



29 



28th was followed on that day by a very rapid fall of the barometer in 

 the North Punjab and the formation of an independent deep depression, 

 the centre of which was to the north of Rawalpindi and Peshawar on 

 the morning of the 29th. It intensified considerably during the day 

 and marched slowly to the south-east along the hills, to which it gave 

 very stormy weather and heavy snowfall during the next forty-eight 

 hours. A very rapid rise of the barometer set in on the 31st, and the 

 depression filled up very rapidly. This deep depression very largely 

 modified the distribution of pressure over the whole of ISTorth- Western 

 and Central India, and obscured the shallow depression in Central India 

 on the 29th and 80th ; but with the disappearance of the former on the 

 31st, the latter again became clearly marked and formed the chief fea- 

 ture of the weather during the next two days. The double disturbance 

 gave a large general and much needed supply of rain to the greater part 

 of Northern India, including the Punjab, Rajputana, Central India, the 

 North- Western Provinces and Behar, and showers in Bengal." 



The following gives the precipitation at the hill stations during the 

 storm : — 





January 1889. 



February 1889. 



Total 

 fall du- 





















27 



28 



29 



30 



31 



1 



2 



ring 

 period. 



Murree ... 



- 



0-71 



2-49 



2-45 



0-75 



105 





,6-75 



Simla 



007 



- 



0-78 



1-93 



1-65 



0-30 



- 



473 



Chakrata... 



- 



- 



0-75 



2-98 



1-44 



0-28 



- 



5-45 



Ranikhet... 



- 



- 



0-90 



2-52 



192 



0-25 



- 



5-59 



At the three first named stations rain and sleet fell during the 

 earlier part of the disturbance, but it changed afterwards to snow, 

 which fell steadily during the night of the 30th and the greater part 

 of the 31st and 1st, when the weather cleared up rapidly. At Ranikhet 

 little or no snow fell. The depth of snow at the end of the storm at 

 Simla was quite three feet, at Chakrata about the same, and at Murree 

 about five feet. The nights of the 30th and 31st were hence stormy 

 with strong winds, thick cloud, and constant snowfall. The cloud 

 canopy extended over the greater part of Northern India, or over the 

 East Punjab, N.-W. Provinces, Behar, and East Rajputana. 



