1884.] 



of the Bay of Bengal in 1883. 



129 



CHAPTER IV. 



The History of the Storm of the 10th to 15th N'ovember, 1883. 



The present storm was generated in the Gulf of Martaban, after the 

 north-east monsoon had been established for more than a month over 

 the north and centre of the Bay. The rains of the south-west mon- 

 soon terminated prematurely in Bengal in the last week of September. 

 It is a well-known fact that the commencement of the north-east 

 monsoon on the Coromandel coast is due to the recurvature of the south- 

 west monsoon winds over the south and centre of the Bay. The lower 

 atmospheric current, which is from south-west in the extreme south, 

 at that period changes, through south-east and east in the centre of the 

 Bay, to north-east on the Madras coast. The south-west monsoon current 

 of the year 1883 was unusually weak, and, when it retreated from Bengal, 

 it recurved immediately, and north-east winds were established on the 

 Madras coast in the first week of October. Hence the north-east mon- 

 soon rains set in over the Madras Presidency a week or ten days earlier 

 than usual. They gave general, and unusually heavy, rainfall, as is 

 shown by the following table of rainfall at eight of the more important 

 stations in that Presidency. 





Rainfall 



at eight 



stations 



of the Madras Presidency, 



Octoher 1883 



• 





Stations. 



1 



2 



3 



4 



5 



6 



7 



8 



9 



10 



11 



12 



13 



14 



15 



16 



17 



Cocona- 





































da ... 



... 



... 



... 



... 



... 



... 





... 



... 



... 



... 



... 



1-62 



2-35 



0-10 



0-23 



1-50 



Masuli- 





































patam 



0-30 







0-18 



013 







002 











0-75 



2-44 





1-47 



0-31 



Madras 





4-88 



0-20 



0-34 





0-01 



0-08 









0-48 



0-36 



1-81 



1-51 



1-06 



3-40 



0-57 



Salem... 



... 





2-75 





0-20 



015 





... 





001 



1-05 



0-75 



014 



0-66 



1-04 



1-83 



0-80 



Nellore 





0-50 



0-35 









005 



0-15 





... 





0-50 



0-60 



4-45 



0-95 



0-45 



2-20 



Madura 







005 



0-04 



0-35| ... 



... 



... 



0-45 



... 





2-10 



0-26 



0-20 



2-16 



0-34 



0-13 



Triclii- 





































nopoly 



... 



... 



0-43 



1-55 



... 





... 







0-70 







010 



0-26 



0-46 



0-63 



... 



Tan j ore 





1-04| ... 



0-47 



... 







... 



... 



... 





0-06 



.-.. 



1-47 



0-83 



0-10 



































Aver- 



Stations. 



18 



19 



20 



21 



22 



23 



24 



25 



26 



27 



28 



29 



30 



31 



Total. 



age. 



Cocona- 



































da ... 



0-66 











... 



... 





... 



... 



... 



0-90 



0-25 



5-70 



13-31 



8-60 



Masuli- 



































patam 



0-28 





0-21 



005 



001 





0-24 



003 







003 



1-25 



0-70 



4-95 



13-35 



8-58 



Madras 



016 



010 



012 0-37 









002 



016 



2-89 



212 



1-54 







2218 



10-80 



Salem... 





1-27 





008 





... 







0-40 



0-35 









0-96 



12-44 



7-22 



Nellore 



0-30 



... 





... 











015 







2-55 



8-20 



3-00 



24-40 



9-84 



Madura 





0-41 





007 





0-50 



... 



1-35 





0-25 



012 





... 



0-20 



8-98 



8-88 



Trichi- 



































nopoly 





2-47 





0-46 



... 











010 



009 







0-69 



7-94 



7-86 



Tan j ore 



008 



006 1-70 





... 



... 



... 





0-20 



0-60 





005 





0-20 



6-86 



5-60 



