262 



THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



Owing to the insular conditions, this region enjoys an advan- 

 tage which does not extend to tropical continental areas of sim- 

 ilar elevation — that is, a considerable range in temperature dur- 

 ing the twenty-four hours, averaging from 10° to 20°, which 

 frequently affords the relief of a tolerably cool night even in the 

 hottest season. 



The following table of temperature, rainfall, etc., at Manila 

 has been compiled by' Prof. H. A. Hazen, of the United States 

 Weather Bureau, from observations made at the Observatorio 

 Meteorologico de Manila : 



Temperature (de- 

 grees F.) : 



Mean monthly 



Warmest month 



Coolest month 



Highest 



Lowest 



Humidity : 



Relative, per cent.... 



Absolute, grains per 



cubic foot 



Wind movement in 

 miles : 



Daily mean 



Greatest daily 



Least daily 



Prevailing wind di- 

 rection 



Cloudiness, per cent... 



Days with rain 



Rainfall in inches : 



Mean monthly 



Greatest monthly 



Least monthly 



98 

 152 



60 



n.e. 



45 

 4.3 



1.15 

 7.59 

 0.02 



78 

 81 

 76 

 96 

 61 



73 



7.60 



115 



187 



72 



37 

 2.2 



0.47 

 1.97 

 0.00 



79 

 96 

 65 



71 



7.90 



132 



220 

 82 



35 



3.4 



0.65 

 3.94 

 0.00 



83 



85 

 81 

 99 

 66 



75 



8.42 



145 

 229- 



92 



s.e. 

 32 

 3.5 



1.11 

 5.37 

 0.00 



84 



87 



82 



100 



71 



75 



9.27 



144 

 236 



s.e. 

 47 

 9.2 



4.30 



10.11 

 0.00 



138 



361 



96 



s.e. 



65 



15.4 



25.81 

 0.98 



81 



82 

 79 

 95 

 70 



84 



9.33 



182 

 267 

 110 



s.w. 



74 



22.1 



14.70 

 29.71 



165 



264 



79 



13.88 



43.20 



5.15 



79 

 94 

 71 



85 



9.33 



192 



282 



69 



s.w. 



72 

 20.7 



15.01 



61.43 

 2.00 



79 

 95 

 69 



82 



9.24 



111 

 196 



n.e. 



58 



14.4 



7.47 

 23.65 

 0.90 



94 

 164 



67 



n.e. 



54 



11.3 



4.92 

 15.27 

 1.17 



2.09 

 13.67 

 0.01 



80 

 82 

 79 

 100 

 60 



78 



8.75 



134 

 204 

 95 



53 

 135 



75.43 

 120.98 

 35.65 



Rainfall record for 32 years, 1865-1896; remaining data for 17 years, 1880-1896. 



The seasons vary with the monsoons or trade winds, which 

 blow from the northeast from November to April, and from the 

 southwest from May to October, and produce what are generally 

 called the dry and wet seasons; but there is no abrupt change 

 from one to the other. Between those periods there are intervals 

 of variable weather. 



The Spaniards describe the seasons as — 



" Seis meses de lodo, 

 Seis meses de polvo, 

 Seis meses de todo ; " 



six months of mud, six months of dust, and six months of every- 

 thing. 



