Meteorological Journal for October . 391 



Results of a Meteorological Journal for October 1826, kepi at 

 the Observatory of the Royal Academy, Gosport, Hants. 



General Observations. — With the exception of two or three 

 days, the weather this month has been generally calm and 

 mild for the season : the state of the atmosphere, however, 

 has been often humid and suddenly condensed bv crossing 

 currents of wind, which induced frequent, but not heavy 

 showers of rain. 



Between the maximum temperature of the air of the 6th in- 

 stant, which was the coldest day, and that of the 11th, there 

 was a difference of 16 degrees: and the difference in the mi- 

 nimum temperature of the nights of the 5th and 19th was 22 

 degrees : the former night was very cold to the feelings at this 

 season, and the latter sultry. 



The 22nd was a stormy day, and damage was done in se- 

 veral northern counties by the discharges of electric fluid : 

 the lightning, which was also seen in this neighbourhood and 

 at Christchurch earlv in the morning, was generated bv the in~ 

 osculation of two winds of unequal temperatures, crossing at 

 right angles from N.E. and S.E. Much lightning emanated 

 from the passing clouds on this and the subsequent evening. 



At 9 A.M. on the 24th two parhelia and a solar halo pre- 

 sented themselves in the South-east quarter ; and two rain- 

 bows appeared in the afternoon, one of which, independently 

 of the exterior bow that accompanied it, showed seven bows 

 of colours, two of them were formed by a strong reflection of 

 the colours, being similar, but not quite so vivid : they rose 

 in semicircular arcs in the following order; viz. yellow, crim- 

 son, yellow, crimson, blue, green, red. 



The'mean temperature of the external air this month is 3^ 

 degrees higher than the mean of October for the last ten years ; 

 this, therefore, is the w T armest October since 1818. Spring 

 water arrived at its warmest state on the 1 2th ; since that time 

 its temperature has decreased 3-5ths of a degree ; and as the 

 sun has now advanced more than half way in South declina- 

 tion, its temperature will decrease in proportion to that of the 

 ground. 



The atmospheric and meteoric phenomena that have come 

 within our observations this month, are two parhelia, one 

 solar and three lunar halos, fourteen meteors, four rainbows, 

 lightning on three different days, and thunder on one; and 

 two gales of wind ; namely, one from the East, the other from 

 South-west. 



Numerical 



