THE METEOROLOGY OF EDINBURGH. 



97 



1801 



1801 



1803 

 1806 



Phenomenon. 



Meteor 



Aurora 



Gales 

 Thunderstorm 



1807 

 1807 

 1807 



Gale 



Comet 



Frost 



1808 



Snow 



1808 

 1808 



Thunderstorm 



and hail 

 Great heat 



1808 



Snow and meteor 



1808 



Gale 



1808 



High tides 



1808 



Snow 



1809 



Great cold 



REMARKS. 



December 5. A little before midnight, a large meteor, with a globular 

 head and a long tail, was seen, the whole atmosphere being surrounded 

 with a blaze of light, so that the smallest object could have been picked up 

 on the streets. It was seen for about two seconds. 



December 5. Very fine red and violet aurora. " During the evening a 

 whizzing kind of noise was heard in the air, exactly similar to the sound 

 which always accompanies the electric spark from the glass cylinder to the 

 conductor. During the time when the coruscations were most vivid, the top 

 of St Giles' steeple seemed to emit rays of light in all directions (St Elmo's 

 Fire ?), in every respect similar to a glass jar when surcharged with the 

 electric fluid." 



From January 8 to 10 a severe gale blew, doing much damage to the 

 shipping along the east coast. 



August 9. A storm, exceeding in violence perhaps anything in remem- 

 brance, was experienced at Edinburgh and the neighbourhood. The thunder 

 and lightning continued, without intermission, from 2 o'clock in the after- 

 noon till past 8 o'clock in the evening. The lightning was forked and ex- 

 tremely vivid, and the peals of thunder tremendously loud. The rain fell 

 in torrents, and continued to fall till 5 o'clock on Sunday morning. The 

 storm was preceded by a heavy gust of wind, which seemed to darken the 

 atmosphere by the quantity of dust it hurled into the air. The morning 

 was very sultry, and the thermometer stood at 73° in the shade. 



During the storm a most violent squall of wind arose from the south- 

 west, which overset and sunk a pleasure boat, belonging to a gentleman in 

 South Queensferry, then near the island of Inchcolm. The owner of the 

 boat, his servant, a skipper, and two tradesmen, all residing in Queensferry, 

 were on board, and all unfortunately perished. On Sunday different boats 

 and expresses were despatched from Queensferry in quest of them. The 

 Ferry Custom-house boat found one of the oars, the water ballast-box, 

 and two deals, used as tables. A vessel off St Abb's Head had her mast 

 shivered. Waterston describes this as " one of the worst storms in my 

 remembrance." 



September 6. Strong northerly gale with very heavy rain. Much corn 

 swept away in viciuity of Edinburgh. 



October 4. Comet observed. It continued visible till the beginning of 

 November. 



November. An exceptionally cold month, mean temperature 34° "0. 

 " The quantity of snow fallen and the number of frosty days this month, 

 as also the circumstance of the Clyde being frozen at Glasgow, and the 

 Tweed at Kelso, are said to be unprecedented in the memory of the oldest 

 inhabitant so early as November." — Waterston. 



April 8 and 22. Heavy snowfall, the depth in Edinburgh being over 

 half-a-foot. 



May 7. The hailstones to-day were of uncommon size, some being half- 

 ah-inch in circumference. 



July 13-15. Very hot, the thermometer varying from 76° to 86° in 

 the shade. In London the temperature rose to 100°. 



October 14. Heavy snow fell in morning to the depth of 6 inches. At 

 7.30 p.m. a meteor passed over the city. 



October 21. Heavy S.W. gale. Building at foot of the Mound con- 

 taining model panorama of the Battle of Trafalgar blown down. 



November 17-20. The tides at Leith were of uncommon height. Tides 

 equally great are on record, but four successive tides of such height and im- 

 petus no one recollects to have observed. 



Dec. 23, 24. Heavy snowfall ; depth on the average being 9 

 inches. 



January . By the end of December, the large quantity of snow 

 which had fallen in that month had disappeared from off the ground. The 

 wind, however, remained chiefly at E. and N.E. On 2nd January, the cold 



