( 469 ) 



XXL— The Meteorology of Edinburgh. By R. C. Mossman, F.R.S.E., 

 F.R. Met. Soc. (With a Plate.) 



(Read 19th May 1902.) 



PART III. 



In my previous papers on " The Meteorology of Edinburgh " * the data referring to 

 local climate were reduced down to the end of 1896. In the time that has elapsed 

 since their publication a number of memoirs from places on the Continent and elsewhere 

 have appeared in which the data, mostly dealing with long periods, were brought down 

 to the end of 1900. In order to facilitate the comparison of the Edinburgh record with 

 those referred to, I have completed new monthly and annual averages for the ten years 

 1891-1900, the fifty years 1851-1900, and for longer periods, which embrace 137 

 years in the case of mean temperature, 131 years for mean barometric pressure, 130 

 years for the non-instrumental phenomena, and 124 years for rainfall (see Tables I. to 

 IV.). The values previously published have been carefully examined, and a number 

 of errors which escaped detection at the time eliminated. A Table of Errata (see Table 

 XXIX.) is appended. Tables V. and VI. show respectively the mean monthly and 

 annual departure from the normal of the mean maximum and minimum temperatures 

 for the fifty years 1851-1900. A few of the values formerly published (see Table 

 XVIII. , Trans., vol. xxxix. pp. 130-133) are about o, 6 too high, but they have been 

 corrected. The years affected are mostly between 1851 and 1860. Table VII. shows 

 the Decennial monthly and annual means of the mean daily maximum and minimum 

 temperatures, and the mean and extreme values of daily range. Table VIII. gives the 

 extreme mean monthly temperatures from 1764 to 1900, and similar values for mean 

 maximum and mean minimum temperatures during the period 1851-1900. Table 

 IX. gives a general summary of the mean and extreme annual values of some of the 

 more important climatic elements in Edinburgh from 1851 to 1900, while Table X. 

 continues to 1900 the monthly and annual values of temperature, pressure, and rainfall. 

 In Table XL is given the monthly frequency of heavy rains exceeding an inch in 

 twenty-four hours during ninety-six years in which the rainfall was observed daily. 

 The chronological list of remarkable atmospheric and celestial phenomena contains 

 notices collected since the publication of my former catalogue. The more important 

 epidemics observed in Edinburgh from 1497 to 1900 are also given, as an intimate 

 relation is known to exist between weather and the health of the community. The 



* Part I., Trans. Boy. Soc. Edin., vol. xxxviii. pp. 681-755 ; Part II., vol. xxxix. pp. 63-207. 

 TRANS. ROY. SOC. EDIN. VOL. XL. PART III. (NO. 21). 4 b 



