( in ) 
the rainfall of the second quarter of the year exceeded 10 inches. 
The rainfall of the first six months of this year was no less than 
IT'.) inches, and was without a single exception greater than in 
any corresponding six months since 1815. 
The number of hours of bright sunshine measured during the 
quarter at Greenwich Observatory was 352-1, against 486'0 and 
■i9!>8 hours respectively, in the second quarters of 1877 and 1878. 
The deficiency of sunshine was relatively greatest in June. 
Third Quarter {July, August, September). — The mean readings of 
the barometer were below the average during each of the months 
of this quarter, the depression being greatest during July. 
The month of Jul}' was dull, very cold and sunless, with many 
days of temperature from 7° to 9° below their averages. Eain fell 
on every day during the first half of the month, and frequently 
afterwards, and snow fell at Bolton on both the -Ith and 8th, and at 
Cockermouth on the 9th. 
August was a month of very unsettled Aveather, witb very little 
sunshine ; about the middle of the month there were a few days 
whose mean temperature was equal to or slightly in excess of their 
averages, and during Avhich period no rain fell, but rain was nearly 
continitous at all other parts of the month ; it was a cold and very 
wet month, and thunderstorms were frequent. 
During the first few days of Se^itember no rain fell, and it was 
fine and dry, but, from the 6th, rain fell nearly daily, and the 
remainder of the month was cloudy and gloomy. 
Till July 27th the average deficiency of mean temperature was 
5' daily, and from July 28th to the end of the quarter, notwith.- 
standing the few days of slight excess of temperature, the defi- 
ciency of temperature was f ° daily. 
Thus the weather during ths whole quarter h,as been cold, wet, 
and sunless, being a continuation of the bad weather which had 
been prevalent for the eight preceding months. 
The month of September was the eleventh month in succession 
of low temperature, and there are only two instances in this cen- 
tury, viz. in 1813-14, and 1815-16, when the temperatures of 
these eleven months (November 1878 to September 1879) were 
closely approximate to that of the present period. 
The mean temperature of the quarter was 58°"1, and was 1°*6 
below the average for the corresponding period in 108 years. It 
was below the average in each month of the quarter ; the deficiency 
of temperature was equal to 3^-5 in July, l°-0 in August, and 0°-2 in 
September. 
The rainfall of the quarter was remarkable both for its frequency 
A 2 
