Agriculhiral  Education  Exhibition,  1909. 
243 
each  day  on  the  “Method  of  taking  Weather  Observations,” 
which  included  the  ascent  of  registering  balloons  with 
meteorographs,  or  pilot  balloons  for  ascertaining  the  drift 
of  the  upper  currents  of  the  atmosphere.  Registering  balloons 
with  a meteorograph  attached  for  recording  the  pressure  and 
temperature  were  sent  up  on  the  22nd,  23rd,  and  24th  June. 
Two  of  the  meteorographs,  dropped  when  the  balloons  burst, 
were  found  and  returned.  The  balloon  on  the  23rd  fell  near 
Marlborough,  37  miles  south-east  by  east,  and  that  on  the 
24th  fell  at  Bromsgrove,  43  miles  north  of  Gloucester.  The 
records  showed  that  the  temperature  decreased  uniformly 
up  to  between  5 and  6 miles,  above  that  height  the  temperature 
increased  somewhat,  and  then  kept  nearly  stationary  up  to 
the  height  point  reached  by  the  balloons,  about  12  miles. 
On  the  23rd  the  lowest  temperature  recorded  was  — 5S°  F. 
at  a height  of  5'8  miles,  and  on  the  24th  the  lowest 
temperature  was  — 63°  F.  at  5-9  miles.  These  differences 
in  temperature  may  possibly  have  been  due  to  the  fact  that 
the  balloon  on  the  23rd  ascended  on  the  eastern  side  of  the 
cyclone,  while  that  on  the  24th  ascended  on  the,  western 
side  of  the  cyclone,  which  was  the  cause  of  the  wet  and 
unsettled  weather  during  the  time  of  the  Show. 
The  following  extract  from  the  “Monthly  Weather  Report” 
for  June  describes  the  unusual  weather  conditions  which 
prevailed  during  this  period  : — 
“ On  the  morning  of  the  19th  the  high-pressure  area  was  taking  up  a 
more  southerly  position  on  the  ocean  westward  from  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  and 
there  were  indications  of  the  existence  of  a disturbance  to  the  westward  or 
south-westward  of  Iceland.  Wireless  ref'Orts  from  steamers  beyond  the  north 
of  Ireland  showed  that  in  the  evening  of  the  same  day  the  depression  was 
rapidly  spreading  down  upon  our  north-western  coasts.  Subsequent  reports, 
however,  disclosed  a cyclonic  system  which  was  extraordinarily  slow  and 
erratic  in  its  movements.  Its  minimum  of  pressure  did  not  reach  the 
neighbourhood  of  Galway  until  the  evening  of  the  21st.  Growing  deeper  it 
passed  back  to  Mayo  by  next  morning,  the  barometer  sinking  below  29‘5  in. 
over  the  kingdom  generally,  and  at  Blacksod  Point  it  touched  29'18  in.,  the 
lowest  reading  for  the  month.  Then  gradually  diminishing  in  intensity  the 
system  wandered  on  an  irregular  path  to  the  neighbourhood  of  Southampton 
by  the  morning  of  the  24th,  afterwards  passing  across  south-eastern  England 
to  the  Wash  and  the  lower  part  of  the  North  Sea.  Eeturning  westward  its 
centre  reached  the  Yorkshire  coast  in  the  morning  of  the  27th,  and  two  days 
later  the  disturbance  was  completely  dispersed  over  the  north  of  Ireland,  other 
shallow  depressions  then  appearing  on  the  Continent  between  Spain  and 
Scandinavia. 
The  19th  witnessed  the  end  of  the  dry  weather,  and  from  the  20th  to  the 
close  of  the  month  the  conditions  were  of  a most  disturbed  character,  nearly 
the  entire  period  being  under  the  influence  of  the  slow-moving  pressiu-e  system 
whose  progress  has  been  described  above.  Every  day  thunderstorms  were 
experienced,  and  except  on  the  25th,  26th,  and  30th,  they  affected  extensive 
regions  in  Ireland  and  Scotland,  as  well  as  in  England.  Eain  was  general, 
frequently  heavy,  and  in  some  localities  accompanied  by  hail.  At  Clifton 
1'3  in.  was  measured  on  the  20th.  On  the  21st,  rainfall  exceeding  an  inch 
