A Mirage at Putney

Abstract

PERHAPS the phenomenon of mirage is not sufficiently rare in England to make its occurrence noteworthy, but I should like to mention a singularly beautiful example that I noticed on Sunday last (August 16). I was riding on my bicycle along the Upper Richmond Road towards the west, and against a fairly steady breeze, and had arrived at that part of the road lying between the railway bridge and the Putney High Street—about opposite house No. 110—when I noticed that the road beyond, some fifty yards in front of me, was apparently flooded ankle deep in water. I was somewhat disconcerted at the prospect of riding through such a quantity of water, but I found to my astonishment that when I arrived at the supposed lake the road was perfectly dry. I thereupon turned and rode back to my previous station, and, dismounting, watched the phenomenon for some while. To assure myself that it was no personal illusion upon my part, I directed the attention of a passing stranger to the scene, and he was impressed as I had been. I should mention that the road sloped slightly downhill from me, and the sun was high (12.50 p.m.) above on my left. The line of sight must therefore have met the dividing surface between the layers of hot and cold air lying above the wooden paving almost at grazing incidence. The surface of the “water” was still, and the reflection of the gay, dresses and sunshades of the ladies just from church was remarkably and beautifully clear.