Meteorological Notes

Abstract

MR. E. KNIPPING, Tokio, has written a brief account of three typhoons which occurred in the China and Japan Seas in September, 1878. In twelve charts and one diagram he sets down the paths of the three storms and the weather of each day from the 15th to 21st, when the third and most violent of the typhoons occurred. The heaviest squalls and gusts of wind were met with in the front part of the typhoon, or with north-east and southeast winds, whereas they are hardly mentioned in the ship's logs with south-west winds in the rear of the storm. The path of the typhoon was to north-west from 15th to 19th, to north on igth and 20th, when it recurved to the north-east, following a course midway between Japan and the continent. Its rate of progress was 10 miles an hour on the average, rising to 25, and falling to 21/3 miles an hour. The diagram, which summarises the author's views regarding the behaviour of the winds, seems to raise questions which call for further inquiry. Thus the south-east wind shows, near the centre of the hypothetical typhoon, an in-curving tendency, which becomes less and less on receding from the centre, till, towards the outskirts of the storm, it is represented as blowing outwards. On the other hand, the north east wind, immediately contiguous, very decidedly in-curves near the outskirts of the storm, but on approaching the centre the incurvation becomes less and less till it disappears. The statement is made that at a distance of 900 miles from the centre, with a north-east wind, the centre of the typhoon bears right ahead, but with a south-east wind the centre bears south. For a satisfactory examination of the points here raised, and other points, such as the remarkable changes in the form of the typhoon while off the coast of Shanghai, fuller data are required, so that the positions of the centre at different times be more accurately ascertained. The publication of details of the data in an appendix to the work is equally necessary.