Meteorological Observations

Abstract

SEVERAL reports of meteorological observatories have recently been received, and four of them are of noteworthy interest. The report of the observatory department of the National Physical Laboratory for 1906 shows that the value of the instrumental certificates is very generally appreciated, he increase in the number of instruments verified during the year amounted to more than 2900, the total being 29,567. There was a marked increase in the number of marine chronometers submitted to trial, more than 20 per cent, of which failed to pass the test. In the magnetic department the curves were free from any large disturbances. The largest movements of the seismographs occurred on January 31, April 18, and August 17, the dates of the Colombian, Californian, and Chilian earthquakes. The meteorological observations show that shade temperatures exceeding 80° were recorded in each of the four months June-September, the extreme reading being 91°.8 on September 1. Rainfall amounted to 23.68 inches (nearly half an inch below the average for Greenwich for the sixty-five years 1841–1905); the greatest daily fall was 2.36 inches on June 28, and was within half an inch of the total amount for that month.