THE WEATHER.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 82, 18 August 1863, Page 3

THE WEATHER.

Meteoroiogical Observation's dueing Juit, 1863.

The past month has been characterised by unprecedented mildness and equally remarkable humidity. The mean temperature was 42 - 6 d eg., or nearly 4 deg. above the average of five years, this being the only instance, in twenty-two months in which the temperature was not below the average. At present neither snow nor severe frost has been experienced this winter, the minim urn reading, at five feet above the surface of the ground, having been 21 deg. The atmosphere lias been constantly almost saturated with rnsisture, and rain has fallen on nearly every clay to the very large aggregate amount of 8 - 414 inches. ■ During the Ist and 2nd the air was singularly clear, with a great deal of refraction, producing many strango optical ♦'fleets, and frequently causing that curious phenomenon, the milage. From that time up to the evening of the 7th, every indication was perceptible (and duly registered by me,) of an approaching revolving storm or. cyclone.. It commenced on the following night, with a furious hurricane from the eastward, which after raging about eighteen hours, suddenly calmed, and then recommenced from tho opposite quarter, with sleet. Thuuder was frequently audible and vivid lightning occurred during the heavy northerly gales of the 14th, 12th, and 24th. The prevalent wind was due north, a circumstance wholly without precedent. The barometer rose slowly during the three last days ; the atmospheric pressure at ten p.m. of tho 31st was J29-91 inches. On the 17cli rain foil incessantly for eighteen consecutive hours ; the result was 2"o6'i inches. A fog of unusual density visited us on tho 2nd.

In July 1862. the snow of the sth remained on the ground till the 22ud ; on fourteen successive days the thermometer fell below 20 dog., and on the 12th, 13th, and 14th stood respectively at 11 deg., 10j deg., and 9 deg.: on the latter occasion the minimum on grass was 0 deg., or 32 dey. below the freezing point of Fahrenheit's scale. In July IS6O there was a severe storm from the S.E., of a week's duration, accompanied by strong squalls. In July 1859, the mercury twice fell to 12.V dog.

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