Notes

Abstract

THE present summer is establishing a record for its high temperatures, and in many places for its persistent drought. At Greenwich the mean temperature for July was 68.3°, which is 4.6° above the average for the past sixty years. The mean of the day temperatures was 81°, and of the night temperatures 55.5°- There were nineteen days during the month with the shade temperature above 80°, and three days above 90°. This is the greatest number of days in July above 80° since 1868, and the third highest number since 1841. The highest shade temperature during the month at Greenwich was 95.6° on July 22, and the only two instances of a higher temperature at any period of the year are 97.1° on July 15, 1881, and 96.6° on July 22, 1868. There were seven days after July 20 with the thermometer in the sun's rays about 150°, and on July 22 the black bulb thermometer registered 161°. The duration of sunshine for the month was 331 hours, which is nearly 100 hours more than the average. No rain was measured until July 24, the period of drought being the longest in July since 1887. The aggregate rainfall for the month was 0-26 inch, which fel! on three days. This is the driest July since 1864, and there is no other July so dry since 1841. At Bath, July was absolutely rainless. The reports received by the Meteoro logical Office give the following additional high tempera tures:—On July 21 the thermometer registered 90° both at Oxford and Margate, on July 22 94° at Margate, on July 29 93° at Bath and 91° at Oxford. The type of weather was anticyclonic almost continuously throughout the month, and the region of high barometer readings extended over a large part of western Europe, where excep tionally high temperatures occurred almost through out the month. At Rochefort the thermometer registered 93° on July 6, at Lorient 95° on July 7, 97° on July 8, and 99° on July 9. On July 14 the temperature at Rochefort was 100°, and at Stock holm 95°. Paris had a temperature of 96° on July 22 and 23, Frankfurt 100° on July 23. From July 24 to 29 several stations in France and Belgium had temperatures from 95° to 98°. Some exception ally severe thunderstorms occurred 'during the month; on July 28 1.1 inches of. rain fell in fifteen minutes at South Kensington, and on July 29 2^14 inches fell in 2j hours at Kilkenny.,