Notes

Abstract

THE reorganisation of the German Seewarte at Hamburg makes very satisfactory progress. To the Third Section is assigned the duty of issuing storm-warnings for the German coasts, and the investigation of the meteorological conditions on which the warnings depend. Hitherto meteorology has been prosecuted in Germany exclusively in its climatic aspects. It is now intended, whilst keeping in view what is required for climatic researches, to give more special attention to the investigation of weather-conditions, simultaneously observed over a wide area, and to the movements and changes taking place in the great currents of the atmosphere. In carrying out these objects, stations of the first order are established at Hamburg, Memel, Neufahrwasser, near Danzig, Swinemiinde, Warn ep? unde, Keitum in Sylt, Borkum, Wilhelmshafen, and.Kiel, at which, in addition to the ordinary instruments of observation, self-registering barometers and anemometers are erected. At these places observations are made at 8 A.M., noon, and 4 and 8 P.M., of which the observations at 8 A.M. and 4 P.M. are sent by telegraph to Hamburg. To these nine stations and some others on the German coasts at which wind and weather only are noted, the Seewarte intends to add sixteen others, situated inland in different parts of Germany, in selecting which particular attention is to be given to the position of the station and the instruments, so that really good observations of wind and temperature will in each case be furnished. The action taken by the German Seewarte to secure that the observations of temperature and wind will be of such a quality that they can be used in scientificinvestigations of weather changes, is deserving of all p raise, the more so since these observations as at present made are often of very doubtful quality and in many cases worse than useless, considered as data for weather-inquiries.