WEATHER WISDOM.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5056, 15 September 1894, Page 3

WEATHER WISDOM.

Jan. 13, 1810, quicksilver froze hard at Moscow. The mean temperature of the whole earfch ie about 60deg. The earliest enow ever known in England was on Oat. 7, 1829. In 1776 hailefconea said to weigh twenty oudcob fell at Muroia, in Soain. The average annual rn in fall over the whole earth is thirty-six inches. The heaviast rainfall is near the equator, end diminishes steadily as the latitude ri>es. In the year 310 hardly a drop of rain fell in England, and 40,000 people died of famine. Every civilized nation of the world, even China and Japan, now has a weather bureau. In 1035 there was a frost; in England on July 1 that destroyed nearly all the vegetation. Sun spots, sow believed to have an effect on meteorological phenomena, were firat observed in 1611. When pi^e are seen carrying straw in their moutha, the omen ia favourable for a change of weather. When soda crackers are damp, as though water-soaked, the indications are favourable for rain. The falling enowflakes bring with them all the floating daet of the air, leaving the atmosphere extremely pure. The coldest place in the world is Yakutch, Russia ; the thermometer Bometimes falla to 73 degrees below zero. In 1656 a hailstorm at Norwich, England, wrecked houses and killed many animals that could not reach shelter. In 1544 the winter was so severe in Europe that in Flanders wine was frozen and was cut in blocks and sold by weight. In 1855 extremely cold weather prevailed in the United States. Mercury froze, and forest trees were killed by the frosc. A wind movintg at forty mileß an hour exercises a preEsure of nine pounds to the square foot; at one hundred miles, of fiffcyeix pounds. The wetteßt place in the world is Cherrapnngi, in Assam, where the average rainfall for fifteen years has been 493in. In 1861 it was 905. la A.D. 42 the Nile failed to rise because of the lack o? rain in the heart of Africa, the crops failed, and over a million people perished in Egypt. ' A window cord is an excellent barometer. When it tightens, the reason is found in the fact that the air is full of moisture, and rain is probable. In 954 a drought began in Europe, lasting four years. The summers were intensely hot and the famine prevailed everywhere ; 8,000,000 died of hunger. The winter of 1812 and 1813 was one of the moat severe ever known in Russia, a fact which partially explains the terrorß of the retreat from Moscow. One of the heaviest snowfalls known in America was February 19 to 24, 1717, when the snow remained fire to seven feet deep all over New England. The opening of the door of a warm room in Lapland during the winter will be instantly followed by a miniature snowstorm, the condensed moisture falling in flakeß. In 1684 nearly all tbe birds of Europe were killed by the cold. Wolves entered Vienna and other large cities, and, driven by hunger, attacked the people in the streets. The annual rainfall of Great Britain equals 9,300,000 horse-power; of Gormany, 11,800,000 ; of France, 12,000,000 ; of Russia, 77,000,000; of the United States, 430,000,000. In 1751 an unprecedented drought prevailed throughout India. • Scarcely any rain fell for a year, and hundreds of thousands died of famine, whole districts being depopulated. In 1887 and the following year a sovere drought spread over North China. The less of life was appalling, it being estimated by the Chinese Government that 9,500,000 lives were lost: from famine. The highest temperature ever known in London was recorded July 15, 1881, 95*5 degrees; at Paris, 104 on August 26, 1765 ; at Adelaide, Australia, January, 1841, 114; at Mourzuk, India, July 10, 1872, 133. Aristotle was the first philosopher to suggest the real cause of the phenomenon of dew. He said: "The sun's heat raises the vapour, from which the dew is formed as soon as the heat ia no longer present to sustain the vapour." The driest place in the world is that part of Egypt between tbe two lower falls o£ the Nile. Rain has never been known to fall there, and the inhabitants do not believe travellers when told that water can fall from the sky. The Great Lakes and the St Lawrence valley have more storms per annum thrn any other portions of America. Thiß ia due to the fact that storms originating weat of this district move directly eaßt, while many originating further couth move to the northeast. In the northern parts of Siberia, the cold is co intenee that the earth never thaw6 to a greater depth than five or six teat. Bodies of the dead buried below this remain perpetually frozen. At a depth of 400 feet below tho surface the earth ia still at a temperature of lOdeg below freezing. The hottest place on earth is the vicinity of Maßßowah. When the north-west wind blows from the desert tbe thermometer has been known to go to 160. The men of the Italian garrison there can sleep only 1 by the assistance of natives employed to go to and fro all night and sprinkle the bodies of the sufferors with water. The mean temperature of several leading cities ia as follows: Athens, 63 degreea; Boßton, 49; Calcutta, 78; Charleston, 66 ; Constantinople, 56; Dublin, 50; Havanna, 78; Jorufalom, (53; London, 50; Mexico, liO; Moscow, 41; Naples, 01; Paris 51; StLouKffiS; San Francisco, 66 ; Savannah, 67 j Stsfekholm,42; Washington, 66 ? ZanBibar, 80,