Report of meteorological observations for the year 1917, with extremes and averages for the preceding years / by John Dover.

  • Dover, John.
Date:
1917
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: Report of meteorological observations for the year 1917, with extremes and averages for the preceding years / by John Dover. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Gotland Bap meteoroloaPt 1^17* - —= y^.i HE METEOROLOGICAL STATION is situated at Aston, Totland Bay, Isle of Wight, about midway between Ventnor and Bournemouth. The site is 140 feet above the level of the sea, and about 200 yards from the shore. Every part of this parish is within a mile of the sea. The parish is irregular in shape, with a boundary line of eight miles. Totland is bounded on the East and North-East by the parish of Freshwater ; all the other sides are washed by the waters of the Solent or the English Channel. Although a small parish of about 1332 acres, with a population of 1441 at the last census, it has a long coast¬ line of about six miles, owing to the curves of Colwell Bay, Totland Bay, Alum Bay, and Scratchells Bay. The sea has a moderating influence on our temperature. In summer we do not get the extreme heat, nor in winter the extreme cold of an inland parish. The sea is at its coldest about the last week of February or first week of March, when its temperature is about 41° Fah. The sea does not reach its warmest until the middle of August, when its temperature is up to 64° Fall. During my absence from Totland the readings are taken by Mr. J. B. Garlick. The averages quoted are deduced from readings taken during the last 32 years, except when stated otherwise. Extreme readings are also given, with the dates on which they occurred. It is somewhat difficult to estimate the wind here, both as to direction and force, owing to the uneven surface of the surrounding country. The Downs to the south are about a mile distant, rising at the Tennyson Memorial Beacon Cross to about 489 feet above the sea. Headon Hill to the south-west is nearly 400 feet high and about half-a-mile away ; thus we are somewhat protected from the strong gales, which are usually from the south-west. With regard to sunshine, it should be remembered that the Campbell-Stokes Burning Recorder registers only “bright sunshine”; weak sunshine is not powerful enough to burn the recording cards. I frequently note that the sky is quite clear at Totland while the New Forest and the valleys of the Avon and Yar Rivers are clutlied in vapour. Owing to surrounding objects it is impossible to measure bright sunshine during the last hour before sunset; therefore sunshine at Totland is rather more than I record. There is a marked absence of thunderstorms at this station ; thus we do not often get the opportunity of watching the glories of a near stofm. This is accounted for by the line of Downs rising almost perpendicularly from the sea to the South and coming to a fine point at the Needles to the South-West, thus diverting the storms from the South and West, sending them up the Solent or English Channel. In the north and east there are the attractions of the New Forest and Parkliurst Wilderness. The prevailing winds here are West 76 days, South-West 66 days, North-West 51 days, North-East 49 days of the average year. Humidity is calculated with Glaisher’s Hygrometrical Tables, eighth edition (Saturation = 100). A fall of one inch of rain is equivalent to 101 tons of water to the acre. One ton of water = 224 gallons. A day is termed wet if one-liundredth of an inch of rain be recorded. A day is called foggy if one cannot see two miles—which is rather a stricter test than usual at most stations. Hurst Castle is two miles almost due north from this meteorological station. In this year’s pamphlet I give the average of each day of the past 32 years’ Maximum, Minimum, and Mean Temperatures. The average of each day is calculated to two places of decimals, and entered to the nearest whole number ; thus 50.50 Fah. up to 51.49 Fah. would be quoted as 51° Fah., while 51.50 Fah. up to 52.49 Fah. would be entered as 52° Fah. In conclusion I may add that I should be glad to receive any corrections or suggestions for the further spread of meteorological knowledge, in case I should hstve the time to bring out a similar work next year.