Narrative of an expedition of exploration in north-western Australia / by Herbert Basedown.

  • Herbert Basedow
Date:
1918
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Narrative of an expedition of exploration in north-western Australia / by Herbert Basedown. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    12/280 (page 110)
    Friday, 21/1/16: Light RE. wind and smooth sea; fine and clear; temperature 86° F. Saturday, 22/1/16: Moderate to light W. breeze; smooth sea; fine and clear; slight “Cockeyes.” Sunday, 23/1/16: Moderate to slight W. breeze; smooth sea; fine and clear; temperature 86° F.; slight, “Cockeye” at 6 a.m. It was difficult to conceive how the quiet waters which surrounded us could ever and so quickly alter their demeanour and rise to such disastrous seas. I submitted the notes on this > hurricane, together with the barograph record, to Mr. H. A. Hunt, Common¬ wealth Meteorologist, who kindly supplied the 'following interesting comments: “The minimum pressures seem do have been confined to the sea, and the 28-15 in. which you quote is almost a record. From 1877 to 1912 there are fairly complete records of thirtyone Willy Willies. In 1882 the barometer at Cossack was 28.1, and in 1898 S.S. “Albany” registered 27.8. The storm followed the usual path along the coast, and may have originated in the well-marked “Low” which hung over Darwin from the 10th to the 14th. If so, on the 15th and 16th it moved seawards for it next appears off Cossack on the 17th as a moderate “Low” (29.7 inches). The very hot weather experienced along the coast (106° F. Onslow, 109° F. Hamelin Pool, and 111° F. at Winning Pool); the recent rainfall (Cossack 91 points, Roebnrne 88); the season of the year, and the strong easterly winds were all favourable for the forma- tion of a Willy Willy. Accordingly, storm warnings were sent to ports along the west coast. Your own notes give the conditions at sea very fully. If you will refer to page 61 of ‘Climate and Weather7 (Hunt, Taylor, Quayle) you will see that your storm agrees closely with the average type. In January, normal areas of low pressure are much more likely to develop into Willy Willies than in any other month, as a glance at the book referred to will show.” Another short day and we found the “N2” berthed at Point Sampson, the seaport of Cossack. Passengers are in the habit of going ashore here to collect the blue opercula of littoral univalves.* When mounted in gold or * Astro a species.