E 3
Apparatus for comparing thermometers.-This was completed in the month of March. It consists of a double water tank of teak, the outer tank being zinc lined. An inclined shelf serves as a support for the thermometers, which are read by a microscope on a jointed arm. The thermometers to be compared, and the standard, are read in rotation, from left to right and right to left alternately. The water is stirred by a fan on a vertical spindle, before each set of readings.
III.-METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS AT THE OBSERVATORY.
Continuous photographic records showing the variations of barometric pressure and temperature, dry and wet bulb, are obtained with Kew pattern instruments, and automatic records of the direction and velocity of the wind with a Beckley and a Dines-Baxendell anemograph, modified as described in the Report for 1912. The amount of rain is recorded automatically by a Beckley and a Nakamura pluviograph, the amount of sunshine by a Campbell-Stokes universal sunshine recorder, and the relative humidity of the air by a small Richard hair hygrograph.
Eye Observations of barometric pressure, temperature of the air and of evaporation were made at each hour of Hongkong Standard time. (Until the end of the year 1912 they were made at each hour of Hongkong Local time.) The character and direction of motion of the clouds were observed every three hours. Daily readings were taken of self-registering maximum and minimum thermometers.
Principal Features of the Weather in 1911.- The principal features of the weather in 1914 were the absence of violent typhoon winds, relatively high temperature in January, February and March, and excessive rains in July, September and November, with a relatively dry August, and a rainless January.
Barometric pressure was considerably above normal in January and October and moderately above normal from April to June. It was considerably below normal from July to September and moderately below normal in February, March, November and December.
The mean temperature for the year was 73°.4, or 1°.7 above normal. The highest temperature was 94°.0 on August 31, as against 92°.0 in 1913 and 97°.0 for the past 31 years. The lowest temperature was 47°.4 on January 1, as against 44°.0 in 1913 and 32°.0 for the past 31 years.
According to the records of the Beckley Anemograph the wind velocity was again below normal in each month of the year, except in July when it was 0.4 m.p.h. above. The greatest velocity for one