‘REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1888-89’ [‎72r] (150/456)

1888-89.]
WEATHER AND CROPS.
Interruptions.
Storm warnings.
Inspection of
Observatories.
Special
investigation,.
87 Ciiap. IV.
PRODUCTION
and
1889, and it is proposed shortly to replace them with self-recording anemographs. At the distribution.
harbours of Karachi and Mormugao self-recording anemographs worked independently of
che Meteorological Department under the supervision of the Chief Engineers of the harbour
WOrkS. . rn _. 4-11
The sun-shine recorder belonging to the Bombay Meteorological omce was dismantled
from the 31st January 1889 owing to the removal of the office.
The only cases of thoroughly bad work on the part of observers occurred at Amraoti,
Hyderabad, Neemuch, Surat and Rajkot. The observations at Mdlegaon were completely
interrupted for three days owing to the sickness of the observer.
For the first 7 months of the year, the storm-warning service was carried on as in previous
vears daily telegrams being recei ved from 9 stations on the west coast of India and 3 on the
Coromandel Coast. In consequence, however, of changes in the management of the Depart
ment the storm-warning work was, early in August, transferred to Simla, the Bombay office
continuing to compile the usual daily weather report. Special attention was drawn during
the year to the inadequacy and inefficiency of the local storm-warning service, and arrange
ments were made to publish in Bombay a daily Weather Report and Chart containing
meteorological information from stations representing the whole of the Bombay and Madras
Presidencies, the Central Provinces, Berar, Rajputana and the North-West Provinces. te
publications of the report and chart did not however commence until after the close of the
year under review.
Slight Storms affected the Bombay Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. and neighbouring seas in May, June,
August and November 1888. That in the last of these months attracted some attention by
Sng the loss of a coasting steamer off the coast of Kdthiawar, but was not otherwise
notable. t> , o
During the year under report, no observatories were inspected by the Reporter lur
Western India, but the Observatories at Neemuch, Karachi and Hyderabad were visited by
the Meteorological Reporter to the Government of India and the Surat Observatory by the
Assistant Meteorological Reporter to the Government of India. All but that of Hyderabad
were found in a satisfactory condition.
' Special investigations were made during the year with regard to the strong abnorma
S. S. E. winds which prevailed on the Bombay coast during June 1st—14th,.1888 and with
reference to the course of the cyclone which visited the coast on November 9th, IS .
Copies of the logs of 62 vessels were obtained for examination, and the results of the
inquiries forwarded to the office at Simla.
Brief Sketch of the Meteorology of the Bombay Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. in 1888-89.
The meteorologv of the year 1888-89 was characterised by strongly marked deviations General character,
from the weather conditions of an average year. Of these, the most noteworthy were, a
general rise of abnormal barometric pressure for a considerable period, a ®
of rainfall in September, and the scanty rainfall throughput the year AH these variation.,
fve nf m.Tch nractical importance and, from a scientific point of view, they are of considerable
interest inasmuch as they confirm the laws or principles deduced from the meteorological
data of many past vearsf-mz., that the rainfall is deficient when barometric pressure is
above thTnorrfal height, and excessive when the barometric pressure is lower than usual,
secondly, that at or about the epochs of mimmurn solar spotted area h^h abnormal barom
pressure movements make their appearance, and that at or ^ e P 0 ^® 0 &
solar spotted area abnormally low pressure movements take place in India and over greater
™rt of the tropics thirdly, that cyclones are formed in the trough of a relatively minimum
barometric pressure ; and lastly, that the number of atmospheric disturbances is great at the
epoch of minimum &un spots.
As in the years 1850, 1855, 1864, 1871 and 1876, the monsoon current of the year was
very weak andbs such, was insufficient for agricultural produce. Indeed, m districts above
thebhfits and "even in some parts of the Konkan, the crops almost withered, and m Gujaia
and Kathiawar and in several talukas in the Madras Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. , there was, at one time,
serious apprehension of a severe drought; hut fortunately two storms occurred, .ye “ Sept-
ember andthe other in October and November, and the rain which accompanied them o
their nassase through several of the most threatened districts averted, to a considerabe
tUeir passage tnroug whole although the actual rainfall of the
extent, the failure of the crops Th^ th 0 whffie a tm ^ occurred at
monsoon current was scanty, the extraordinary vaiiauu lt ’ + . t n ,tiiallv more
flHWnt periods of the year, compensated each other, with the result that actually mo
than the average yearlyamount of rainfall was received mall districts except Sind, Gujan.t
the North Delcan In the West Deccan, the total rainfall was just up to the average
Thus, although in the^ £5 uns^^yXribut^l, and, when
R waTmostwantedAanty, operated most prejudicially on agriculture. A detailed descrip
tion of the weather in each month will be oun ur icr on. + f +L -fi™ Abnormal
The deviations from the mean monthly values of the meteorological elements for the five 1> i ; s o{
.fti.™ of SSI D,".‘ Bombay, tj. —
in the accompanying diagram. The excessive or defective rainfall m seveiai distucts