'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From December 1854 to March 1856. (New Issue.) Edited by the Secretary. Volume XII.' [‎16] (127/258)

16
DR, G. BUIST
8. HAILSTORM AT OOTACAMOND ON THE 19TH MARCH, 1852. Lit, 11*50 liOIlg. 76.15 E.
Alt 7,300.
Ootacamdnd, 19th March,—A hailstorm a few weeks before—no particulars.
I beg to inform you that a very severe hailstorm occurred at Ootacamund at 2 p. m. on the
19th March. The hailstones were not large, but sufficiently so to do considerable damage
in the gardens. It lasted about an hour, when the ground was as white as if snow had
fallen: buckets full, caught from the house-tops, were next morning large lumps of ice,—but
as this is an article little cared for in this cold region no one took the trouble to keep it.
Since this occurred, the weather has been much colder, and we cannot as yet throw off any
of our winter clothing or blankets.
9.— hailstorm at ndksingpore, on the 19th and 20th march 1852. —Lat. 22 56 i».,
Long. 79 18 E.. Alt. 1000,
A letter of the 30th March, from Tfursingpore, contains the following items : — “ In my last
of the 13th April I mentioned that the weather was extremely sultry, hazy, and suspicious ; and
I have now to communicate that, from the 17th to the 27th, we experienced a stormy period
of greater intensity and duration than is usually encountered inland upon the sun’s equinoctial
passage. Rain, more or less, fell on each day, attended invariably with much lightning and
thunder, and occasionally with violent gusts of wind. On the 19th at 2-50 p. m., a fall of hail
of the size of ordinary grapes occurred, with lightning and loud bursts of thunder ; and on the
following day, at 2.10 p. m., a similar phenomenon took place during bright sunshine. No
cloud, in this instance, was to be discerned whence the hail proceeded. In the London
Athenreum of the 22nd November last, Mr. Radcliff liirt alludes to the absence of any cloud
during a fall of snow he witnessed, and offers some interesting explanatory remarks on the pe
culiarity : and the matter is further elucidated by Mr. W. Gladstone in the same publication of
the 6th December. No lightning or thunder accompanied this last fall of hail here, and the
only body of cloud was at an altitude of about 40 ° in the southwest quarter. The ze
nith was quite clear. The total fall of rain amounted to inches 1.337 during the above days.
The weather is now fine, cloudless and agreeable. Stormy boisterous weather has been
I prevalent for the past tenor twelve days all around us, and the dawks in consequence some
what impeded.
10.—hailstorm at PONDICHERRY, on the 24th march 1852.—Lat. 11'57 n., Long-79*54 E.
Alt. 20.
Pondicherry, 24th March. —Pondicherry was visited by a hailstorm between 3 and 4 in
the afternoon of We tnesday last (24th) during a squall from the north east. The hailstones
which fell in large quantities for about 15 minutes, were generally formed of a transparent
covering over a white but opaque interior, and most of them were flattened or armed with
points. The largest might have been an inch and a half in diameter. Pondicherry, says Le
Moniteur Official has never been so visited before in the memory of man. Surely this meteoro
logical phenomenon, as our cotemporary styles it, must portend some momentous event to the
Colony! We really though never remember hearing of a hailstorm at Madras, but hail fell
at Rajah’s Choultry in 1845 in large quantities.— Madras United Service Gazette, March 30.
11.— hailstorm AT PORNEAH on the 25th march, 1852 Lat. 25*48 n., Long. 87*33 e. Alt. 30.
A Correspondent at Purneah says :—“ I never see any letters from this district in your pa
per about rain, sun, hail, storms, indigo prospects, &c., which induces me to turn scribbler
myself, and stir up those around me who wish to be enlightened. It is nearly eight months
now since we have had any rain in this district. It was in every one’s mouth that ‘ I have never
seen such a very dry year,’ ‘ I have never seen so few norwesters.’ Every planter was look
ing rather low as to his prospect. Thousands of beegahs yet to be sown, and no moisture
to sow with, nor any sign of clouds that was likely to cheer our hearts. I for one was with
some others concocting some plan by which we could hermetically seal and preserve our
seed for next year, which at all events would have saved us the expense of buying fresh sup
plies, when on the 19th and 21st instant we had two most beautiful showers of rain. To horse
the next morning, to see how far the rain had extended, which to my entire satisfaction every
field had had its share. All was going on splendidly, when last night the flood gates of heaven
seemed to have opened, for there came such a down-pour as I never did see, accompanied with
kail too. The rain was ushered in with a tremendous thunder-storm from the northwest, then
came the hail, as big as pigeon’s eggs, sending all the young plant back again into the ground
as fast as it had come out. The hail lasted a quarter of an hour, and then followed the rain