Weather

denotes the state or disposition of the atmosphere, with regard to heat and cold, drought and moisture, fair or foul, wind, rain, hail, frost, snow, fog, . See ATMO-: SPHERE, Haiti, Heat, Frost, Rain, . There does not seem in all philosophy any. thing of more immediate concernment to us than the state of the weather; as it is in,and by. means of the atmosphere, that all plants are nourished, and all animals live and breathe; and as any alterations in the density, heat, purity, . of that, must nece arily be attend-- ed with proportionable ones in the state of these. The great, but recular alterations, a little. change of weather makes in many parts of inanimate matter, every person knows, in the com in on instance of barometers, thermometers, hygrometers, .; and it is owing partly to our inattention, and partly to our unequal and intemperate course of life, that we also, like: many other animals, do not feel as great and as.- regular ones in the tubes, chords, and fibres of our own bodies. To establish a proper theory of the weather,. it would be nece ary to have registers carefully kept in divers parts of the globe, for a long series of years; from whenee we might be enabled to determine the directions, breadth, and bounds of the winds, and of the weather they bring with them; with the correspondence between the weather of divers places, and the difference between one sort and another at the same place. We might thus in time learn to foretel many great emergencies; as, extraordinary heats, rains, frosts, droughts, dearths, and even plagues, and other epidemical dis« eases, . Mr. Kirwan, in vol. v. of the Transactions of the Irish Academy, has laid down the following rules, as the result of a careful examination of observations which had been made in England, during a period of 112 years. 1. When no storm has either preceded or followed the vernal equinox, the succeeding summer is, in general, dry, or at least so five times ont of six. g. If a storm happen from an easterly point, on the foth, goth, or 21st day of May, the ensuing summer will, four times in five, be also dry. The same event generally takes place, if a storm arise on the 25th, 26th, or 27th days of March, in any point of the compa . 3. Should there be a storm, either at south« west or-at west-south-west, on the 19th, 20th, 21st, or 22d of March, the following summer is wet, five times out of six. In England, if the winters and springs be dry, they are mostly cold; but, if moist, they are generally warm: on the contrary, dry suinmers and autumns are usually hot; as moist summers are’cold. Thus, if the humidity or dryne of a particular season be determined, a tolerably correct idea may be formed respecting its temperature.To these indications may be added the following maxims; which, being the result.of observations made by-accurate in-: quirers, may so far be depended upon, as they will afford a criterion of the mildne or severity, and of the dryne or moisture, of future seasons. 1. A moist autumn, succeeded by a mild winter, is generally followed by a dry and cold spring; in consequence of which, vegetation ts greatly retarded. 2. Should the summer be uncommonly wet, the sucgeeding winter will be severe; because the heat or warmth of the earth will be carried off by such unusual evaporation. Farther, wet summers are mostly attended with an increased quantity of fruit on the white-thorn and dog-: rose; nay, the uncommon fruitfulne of these shrubs is considered as the presage of an in-: tensely cold winter. 3. A severe winter is always indicated by the appearance of cranes and other birds of pa age at an early period in autumn; because they never migrate southwards, till the cold season has commenced in the northern regions. 4. If frequent showers fall in the month of September, it seldom rains in May; and the reverse. 5. On the other hand, when the wind often blows from the south-west, during either summer or autumn; when the air is unusually cold. for those seasons, both to our sensations, and by the thermometer; at the same time, the mercury being low in the barometer;—under thesé.conditions, a profuse fall of rain may be expected. 6. Great storms, rains, or other violent commotions of the clouds, produce a kind of crisis in the atmosphere; so that they are attended with a regular succe ion, either of fine or of bad weather, for some months. Lastly, an unproductive year mostly succeeds a rainy winter; as a rough and cold autumn prognosticates a severe winter.—See also the article CLIMATE. 274