The passage of the centre of a typhoon over two or more adjreent jons affords a means of determining the diameter of the calm area, which exists at the centre of a typhoon.
If for instance, at one station (A) the calm lasts for 20 minutes, While og another station (B) 24 miles to eastward the calm lasts 50 minutes and the typhoon is travelling north at the rate of 12 fan hour, then, the diameter of the calm area would be 12 miies.
At a third station (C) 9 miles to the dost of (A) the calm would would last 50 minutes also, but the wind would veer, whereas a, A and B it would back, C being on the opposite side of the centre to A and The contre calm, or eve of the storm as it is called, differs in dif ferent typhoons. Its diameter varies from about 7 to 26. miles.
Typhoon Varieties Sometimes an prevalent, Sometime iF _completel; sometimes partially and sometime the heavy nimbus merely gives way a veil of thinner cloud.
The barometric minimum (which varies from 27 inches to 29 inches) is aid to occur sometimes at the beginning of the calm, sometimes shortly before, and sometimes short ly after; but as the time-scale of the ordinary barograph ig usually very contracted and the driving clock an imperfect timekeeper, it is frequently impossible to say within 10, or even 15 minimum pressure occu bly it is within a few minutes of the calm. When the diameter of the calm area is large, and the sky clears, the temperature rises os the centre passes, otherwise there no perceptible change.
Incredible V lence Typhoons vary considerably in strength. In some the violence of the winds even 100 miles from the centre beggars description while in others a vessel may pass actually through the centre without sustaining serious damage.
On June 2, 1916, the Observatory Kowloon was on the edge of the calm centre of ys mall typhoon, moving north. tly file ing up. The sind, which had been strong to fresh, died away completely between'1 p.m. and 2 pam. increasing again with fresh squi irom north-ward by 4 p.m. No was done. In contrast to this may be mentioned the Mauritiug typhoon of April 29, 1892, in which 10,000 people were' killed.
"{€"—In Hongkong In those days little was known by the public about typhoons, and the central calm was mistaken for the end of the storm. People therefore opened hurricane shutters, and left their houses, some never to re-tern and others to find them in ruins, or blown to another street the terrific hurricane which followed the central calm.
Even if fully prepared Hongkong would suffer.cons@ierably, should the centre of a severe typhoon pass. over the Island.
Ancient (and some modern) houses would collapse and probably a certain portion of the ships in shelter would be blown ashore and their decks swept clean.: Mary trees would e blown down. The
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