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Weather Bureau adopts an international code.
780
CURRENT TOPICS.
[J. F. I.
Weather Bureau Adopts an International C o d e . - - A f t e r nearly a half century of sending weather observations b y coded words, the United States W e a t h e r Bureau has changed to the use of numerals. Beginning in July, weather observers in more than 200 cities are using combinations of the lO numerals in sending their daily reports to the central office in Washington, D. C., and to other forecast centers. Although more than IO,OOO coded words have been in use, a much b e t t e r " p i c t u r e " of weather at a n y station m a y be obtained with numerals. Almost a n y a m o u n t of information m a y be sent because, as with the use of words, the meaning of a n y n u m b e r is changed b y its position in the coded report T h e new a r r a n g e m e n t keeps the United States in step with weather stations in other nations and in touch with ships at sea. Code messages in numerals are an international " l a n g u a g e " and m a y be received and sent b y stations all over the world. With the numbers c o d e - for e x a m p l e - - i t is possible to report 99 different kinds of weather, 16 wind directions, more than 5o varieties of precipitation, a b o u t 3o cloud types, and a b o u t To deg. each of wind velocity and visibility, as well as b a r o m e t e r pressures and changes, temperatures, and other detailed weather information. Also, each weather station in the United States and C a n a d a is now listed b y an international index number. R. H. O. High Ceilings May Not Make Rooms Any Cooler.--Contrary to c o m m o n opinion, engineering tests do not show t h a t rooms with high ceilings are materially cooler in hot weather, and high ceiling rooms cost more and are harder to heat in winter. This conclusion is one of the results of a s t u d y of farm home construction in which the United States Dept. of Agriculture and the University of Georgia have been co6perating. T h e experiments included a pair of test houses in which the walls were of interchangeable panels, making it easy to alter the location and n u m b e r of doors and windows and the height of ceilings, as well as the materials and conductivity of the walls. T h e r m o m e t e r s on the walls and at various heights in the room did not show significant differences in favor of IO foot ceilings as c o m p a r e d with 8 foot ceilings, when the same n u m b e r and kind of windows were used in each test. A desirable a r r a n g e m e n t of windows and doors to provide cross ventilation and to take a d v a n t a g e of the prevailing breezes did more to m a k e the r o o m s more comfortable. R. H. O.
CURRENT TOPICS.
[J. F. I.
Weather Bureau Adopts an International C o d e . - - A f t e r nearly a half century of sending weather observations b y coded words, the United States W e a t h e r Bureau has changed to the use of numerals. Beginning in July, weather observers in more than 200 cities are using combinations of the lO numerals in sending their daily reports to the central office in Washington, D. C., and to other forecast centers. Although more than IO,OOO coded words have been in use, a much b e t t e r " p i c t u r e " of weather at a n y station m a y be obtained with numerals. Almost a n y a m o u n t of information m a y be sent because, as with the use of words, the meaning of a n y n u m b e r is changed b y its position in the coded report T h e new a r r a n g e m e n t keeps the United States in step with weather stations in other nations and in touch with ships at sea. Code messages in numerals are an international " l a n g u a g e " and m a y be received and sent b y stations all over the world. With the numbers c o d e - for e x a m p l e - - i t is possible to report 99 different kinds of weather, 16 wind directions, more than 5o varieties of precipitation, a b o u t 3o cloud types, and a b o u t To deg. each of wind velocity and visibility, as well as b a r o m e t e r pressures and changes, temperatures, and other detailed weather information. Also, each weather station in the United States and C a n a d a is now listed b y an international index number. R. H. O. High Ceilings May Not Make Rooms Any Cooler.--Contrary to c o m m o n opinion, engineering tests do not show t h a t rooms with high ceilings are materially cooler in hot weather, and high ceiling rooms cost more and are harder to heat in winter. This conclusion is one of the results of a s t u d y of farm home construction in which the United States Dept. of Agriculture and the University of Georgia have been co6perating. T h e experiments included a pair of test houses in which the walls were of interchangeable panels, making it easy to alter the location and n u m b e r of doors and windows and the height of ceilings, as well as the materials and conductivity of the walls. T h e r m o m e t e r s on the walls and at various heights in the room did not show significant differences in favor of IO foot ceilings as c o m p a r e d with 8 foot ceilings, when the same n u m b e r and kind of windows were used in each test. A desirable a r r a n g e m e n t of windows and doors to provide cross ventilation and to take a d v a n t a g e of the prevailing breezes did more to m a k e the r o o m s more comfortable. R. H. O.