Meteorological Notes

Abstract

IN the Meteorology of England for the quarter ending June 30, Mr. Glaisher gives some interesting notes of the cold weather up to that date. The mean temperature of London for the quarter was 49°.5, being the lowest which has occurred during the corresponding period since 1837. The unusually protracted cold weather set in on October 27, 1878, and for the eight months ending June, 1879, the mean temperature was only 41°.6, being lower than any which Jias occurred in the present century since 1813–14, when the mean temperature of these eight months was only 40°.4. It was during this cold period that the Thames was frozen over and a fair held between London and Blackfriars Bridges. Mr. Glaisher appends a very valuable table showing the mean temperature of the eight months ending June for each year from 1771–72, from which it appears that five colder periods than that of the present year occurred towards the end of last century, viz., 40°.9, in 1794–95, 41°.2 in 1788–89, and 41°.3 in 1783–84, 1784–85, and again in 1796–97. The more frequent, occurrence of a higher temperature during the colder half of the year in recent years as compared with what prevailed in the end of last century is pointed out. During the first six months of 1879 the rainfall about London has been exceptionally large, amounting to 17.30 inches, which is larger than has fallen in these months any year since 1815.