TAKEX AT WAXSFORD DOUSE, "WATFORD, IX 1881. 63 



October. — Exceodiugly cold, very briglit, with a dry and windy 

 atmosphere, more than average rainfall, and a great prevalence of 

 easterly winds, greatly contrasting with September, bnt like that 

 month in one feature, the last six days became gradually colder, 

 though not with increasing humidity. There was also one very 

 cold day near the middle of the month and a few days before that 

 there were two very much warmer than the rest. 



lltli Meau' 53^-2 Min. 43''-9 17th Mean 37°-l Min. 24"-9 



14th „ 52 -6 „ 47 -4 31st „ 33 -8 „ 24 -2 



Max. above 52° on 12 days (all before 21st), above 62° on 1 ; min. 

 below 42° on 21, below 32° on 5 (after 15th). The month is chiefly 

 remarkable for the great storm on the 14th before alluded to. Tliere 

 was also a second storm with heavy rain but much less wind on the 

 22nd. Hail fell on loth, 16th, and 29th, and the tirst faR of snow 

 of the winter occurred on the 28th. 



November. — Very mild, rather dull, and with a humid atmo- 

 sphere, greatly contrasting in these respects with October, but, like 

 it, windy and with a considerable rainfall. The first three days 

 (mean 37°-8, max. 56°-4, min. 29°-3) and the last two (mean 39°-o, 

 max. 49°-4, min. 30°*3) were decidedly colder than the rest. Max. 

 above 52° on 23 days, above 62° on 1 ; min. below 32° on 4 (first 

 two and last two). This month, as October, is notable for a severe 

 gale which commenced on the 26th and lasted through the night and 

 with less severity for some time on the 27th. Although the wind 

 appeared at one time to be about as strong as in the October gale, 

 not much damage was done. This may be accounted for with 

 respect to the trees by the difference in the time of the year ; the 

 leaves having fallen in the interval between the two gales, the 

 surface exposed to the wind was therefore greatly reduced. The 

 more unstable trees and weaker branches, also, had succumbed to 

 the earlier gale, and in November the wind did not blow in such 

 gusts as in October. The prevailing direction of the wind through- 

 out the month was S. and S.W. ; in fact on only six days did it 

 blow from any other quarter than S., S.W., or W. There was a 

 slight fall of snow on the 1st and of hail on the 27th. 



December. — With much rain and a humid atmosphere, but of 

 average character in other respects, as amount of cloud, force of 

 wind, etc. The month may be divided into five periods alternately 

 warm and cold. 



1st to 7th Mean 42°-6 Max dV-Q Min 33'=-7 



8th to 15th ,, 34-1 ,, 43-6 ,, 25 -8 



16th to 21st ,, 40 -8 ,, 52 -7 ,, 33 -9 



22nd to 25th ,, 31-8 „ 44-8 ,, 22-2 



26th to 31st ,, 36-3 ,, 46-0 ,, 32-2 



Max. above 42° on 20 days, above 52° on 1 ; min. below 32° on 1 1 . 

 There was a rather heavy fall of snow on the lOtli (equal to '25 in. 

 of rain), and a storm of rain and wind on the 17th. From the 

 16th to the 20th two inches of rain fell, exactly half the total fall 

 in the month. 



