152 J. HOPKINSON METEOKOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



barometric pressiire was unusually low. At 8t. Albans the 

 minimum shade temperature was within 9° of freezing on only ^ 

 four nights (2nd, 9th, 11th, and 12th) and within 7° on one 

 night (11th); at Berkhamsted it was within 7° of fi-eezing 

 on four nights (2nd, 9th, 11th, and 31st), and within 6° on 

 two (2nd and 11th). The usual October gales were absent. 



November. — Mild, with a humid atmosphere, a sky of average 

 brightness, and rather less than the average rainfall, but on the 

 usual number of days. The excess of temperature was a little 

 more due to the warmth of the days than to that of the nights, 

 the daily range being rather greater than usual. The duration of 

 bright sunshine was less than usual, and on three days no sunshine 

 at all was recorded. At St. Albans the sky was completely 

 overcast at 9 a.m. on the unusually large number of 20 days. 

 This was partly due to the prevalence of fog in the earlier part 

 of the month, fogs being recorded at 9 a.m. on every day fi-om the 

 6th to the 12th, and on the 14th, and they were so dense that on 

 three days during this period the precipitation from them was 

 measured as 0-01 inch of rain. The first snow of the winter 

 fell on the 23rd, and on the 28th snow laid on the ground for 

 a short time to the depth of an inch. About two inches of rain 

 (including a little snow) fell during the last ten days in the month, 

 being the wettest ten consecutive days since September, 1896. 



December. — Very mild, with an unusually dry atmosphere, 

 a sky of average brightness, and a rather heavy rainfall, but only 

 on the usual number of days. Both the nights and the days were 

 between 6° and 7° warmer than the average, the daily range being 

 about the same as usual. This is the warmest December for the 

 last twelve years, the nearest approach to it being the December 

 of 1894, which was 3° colder. The early part of the month was 

 the wettest, but the 27th and 31st were very wet days. No snow 

 fell. The duration of bright sunshine was about the average. 

 There was a severe gale on Tuesday morning the 27th, with hail 

 and heavy rain. At Hitchin boughs were broken off trees, stacks 

 uuthatchcd, and sheds unroofed. At St. Albans the heaviest rain 

 came after the height of the gale, and much damage was done to 

 farm produce. Hertford suffered severely, a chimney-stack being 

 blown down, slates being blown off roofs, and branches broken off 

 trees ; a large elm, also, was broken off a few feet from the ground. 

 Much damage was also done at Hoddesdon, houses, etc., suffering, 

 and several trees being blown down. 



