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METEOEOLOGY. 



First Quarter (January, February, Marcli). The month of Januaiy 

 opened with a severe frost, which continued at Greenwich till the 

 5th, and the defect of temperature was great, particularly on the 4th. 

 The thermometer fell to zero at many places, and below that point 

 at others. Snow fell frequently all over the country, and to such 

 amount that traffic by road or railway was rendered difficult, and in 

 some places was quite suspended. This severity of weather was 

 succeeded by a sudden thaw, and by heavy gales of wind from the 

 west and south-west. The snow was cleared away rapidly, and its 

 sudden melting caused rivers to overflow their banks in many parts 

 of the country. From January 6th to 10th the average excess of 

 daily temperature above the average was 7°. On the 11th another 

 period of frost set in and continued till January 2 2d, during which 

 there were several very heavy falls of snow, especially in the 

 northern parts of the kingdom. Cases were reported of persons who 

 had perished in the snow. The average daily deficiency of tempe- 

 rature on those twelve days was nearly 10°. On the morning of 

 the 23d a sudden change took place ; the temperature was no less 

 than 20° higher than that of the preceding day, and a period of 

 warmth almost unprecedented for the season commenced, which 

 lasted for thirty-five days. The average excess of temperature 

 during this period was 7° daily ; and it is necessary to go back as 

 far as 1779 for a period of higher temperature and of equally pro- 

 longed duration. The melting of the snow and heavy falls of rain 

 produced inundations which were extensive in some parts of York- 

 shire and Lincolnshire. From February 27th to the end of March 

 the weather, except on a few days, was cold and wintry ; snow and 

 sleet were frequent all over the country. In the first three weeks 

 of March the average daily defect of temperature at Greenwich was 

 nearly 7°. January and March will be distinguished in meteorology 

 for their severe frosts and snow-falls, February by its high tempe- 

 rature, and the whole quarter by an unusual succession of heavy 

 gales. In February the excess of rain and the floods impeded agri- 

 cultural operations ; while in March vegetation was checked, and 

 growing crops damaged by the protracted wintry character of the 

 season. 



Second Quarter (April, May, June). At Greenwich the mean tempe- 

 rature of the air in the shade was 53°-5 ; it was l°-3 above the 

 average of 96 years. Of every month the temperature was above 

 the average; but the variations were so unusually great as to 

 seriously affect plants of every kind. April was unsettled, windy, 



rainy, 



