120 The Weather of the Past Agricultural ] ear. 



brilliant weather of April, the total duration of sunshine in the 

 south-east of England was in excess of the average. In most 

 other districts there was a slight deficit. 



The Summer of 1914. 



The summer was characterised by a good deal of changeable 

 weather, but was, for the most part, fair and dry. In some 

 localities, a deficiency of rain interfered rather seriously with 

 the growth of the roots, but upon the whole the crops 

 progressed favourably, a general prevalence of fine weather at 

 harvest time resulting in a cereal yield of average quality, and 

 in the majority of instances of more than average abundance. 



Although the temperature was as a rule above the normal 

 there were few spells of really hot weather, the thermometer 

 seldom rising much above 80°, and very rarely indeed above 

 85". In June no real summer warmth was experienced until 

 very nearly the end of the third week. Between the 17th and 

 20th of the month the shade temperature succeeded in touching 

 80° in several parts of the country, while in the closing week it 

 reached 85" in a few isolated parts of the eastern and southern 

 counties. The hottest day of the year occurred pretty generally 

 on July 1, when the thermometer rose to 85" or more in many 

 districts, and touched 90" at a few places in Surrey, In the 

 London area the heat was still greater, a shade maximum of 

 92° being reached at Greenwich, and a reading of 94" at Camden 

 Square. During the remainder of July the thermometer only 

 once rose as high as 80" (on the 13th and 14th), but in August 

 such readings were more common, the warmest weather 

 occurring about the middle of the month. On the 13th and 

 14th the thermometer exceeded 80° not only in the normally 

 warm regions in the midland and southern counties, but also 

 in North Wales and the north-west of England, where extreme 

 heat is rare. At Scaleby, Manchester, and Llandudno, the 

 thermometer on the 14th reached 85°, while at Holyhead it 

 touched 86". 



June was upon the whole a very dry month, the rainfall at 

 a large number of places in the south of England and also in 

 Scotland being less than one fourth of the average. Another 

 dry period occurred in August, chiefly in the second and third 

 weeks, when many districts experienced an entire absence of 

 rain, lasting from ten to twelve days, and at Chelmsford for as 

 as many as sixteen days. At other times during the summer 

 the weather was of a more variable character, few places 

 escaping without at least two or three thunderstorms of more 

 than ordinary severity, and with an occasional downpour of 

 torrential rain. On June 8 and 9 smart thunderstorms in the 

 northern and central districts deposited a rainfall exceeding an 



