124 The Weather of the Past Agricultural Year. 



[Continued from page 121.] 



country, and touching 84^' at Woking. The only otLer time 

 at which the thermometer rose to any undue height was at the 

 end of September or the beginning of October, when readings 

 of 70", or a trifle above it, were recorded in a few scattered 

 parts of the country. In the third week of September the 

 midday readings were mostly below BC^, and at sevei'al places 

 in the north below 55"^. The coldest weather of the autumn 

 occurred in the third week of November, when sharp night 

 frosts were experienced in most districts. In the shelter of 

 the screen the thermometer on the 15th, 18th, and 21st fell at 

 least 10*^ below the freezing point, a reading of IS'' being 

 recorded at Wellington, Shropshire, and a reading of 16° at 

 Llangammarch Wells, both on the early morning of the 21st. 



In the earlier half of September heavy falls of rain were 

 experienced occasionally, mostly in the western or south- 

 western districts. On the 7th the Cornish coast was affected, 

 and on the 9th South Devon was visited by a downpour 

 yielding as much as 2*2 in. at Sidmouth and 2'4 in. at Salcombe 

 Regis. A considerable fall occurred on the 17th in North 

 Wales and the north-west of England, but from that time 

 onward to about October 12 or 13 there were many parts of the 

 country which failed to experience any measurable quantity. 

 In a number of localities the absolute drought extended over 

 at least twenty-three days, at Ryde, Malvern, and Dursley for 

 twenty-five days, and at Worcester Lodge, in the Forest of Dean, 

 for twenty-six days. The change in the weather which took 

 place after the middle of October was ver}' decided, but for the 

 i-emainder of the autumn the rainfall was noted for frequency 

 rather than for unusual weight. Large amounts were, however, 

 experienced in the north and north-west of England between 

 October 21 and 25, in Wiltshire and Dorsetshire on November 2, 

 and in many of the western and southern disti-icts on Novem- 

 ber 29 and 30. On the 29th more than 3 in. fell at Princetown, 

 on Dartmoor, and between 3^ and 4 in. in Snowdonia. On 

 November 13 and 14 snow fell in the north of England, the 

 depth on the ground amounting in many places to between 

 4 and 7 in. 



The mean temperature of the autumn was above the 

 avei age, but the total rainfall was considerably below it, 

 London and some other parts of the eastern and south-eastern 

 counties receiving less than three-fourths of the normal supply. 

 The duration of bright sunshine was in excess of the normal, 

 but iu the eastern and central parts of the country the difference 

 was small. 



F. J. Brodie. 



12 Patten Road, 



Wandsworth Common, S.W. 



