148 



a north-east direction over the north of Ireland and across the middle of Scotland, 

 reached Aberdeen at midnight. Its rate of progress (not the velocity of the wind,) 

 being about 30 miles an hour. 



The centre of the storm was probably about 400 miles to the north of us at the 

 nearest point of passage. The gale however extended to the south of France, and 

 Switzerland. 



There were only four frosts in February against an average for 2.5 years of 9'4°, 

 and none of them were at all severe, 27'4'' on the 3rd being the minimum reading; 

 the aggregate degrees of frost being 9° — average 41 '4°. 



In the three years, 1882-3-4 (February), 13 nights - - - 26-8° 



In the three years, 1873-4-5 (February), 63 nights - - - 288-1'' 



In the year 1867, after very sharp frosts in January, there was no frost at all 

 in February, although a severe snowy March followed. In 1872 there was again 

 an entire absence of frost in this month. The mean temperature both at Green- 

 wich and Ross was 41'9°— 2J degrees warmer than the average has been exceeded 

 20 times since 1771. 



March was again an exceptional month, with a mean temperature of 



Greenwich - - - 44 '47 



[ or three degrees in excess of usual heat. 



Ross - - - - 44-27) 



The week ending the 19th was the warmest in March since 1814, having a 

 mean temperature at Greenwich of 53-3°, or 12 degress in excess of average, with 

 a maximum temperature of 68-8° at Greenwich, and 66-0° at Ross on the 16th. 



WARM WEEKS IN MARCH. 



1822, 14th to 20th 51-7° 



1828, 12th to 18th - - 51-2° 



1859, 1st to 7th 50-0° 



1881, 5th to nth 50-0° 



1884, 13th to 19th 53-3° 



As a contrast to these — 



1845, 12th to 18th - - - 26-7° 



On the 23rd, the wind, which had scarcely blown at all from a Polar quarter, 

 shifted to north, and then to east, and continued from that quarter pretty much 

 to the end of April ; the last half of that mouth being cold in consequence. 



RAINFALL. 



There was a slight excess in all the months except Def.ember, which had a fall 

 of only -64. The only other instance of so small an amount in December being in 

 1873, when -52 was recorded. In most instances a small fall in December coin- 

 cides with frost, as in 1829, 1835, 1840, 1844, 1846, 1879, in each of which years we 

 had very little rain and very intense frost : 1857 and 1883 being exceptions to the rule. 



To sum up. The special feature of the winter is the great warmth of Jan- 

 uary, February, and March, 1884. January, with a mean at Ross of 44-76°, and 

 at Greenwich of 43-88", was the warmest since 1834, which was 44-0° ; 1846 com- 

 ing next with 43-7', and 1875—43-4°. 



