WooIIjnpj jaaturalists' JFitlft Club. 



•♦• 



ON THE FLOODS OF MAY 1886, AND THE WEATHER 



OF THE PREVIOUS WINTER. 



By Mr. Henet Southall, F.R.Met.S. 



The present paper is in the nature of a sequel or supplement to one read before 

 the Club sixteen years ago on certain meteorological phenomena. Whether the 

 subject is of very general interest or not, it is important that our Transactions 

 should contain records of all exceptional atmospheric disturbances, in order that 

 as accurate an account as possible may be preserved respecting them. 



It is proposed first of all to allude briefly to the general character of the 

 month of May, then to review the weather experienced in the late .severe winter, 

 and lastly to treat more particularly of the memorable storm of May 12-13. 188C, 

 and the tremendous floods which followed it. 



1. General Character of the Month of May. 

 The month of May was the second in the old Alban calendar, the third in 

 that of Romulus, and the fifth in that of Numa Pompilius. It consisted of 22 

 days in the first mentioned, 31 in that of Romulus, and 30 in that of Numa. 

 Julius Csesar restored to it the odd day, which it still retains. 



Its etymology appears to be doubtful. Our Saxon ancestors called it Mains 

 Month, or in their native language Tri-Milchi, or Three-milk month, because the 

 cows were milked three times a day. 



In ancient times many observances were practised at this season in 

 honour of Flora, the deity who was supposed to preside over fruits and flowers, 

 and from these doubtless were derived the May-day and May-pole customs which 

 have only just disappeared, and which were observed by the Court as late as the 

 time of James I. A May-pole which formerly stood in the Strand on the site of 

 the church by Somerset House, was taken down in 1717. Pasquil writes of those 

 times : 



For then true love and amity were found , 



When every village did a May-pole raise, 



And Whitsun ales and May games did abound. 



And lusty youngsters in a rout 



With merry lasses danced the rod about. 



Then friendship to their banquets bid the guests. 



And poor men fed the better for their feasts. 



As regards climate, this month is subject to great vicissitudes, notwithstanding 

 the increase of warmth and sunshine ; there is, however, a rapid advance of 



