68 METEOKOLOCiY OF THE :\UULANDS. 



METEOROLOGY OF THE MIDLANDS. 



THE WEATHER OF JANUARY, 1882. 

 BY CLEMENT L. WKAGGE, F.R.G.S., F.M.S., ETC. 



January, 1882, is a very remarkable mouth in the records of 

 meteorological science. Atmospheric conditions were, in some respects, 

 even more exceptional than during the closing mouths of the past year. 

 The two gi-eat features were : — 1st, The extraordinarily high pressures ; 

 and, 2ud, the great mildness of the weather. Depressions crossed ou 

 the 3rd aud (ith. The latter one proved serious in Scotland in its 

 course from W.S.W. to E.N.E., and brought gales, floods, aud thunder 

 aud lightning there, with strong winds in Central England. Two other 

 aud small depressions followed ; and then, ou the 11th, the great 

 barometric rise finally set in. At first it appeared to be mainly owing 

 to the disappearauce from our area of the depression-system ; but it 

 was soon evideut that a most important anticyclone was formiug. Its 

 centre shortly became established in southern districts, aud wlieu the 

 crest was fully developed on the 18th, the corrected aud reduced reading 

 at the lladcliffe Observatory, Oxford, was actually " HO-U'J at 10 a.m."' 

 This is the highest reading 1 can find in my returns aud papers relat- 

 ing to this remarkable barometric maximum ; and probably there is 

 no instance of such a wonderful pressure withiu upwards of a century. 

 The barometer continued very high to the 25th (but gently dipped ou 

 the 23rdj. A cyclonic centre came up on the 27th — thoiigh readings 

 remained in a high part of the scale — and the inercury w'as again 

 rising ou the olst. At Loughborough the mean temperature was 40*8, or 

 3-2 degrees above the average ; and at Orletou the mean for the month 

 was more than 2-.5 above the average of the last twenty years. Tem- 

 perature dropped, however, when the centre of the great auticycloue 

 came over auy district, as is usual with this type of weather when the 

 sun has a south declination. The cold air from above probably 

 descending ou the anticyclonic crest, and feeding it, as it were, would 

 in the characteristic calms exert its influence in lowering the tempera- 

 ture, and occasiou the dense fogs experienced at the time. Naturally 

 there was a general absence of rain during the sway of the high 

 pressures ; but the depression crossing on the 28th and 2yth brought 

 heavy falls, with some hail aud snow. The solar maximum themiometer 

 at Hodsock, on the 23rd, registered 88-it, and the terrestrial minimum 

 at Oscott, l!(*(j ou the 25th. At Strelley, the mean temperature of the 

 ground, at a depth of one foot, at 9 .\.m., was 3y-0 ; the duration of 

 sunshine 33'7 hours, and eighteen sunless days were recorded. At 

 Hodsock 31)'7 hours of sunshine were registered, aud fourteen sunless 

 days. In the South Midlands so cloudy was the sky that twenty sun- 

 less days were noted at Marlborough. The mean relative humidity 

 for the entire Midlands was about 92 per ceut. At Blackpool ozone 

 was registered on twenty-seven days, and the daily average was 5'5 : 

 At Carmarthen the mean for the mouth was 3-(). Mean sea tempera- 

 ture at Scarborough 42-7, about two degrees warmer than last year. 

 Lunar halos were observed on the 1st aud 5th. South-west bi'eezes 

 prevailed, but the wind was frequently light and variable. 



Notes by Obsekvers. — Burton. — Wild hyaciuth showing above 

 ground on 15th. Helper. — Galanthm^ nivalis in bud ou 9th. I.ou<jIi- 

 borougli. — Primroses in flower on 3rd. AsJibij Magna. — The mildest 

 January ever known in these parts. Kibicorth. — Gathered wild violets 

 on 3rd ; crocus, snowdrop, anemone, primrose, etc., in flower. Jl'altliam- 

 le-Wold. — Many plants in bloom. Coston. — Snowdrop in flower on the 

 12th. Ketterimj. — Many of the Spring flowers in full bloom. 



