

Meteorological Summary for 1823. — Lancashire. 151 



March commenced with strong south-west winds, which 

 blew a hurricane during the whole of the night of the 3rd 

 and part of the following day: the pressure, during the time' 

 low, and temperature rather high. On the 7th there was 'a. 

 strong south-east wind with snow and sleet : on the 20th and 

 following night, a copious fall of snow ; but which soon dis- 

 appeared, as it was succeeded by rain. The weather now con- 

 tinued warm and open to the end, with occasional sun -gleams. 



April. April showers, which usually characterise this month 

 with mildness, were in the present instance attended during the 

 first ten days with the blustering west and piercing east winds 

 of March. The north-east winds, which commenced on the 

 5th and continued to the 14th, felt more cold than the ther- 

 mometer indicated, and were particularly distressing to per- 

 sons disposed to the tooth-ache. On the 18th and 19th there 

 was a strong north-west wind with hail and snow, and the 

 following night a sharp frost: ice on the ground a quarter of 

 an inch thick, yet the reporter's thermometer only fell to 35°, 

 that is three degrees above freezing. The same uncongenial 

 weather prevailed to the 27th, which retarded vegetation much: 

 but on the 28th, circumstances changed, as the temperature 

 rose, the sky became clear and mostly cloudless, the barome- 

 ter high and steady, and the wind changed from an east to a 

 south course, which terminated the month. 



May commenced with summer weather, and increased in 

 heat to the 7th : the highest state of that day was 71°, which 

 was one of the greatest extremes of the year ; there were loud 

 claps of thunder about two in the morning, with rain : on the 

 8th, gradual fall of the barometer, and sudden one of the tem- 

 perature, attended with frequent heavy showers of rain, and 

 hail at intervals. The 11th was a very rainy day in and about 

 Manchester, but in Liverpool no rain fell : 13th, strono- south- 

 west wind, with frequent rain and hail showers ; the hail was 

 uncommonly large and indurated : 15th, a few swallows were 

 noticed on the wing for the first time this season. About this 

 time it was fine but cold for spring, but from the 19th to the 

 end, warm and showery. 



June: fine and warm to the 14th, with frequent showers of 

 rain : 15th, nimbus, or thunder clouds, which deposited much 

 rain ; wind variable, but which finally settled and blew keenly 

 from the north-east ; the consequence was, much damage done 

 to garden shrubs and tender vegetables, by annoying them with 

 insects of the aphis tribe. The wind remained northerly to 

 the 26th, when it changed to west, and on the 29th there were 

 loud peals of thunder, with lightning and rain. 



July upon the whole was cold, gloomy, and wet ; pn the 23d 



there 



