132 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



touch of wintry weather was experienced, snow falling on 

 the 22nd, 23rd, and 29th. The minimum of 20°-3, recorded 

 on the 29th, was the lowest, with two exceptions, in any of 

 the past fifty-eight Novembers. A thunderstorm, with hail, 

 was experienced on the 3rd. 



December. — The outstanding feature of the weather of 

 December was its high mean temperature of M^-Q, which is 

 no less than 5°-? above the average. The only milder 

 Decembers since 1764 were those of 1842, 1843, and 1857, 

 with mean temperatures of 45°'6, 47°-8, and 46°-5 respec- 

 tively. There was throughout the month an almost entire 

 absence of cold weather, the only snow observed falling on 

 the 31st. The maximum temperature on the 5th (57°*5) was 

 the highest recorded in December since 1864, while the mean 

 temperature of the day— viz., 54"-0— is higher than any value 

 recorded in December, January, or February for at least 

 forty-two years. Sunshine was only one-fifth of the average. 

 The wind during nearly the whole month blew steadily from 

 the west, attaining the force of a gale on the 27th. 



Noteworthy Phenomena in the Meteorology of 1898. 



Highest barometric reading 30*528 inches, on January 12th. 

 Lowest barometric reading 28-638 inches, on December 27th. 

 Highest temperature in shade 82°*8, on September 5th. 

 Lowest temperature in shade, 20°-3, on November 29th. 

 Greatest range of temperature 28°-0, on June 28th. 

 Least range of temperature 1°'8, on October 18th. 

 Highest temperature in sun's rays (black bulb thermometer 



in vacuo) 132°-9, on August 11th. 

 Greatest excess of sun maximum over shade maximum 63^7, 



on July 28th. 

 Lowest temperature on grass 17°*0, on November 29th. 

 Greatest difference between minimum on grass and in shade 



8°-2, on November 6th. 

 Sunniest day June 7th, with 14 hours 25 minutes bright 



sunshine, being 83 per cent, of the total possible. 

 Greatest daily rainfall 1'58 inch, on August 30th. 



