ENGLAND. 



697 





Great de- 

 grees of 



Ot' heat. 



The mean at Nottingham, for four years, was 48.75. 

 The mean heat of the month of March, at two o'clock 

 in the afternoon, in Pall Mall, according to Dr Hebre- 

 den, is 50. At Lancaster, the mean heat of the same 

 month, at the same hour, is only 41^. 



It must not, however, be inferred from these details, 

 that the cold in winter, and the heat in summer, is never 

 very extreme in England ; for the climate of this coun- 

 try varies nearly as much with respect to temperature, 

 as it does with respect to rain. It occasionally happens, 

 that very great degrees of cold are felt during the winter 

 months, especially towards the end of December and 

 the beginning of January : in some years the thermo- 

 meter, without being exposed to the action df any cir- 

 cumstances, which would bring down the mercury to 

 an unfair level, has indicated a degree of cold, not of- 

 ten felt even in countries lying much farther to the 

 north, and not enjoying such a near vicinity to the sea 

 as England does. It is said, that in the years 1794, 

 1 798, and 1 8 1 3- 1 4, the thermometer was observed to be 

 as low as within five degrees of zero ; and from observa- 

 tions carefully made at different places, there can be no 

 doubt, that in the last of these years, it was within 

 eight degrees of zero. The heat, on the contrary, is 

 sometimes very excessive, especially in the southern 

 counties of England. In 1808, the thermometer, at 

 many places in the vicinity of the metropolis, was near- 

 ly 90> if it did not quite reach that point. It may also 

 be remarked, that in the southern and south-western 

 districts, in the months of April, May, and June, if 

 there are a few days, or even hours, of bright uncloud- 

 ed sun, the thermometer will rise as high as in the 

 south of France, or even as high as in Italy. These 

 gleams, however, are often succeeded by frosty or very 

 cold nights, and probably the next day or two, it is fol- 

 lowed by hail or cold cloudy weather. In the summer 

 months, even when the heat has been for a considerable 

 time very great, the thermometer is observed to stand 

 low an hour or two before sunrise ; and much lower, 

 at this time of the morning, in April, May, and June, 

 than in July, August, and September. 



The third branch of the meteorology of England, re- 

 spects the winds. It has already been remarked, in the 

 enenl re- general observations on the climate of this country, that 

 the west and south-west are much more prevalent, as 

 well as constant, than the winds from any other quar- 

 ter; and this circumstance may easily and naturally 

 be accounted for, from the situation of the island, ex- 

 posed to the Atlantic Ocean. The west and south- 

 west winds are also the most violent, not only on the 

 western side of the country, but likewise in the mid- 

 land and eastern counties ; so much so, indeed, that the 

 effects of their constancy and violence may generally be 

 traced, in the evident bending which they have given 

 to the trees in all parts of the country. The winds 

 that blow from the east and north-east are, next to 

 those that blow from the west and south-west, the most 

 regular and constant, and perhaps next to them the 

 most violent ; though it may be remarked, that in Eng- 

 land the east and north-east winds seldom blow violent- 

 ly for more than one or two days, whereas the west and 

 south-west winds frequently continue to blow violently 

 for a considerably longer time. The wind that most sel- 

 dom occurs, is that from the south. In some parts of the 

 island, particularly in the western counties, the south- 

 eastern winds are not uncommon. The north-western 

 winds do not blow for any considerable part of the year, 

 but when they do blow, they are generally steady. 



VOL. VIII. PART II. 



"ind-. 



In the summer time, it frequently happens that the Statistics. 

 wind veers round to several different quarters in the "*"\"~~ 

 course of the day, or even in the course of a few hours ; 

 but this is never observed to be the case when it blows 

 with the least violence. Near the sea coast, and even at 

 the distance of several miles from it, during settled and 

 warm weather, in the summer season, the wind at the 

 break of day will blow from the land ; about mid-day, 

 or a little before it, it will veer round towards the sea j 

 and in the course of the evening it will again become 

 a land wind. Sometimes we are subject, in England, 

 to a wind that in some respects resembles the scirocco 

 wind of Sicily, though the variation in temperature, 

 with us, is not nearly so considerable. It sometimes 

 happens towards the end of April, but more frequently 

 in May, the medium height of the thermometer be- 

 ing about 45, with variable winds : The barometer 

 falls, and the wind then becomes stationary at south- 

 west, or south, blowing briskly : The thermometer then 

 rises to 59, 60, or even 65, and the heat of the air 

 has an oppressive feel. When this wind ceases, it is 

 generally followed by a wind from the opposite point 

 of the compass, i. e. north-east, and the temperature 

 soon lowers again to 45. With respect to the connec- 

 tion of the height of the mercury in the barometer, 

 with the different winds which prevail in England, it 

 may be remarked, (and the remark will apply, in a 

 greater or less degree to all parts of the island, ) that 

 the barometer is always higher and more steady when 

 the wind blows from the north, or east, or from any 

 point between these two quarters, than when it blows 

 from the south, or west, or from any point between 

 these two quarters ; so that it generally happens, that 

 rain falls when the barometer, with an easterly or 

 north-easterly wind, is at a height, which, with a west- 

 erly or south-westerly wind, would certainly indicate 

 settled fair weather. In the eastern counties of Eng- 

 land, when the winds from the east and north-east blow 

 with the most constancy, and for the greatest length 

 of time, they are often accompanied, especially in the 

 months of April and May, with a blue mist and va- 

 porous atmosphere. 



From the observations made by order of the Royal Prevalent 

 Society, it was ascertained, that, at London, the state of 

 the wind was as follows : The south-west winds blew 

 1 12 days ; the south-east, 32 days ; the north-east, 58 

 days ; the east, 26 days ; the north-west, 50 days ; the 

 south, 18 days; the west, 53 days ; and the north, 16 

 days. From the same register it appears, that, in the 

 vicinity of the metropolis, the south-west wind blows 

 more upon an average in each month of the year than 

 any other, particularly in July and August ; that the 

 north-east prevails during the months of January, 

 March, April, May, and June, and is least common 

 in February, July, September, and December. The 

 north-west occurs mo.st frequently from November to 

 March, and less so in September and October, than in 

 any other months. 



From other observations made in this part of the 

 island, it has been ascertained, that winds blowing 

 from every point of the compass between the west, 

 north-west, and north, are so very dry as not to pro- 

 duce a day's rain in the year. It sometimes, however, 

 happens, that with a north-west wind small rain falls 

 for a few hours. When the wind veers from the north 

 through the -west, it generally continues dry till it 

 reaches the south-west, when it certainly brings rain. 

 On the other hand, when it passes southward through 



