Effect of Captivity and Severe Weather 



Although the War accounted for many 

 changes, it can hardly be accused of affecting 

 our weather, though there are many persons 

 who firmly believe that the intense gunfire 

 often induced rain and caused cold winds. 

 In south-east England the wetness was 

 phenomenal during the War (Globe, 24 . vii .18), 

 and it is certainly remarkable that the 

 meteorological conditions prevailing in Great 

 Britain should have been so abnormal, as 

 the following observations show : 1914 De- 

 cember, wettest on record. 1915 January, 

 severe floods ; August, extraordinarily fre- 

 quent thunderstorms, nine within eleven 

 days ; December, very wet and stormy. 

 1916 January, mildest for half a century; 

 March, severest for fifty-eight years, on 28th 

 the greatest gale for a century ; August and 

 September, wettest for thirteen years (Daily 

 Mail, i6.iv.i7). The winter of 1916-17 was 

 the coldest experienced in many places for 

 twenty-two years, and its effect on bird-life 

 may be summed up in the words of the Anglo- 

 Saxon Chronicle for the year 671: "This 

 year was the great destruction of birds." 



