84 THE CLIMATE OF AUSTRALASIA 



the fact that the North Atlantic high pressure 

 area extended unusually far to the north, and 

 north-east in the first half of 1896. The result 

 was the early driving of the tropical waters far to 

 the north, and an early spring, followed by a cold 

 spell due to the southerly movement of the Arctic 

 ice ; then followed a hot summer after the ice had 

 melted. The Arctic ice broke up very early that 

 year, and going to Spitzbergen in the spring of 

 that year, we had to encounter a phenomenally 

 heavy pack in the Norwegian Sea. But by the 

 end of summer that had all gone ; the Arctic 

 Ocean north of Europe was comparatively ice 

 free ; and northern Europe had a warmer 

 summer than usual. 



In 1897, the reduced Arctic ice broke up 

 early and came south, giving England a cold 

 spell in spring ; after which, as the North 

 Atlantic was free of ice, there was a phenome- 

 nally hot, dry summer. That English drought 

 was the result of the position of the Atlantic 

 anticyclone, 12 or 18 months before. 



