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METEOROLOGICAL NOTES FOR 1870. 



In accordance with our usual practice, we append a brief statement of 

 the characteristics of the several months at different stations. 



January. — The year opened mildly after the severe frosts of the previous 

 month, and there was no material change till the 18th. The weather was 

 similar throughout the country. At Greenwich the average excess of temp- 

 erature, during this period, was 6|° daily. It blew very strongly on the 7th 

 and 8th over most part of England, generally from S W. From the 18th to 

 the 30th it was commonly dry and cold ; not intensely so, however ; the 

 minimum at Truro, Bodmin, and Liskeard, being 25°, at Falmouth 30°, and 

 at Helston 34° ; at Altarnun it was 17° ; the night of the 22nd was every- 

 where the coldest. At Greenwich the temperature during these 12 days was 

 5° below the average. In the north of England the effects of continued, if 

 not very intense, cold were felt on the 28th, — Lake Windermere was so 

 frozen over that the steamers were unable to ply. This had not occurred 

 since 1854. Eydal Water, Grasmere, and Derwent Water, afforded excellent 

 skating. On the 30th a cyclonic gale occurred at Penzance and at Dublin ; 

 it commenced from S.E. and veered toW., with heavy rain. The fall at 

 Truro, -65 inch, was the largest daily quantity of the month. At Penzance 

 •61 inch fell in 12 hours. The total rainfall of the month was only about 

 one-half the average at Penzance and Helston, three-fifths at Truro, and 

 not much less below the usual amount at Bodmin, Liskeard, and Altarnun. 



February.- — The beginning of the month was mild and wet, with fresh 

 winds from S.W. to N.W. At Penzance 1 42 inch was registered on the 6th. 

 - The average temperature up to the~8th was 4° in excess at Greenwich. On 

 the 9th a sudden change took place, and the weather became very cold, and 

 continued so, with little exception, till the 25th. The highest temperature at 

 Penzance was 25°, and the 12th was the coldest day experienced there for 

 ten years, the maximum for the day having been 29 '5 ; and this was one of 

 the four days during that period when the thermometer kept below freezing 

 point. At Helston the minimum was 28°, at Falmouth 25'5°, at Truro and 

 Bodmin 23°, at Liskeard 20°, and at Altarnun 16°. At the last place there 

 were 27 frosts on the grass. The coldest day everywhere was the 1 1th. The 

 heavy rains early in the month raised the total fall nearly one-third above 

 the average. 



March was decidedly di-y, the number of days at Truro on which rain 

 fell (9), being little more than half the average, and the quantity was a good 

 deal less than usual. The temperature was low, the wind having a N. and 

 E. element on 21 days. There was frost on 7 nights at Truro, on 23 at 

 Altarnun. According to Mr. Glaisher's estimate, there was a deficiency of 

 1° daily on the whole quarter of 90 days, and the harshness of the weather 

 generally was unfavourable to agricultural work, and arrested vegetation. 



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