THE TWIN STORMS OF JANUARY, 1867. 257 



this specious aspect there was one treacherous element of dis- 

 cord : — the barometer was' higher over the warm water of the western 

 sea than over the cold frozen land ; and, as warm air is light, and 

 cold air heavy, this condition of the atmosphere could not con- 

 tinue ; it must be reversed, and that perhaps with violence ; the 

 following day shows the progress of the change. 



The Chart for the 4th shows that the wind, though still gentle, 

 was greatly confused in its course. It was N.W. over the whole 

 of North Britain and Holland ; hut E. and S.E. in the South of 

 England and Ireland; and over the middle of England it was 

 curved in all directions. The barometer was equally confused, 

 and no lines of equal pressure could be traced. The whole aspect 

 of the elements conveys the impression that they are in a state of 

 rapid change. 



Saturday the 5th was the Storm-day. The Chart shews that 

 the barometric curves had now again become well defined ; but 

 the pressure was the reverse of that on the 3rd. The N.E. — the 

 coldest region — presents the highest barometer ; and in the S.W., 

 over the warm water of the sea, the mercury stands nearly an 

 inch lower. The pi-essure of the air had adjusted itself to the 

 altered temperature of land and sea ; an engine of mighty power 

 was now called into activity, and nearly along the line of lowest 

 pressure, from Brest across Cornwall to the south-west of Ireland, 

 the Storm burst with great fury, while at the same hour, in the 

 east of England, where the barometer stood above 30 inches, it 

 was nearly calm. 



The Storm gradually extended itself eastward; it reached 

 London at midnight on Saturday, when a strong and biting wind 

 set in, accompanied by a fall of snow for about half an hour ; and 

 this was followed by a hurricane of wind, hail, and sleet, which 

 continued until an early hour on Sunday morning. 



It is observable that both storms were accompanied by heavy 

 rain; on the 5tli the amount was 2-18 inches, and on the 22nd 

 •82 parts of an inch. And the days following the rain were calm 

 and fair, and very warm, the mean temperature being 50°. The 

 power of the S.A¥. wind in repelling cold is truly astonishing. 

 Northerly winds must blow many days to produce any consider- 

 able amount of cold in Cornwall ; but let the brave west wind set 

 in, and often in a few hours the whole character of the climate is 



