RAINFALL AT CLIFTON IN 1886. 



145 



oofisfca. Tlic Roiitliorn pai-ts of England wore therefore 

 situated a little to the north of the storm-centre, instead 

 of being, as more frequently happens, far to the sontli of 

 the centre. So long as the storm-centre was distant in the 

 south- west, the wind here was — in accoi'dance with a well- 

 known law — south-east, and rain was falling heavily. As 

 the storm advanced up the Channel and passed to the south 

 of us, the wind, instead of veering towards the south and 

 west, as it would under other circumstances have done, 

 lached to the east and north-oast. This change of wind 

 brought tlio temperature down to near the freezing point, 

 and the rain turned to snow. The snow, falling in large 

 moist flakes, partly melting as it fell and afterwards freez- 

 ing, would cling to the telegraph wires and incrust them 

 with ice, perhaps in some cases even cementing a whole 

 system of wires into a mass of icy snow. A gale following 

 under these circumstances sufficiently accounts for the 

 destruction occasioned. 



