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XXIV. — Notice of Two Storms which swept over the British Islands during the last 

 week of November 1838. By David Milne, Esq., F. R. S. E., F. G. S. 



Read 15th April 1839. 



Previously to the 25th and 26th November 1838, there had prevailed in 

 Great Britain and Ireland, for more than a week, a steady wind from the NE., 

 accompanied with frosts, a progressively rising barometer, and tolerably clear 

 weather. The same sort of weather existed on the Continent, and over a large 

 portion of northern Europe, both on sea and land. 



This state of things was changed, by the arrival of two storms from southern 

 latitudes, which passed over the British isles during the last week of November. 

 These two storms, until they reached this part of the globe, were separate. The 

 first one reached the British seas, about thirty-six hours before the other. But 

 the second moved with about double the velocity of the first, and overtook the 

 first somewhere about the north of Ireland and south-west of Scotland. According- 

 ly, in the southern parts of England, there were distinct indicia of two difierent 

 storms, each having its own period of arrival, veering, and cessation ; — whilst to- 

 wards the north, these indicia became gradually less distinguishable, and were at 

 length significant of only a general gale. 



It is my purpose in this paper, to state some of the most prominent signs and 

 effects of these storms, with the view of shewing the direction in which they tra- 

 velled, — the rate of their progressive motion, — and the range which each of them 

 appears to have had over the surface of the globe. I shall also add some remarks 

 as to whether they had a rotatory motion. 



On the 25th and 26th November, the easterly wind still continued, and, 

 on the last of these two days, it was accompanied, in the south of Scotland 

 especially, by severe frost. By this time, the first of the two storms I am 

 about to describe, had reached our atmosphere, though it affected only the up- 

 per regions of it. The barometer had already begun to faU, notwithstanding 

 the severe frost and easterly wind, which, as is well known, have the effect of 

 elevating the mercury. Hence it is obvious, there must have been in the higher 

 parts of our atmosphere, some causes which more than counteracted the effect 

 of the frost and east wind existing in the lower regions, and, on the whole, to 

 produce a sensible diminution in the weight of the atmosphere. 



It will be seen by the following table, constructed from registers kept in dif- 



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