INTRODUCTION. 



vii 



Channel. Temperatures were not so low as on the preceding days ; 

 falling more decidedly over the N. of Scotland, Aconochie recording 

 -4° as the min. temp, of the winter on that day. At Nairn also, the 

 temp, was 5°, and at Stoko, -15°, for the second time. On the 19th 

 the cyclone passed slowly Eastwards, and temps, generally rose. The 

 isotherm of 20° now corresponded with the coast line of Scotland and 

 central Ireland. On the 20th the same isotherm tallied with the 

 entire coast line of Great Britain and Ireland; while at several 

 isolated spots the temp, fell to 0° and lower. The region of greatest 

 cold having travelled Southwards ; thus at Cardigan, the min. temp, 

 for the winter was -10° ; at Ketton, -4° ; Cheltenham, -3°-3 ; and 

 at a few places on the S. coast ; e.g., Plymouth, 17° ; Babbacombe, 

 15°-3. On the 21st, the several areas, bounded by isotherms of 10°, 

 again became welded together, indicating increased cold ; for two 

 anticyclones (isobar of 29-9 ins.) one to N. of Scotland, the other, 

 W. of Ireland, had extended over England from the N. and W. 

 Pressure now increased to 30-1 ins. It increased still more on the 

 22nd, when the isobar of 30*2 ins., included the whole of the Br. 

 Isles, while that of 30-4 was concentrated over Ireland. On the 

 24th, excepting N. Scotland and S.W. Ireland, the oval shaped 

 isobar of 30-2 ins. included the whole of the Br. Isles, France and 

 Germany. Great cold and dense fogs prevailed on S.E. counties. 

 The isotherm of 20° nearly corresponded with this isobar. Several 

 detached isotherms of 10° occurred at inland places with that of 

 0° in Scotland. Skegness recorded min. temp, for the winter, 7° ; 

 and at the S. of England, Southbourne, 12°-1 ; Woolston, 8° 4. The 

 24th was preparatory to the last severe period of the 25th and 26th, 

 in which the four isolated areas of 10° in the Midland counties of 

 England became united. Min. temps, for the winter occurring on 

 the 26th, as follows :— Haydon Bridge, -6°; Sorrel Sykes, -9°; 

 Scarborough, 7°'7 ; Leeds, 12°; Cossey, 1°; Llandudno, 16 0, 5; 

 Churchstoke, -1° ; St. David's, 16°-1 ; Ilfracombe, 20° ; and Altar- 

 non, 3°. The isobar of 30-2 ins. of the three previous days now 

 fell to 30-0 ins., while dense fogs still prevailing indicating the 

 approachirjg break up of the winter, which took place on the 27th ; 

 on which day the auticyclcne moved off to the continent and 

 yielded its place to a succession of cyclones from the W., the bar. 

 rapidly falling from 29*2 ins. on 27th to 28*9 on 29th, with cor- 

 responding increase of temperatures. 



