iv 



INTRO DtJCTIOK. 



in any Dec. in this century. It was characterised by dense and 

 very continuous fogs with a high barometer. The unripened con- 

 dition of vegetation felt the severity extremely. 



The winter of 1879-80 commenced in the latter part of Nov., 

 min. temp, ranging from 20° to 24°. Scarcely any rain fell after 

 the 18th. The most severe periods, however, were from 1st to 

 7th of Dec, the 11th and 19th. Less intense frosts prevailed 

 from 21st to 26th, and again at the end of Jan. 1880. 



The barometric indications of the coming severity first appeared 

 on Nov. 30th in a well marked oval depression over the N. sea 

 (29-7 ins.) ; while anticy clonic conditions prevailed in Norway and 

 on the West of Great Britain. Temps, began to be lowered gene- 

 rally and snow fell over Scotland and the E. side of England on 

 Dec. 18th. The min. temps, on this day were at York, 23° ; Not- 

 tingham, 22° ; Cambridge, 23° ; and London, 22°. On the 2nd the 

 cyclone dispersed, giving rise to a small subsidiary one, the centre 

 of which was at Shields, where the min. temp, was 17° ; though the 

 centre of the isotherm of 10° was near Nottingham, the min. 

 temp, at that place being 4° ; that for all England, being at Coston, 

 viz., -4P-5. On the 3rd, pressure and temp, were very complicated. 

 Cyclones occurred over the Baltic, the coast of Holland and the Bay 

 of Biscay ; while a centre of high pressure occurred in France, 

 and a second stood over Scandinavia. There were three centres 

 of very low temps, in Great Britain, viz., Kelso, 3°; Braemar, 

 -0°-8 ; South of Edinburgh, 0° j and also between York and Dur- 

 ham. On Dec. 4th temp, rose in S.W., with a well defined cyclone, 

 and fell in the N. under a large anticyclonic area ; the isotherm of 

 20°, now extending over the greater part of the whole of the 

 British Isles, running nearly parallel to the coast line throughout. 

 Min. temps, for the winter occurred, e.g. at Blackadder, -23° ; Cor- 

 bridge-on-Tyne, -5° ; Leaton, -ll°-9 ; Aberystwith, 4°, &c. On 

 the 5th the min. temps, of the winter occurred chiefly in Ireland and 

 the S.W. extremity of England. The isotherm of 30° (which on 

 Dec. 4th excluded all England excepting the S.W. corner) now ran 

 vertically from Plymouth to Aberdeen. The min. temps, of St. 

 Austell being 18°'2j Southbourne, lG°-8 ; Yentnor, 22°; and in 

 Ireland, at Colebrooke Park, 9°. On the 6th, temp, rose several 

 degrees on the W. and S.W. ; the isotherm of 30° now extended 

 Westwards to W. coast of Scotland. The min. temps, of the winter 



