REPORT ON METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS AT WISLEY. 53 



ture down so that from September to the close of the year it was again 

 several degrees lower than the deeper stratum. 



The observations for the individual months are as follows : 

 January. — The opening month of the year was upon the whole 

 both dry and warm, a combination which is not often found in winter 

 in conjunction with an abnormally high barometer, such as existed 

 throughout the month. But the distribution of the barometric pres- 

 sure, by which the direction of the wind is governed, was such as to 

 cause southerly and westerly winds, which were generally of light 

 or moderate force, although now and again they rose to gale strength 

 over the western portions of the kingdom. The rainfall over the 



^ Tty/" /^^. /^y Z^ /^r<^Xc/f /t^»t 



Fig, 23. — Mean Temperature of the Air, and of the Soil at the depth of 



ONE foot, and of FOUR FEET BELOW THE SURFACE, FOR EACH MONTH. 



greater part of England varied from half an inch to an inch and a-half , 

 and it was only in those parts of the kingdom which are normally 

 the wettest that amounts exceeding 2 inches were recorded; the 

 total precipitation over Ireland was probably less than half the normal 

 amount, and in Scotland it did not exceed three-quarters. The first 

 fortnight was the coldest period of the month, and some sharp frosts 

 were experienced near the close of that time ; but later the thermometer 

 rose to 60° and upwards, and the nights being generally cloudy low 

 night temperatures were rare. The amount of bright sunshine was in 

 excess of the average in most parts of the kingdom, notwithstanding 

 that there was also rather more than the normal amount of fog. At 



