124 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



REPOET ON THE METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS MADE 

 AT THE SOCIETY'S GARDEN AT WISLEY IN 1910. 



By R. H. Curtis, E.R.Met.Soc. 



In beginning an account of the weather of 1910 and of the meteoro- 

 logical observations recorded at the Society's climatological station at 

 Wisley, we cannot but refer with regret to the death of Mr. Thomas 

 Frazer, w-ho had been one of the observers at the Gardens since the 

 establishment of the station in 1904, and had always taken great interest 

 in its maintenance and efficiency. 



From a meteorological point of view the year was one of consider- 

 able interest. The first half was mild, and the mean temperature was 

 generally ■ rather above the average, but this was due more to the 

 absence of any very low minima than to the occurrence of high maxima, 

 and the summer months were conspicuous by the absence of any really 

 hot summer weather. The second half of the year was remarkable on 

 account of the phenomenally low temperatures in July and November, 

 and for the equally remarkable warmth of October and December. 

 Much less than the average amount of snow fell during the year, but 

 the year's rainfall, in most parts of the Kingdom, exceeded the average. 

 There were no exceptionally severe gales, but thunderstorms were of 

 somewhat frequent occurrence. Bright sunshine w^as deficient in most 

 parts of the Kingdom, especially over the southern and midland 

 counties of England; and fog was somewhat more than usually fre- 

 quent, particularly near the coasts. 



The observations for the months are as follow^s : — 

 January. — The w^eather during the opening month of the year was 

 changeable. Throughout the first part it was generally warm for the 

 season, with rather strong south-westerly to westerly winds, and with 

 less than the usual amount of rain. Then a change in the type of 

 weather took place, and wintry conditions became very general; in 

 many parts of the Kingdom very low temperatures were recorded in the 

 screen, and yet lower readings by the radiation thermometers exposed 

 upon the grass. As examples, a screen reading of 10° was recorded 

 in Berkshire, and 19° at Wisley ; whilst in the northern half of Great 

 Britain the thermometer fell still lower, and in a few localities got 

 down to zero-. Fah. in the screen, and to below zero upon the grass. 

 There were also heavy falls of snow in many districts, some parts of 

 Ireland coming in for a very large share; on the 26th it fell to the 

 depth of 18 inches on the w^est coast of Scotland, and tw'O days later 

 to the depth of a foot in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The mean 

 temperature in the south of England w^as, however, above the average 

 for January, although it was considerably below in the north. Rainfall 

 was nearly everyw^here less than the average; and sunshine, notwith- 



