The  Spring  of  1904. 
385 
districts,  but  over  the  country  generally  the  weather  was  fair 
and  dry.  Shortly  after  the  middle  of  the  month  a mild  current 
of  air  from  west  and  south-west  set  in,  with  mild  showery 
weather ; but  at  the  beginning  of  the  fourth  Aveek  cold  easterly 
and  north-easterly  winds  reappeared,  with  sharjj  night  frosts  in 
manj"  places. 
At  the  close  of  March  and  in  the  earlier  part  of  April 
the  wind  was  in  the  west,  and  often  Strong  to  a gale  in  force, 
the  weather  being  generally  rather  mild,  with  frequent,  but 
not  heavy,  falls  of  rain.  On  March  29  and  30  thunder 
and  lightning  occurred  in  many  parts  of  England,  and  snoAV 
fell  in  most  districts,  while  on  April  3 and  4 thunderstorms 
occurred  in  the  west,  and  showers  of  sleet  were  experienced  in 
tlie  north.  Towards  the  middle  of  April  winds  from  between 
south  and  east  set  in,  Avith  a continuance  of  changeable 
Aveather  ; but  after  the  17th  a spell  of  A'ariable  breezes  Avas 
reported,  Avith  little  or  no  rain,  and  a considerable  amount  of 
l)right  sunshine.  In  the  closing  Aveek  the  Avind  was  again 
AA'esterly  to  south-Avesterly,  and  the  Aveather  more  clomly,  but 
mostly  dry. 
In  the  first  ten  days  oi-  so  of  May  the  country  Avas  under  the 
influence  of  shalloAV  cyclonic  systems,  Avhich  passed  across  from 
the  westAAard,  and  occasioned  heavy  rains  Avith  thunder- 
storms in  seA'eral  places  on  the  6th.  As  these  disturbances 
moA’ed  aAvay  a cold  northerly  Avind  set  in,  and  betAveen 
the  6th  aiul  the  8th  sharp  night  frosts  Avere  general,  Avith 
snoAv  or  sleet  shoAvers  at  many  places  in  the  Avest  and  north. 
Later  on  the  Avind  got  back  to  Avest  or  south-Avest,  and 
for  some  time  the  temperature  AA'as  about  normal,  rainfall  and 
sunshine  being  both  deficient.  In  the  third  Aveek,  hoAveA^er, 
Avhen  an  anticyclone  s})read  oA’er  the  country  from  the  south- 
AvestAA’ard,  a spell  of  genuinely  fine  summer  Aveather  Avas 
experienced,  the  temperature  recorded  on  the  16th  being  above 
70"  in  most  districts  and  slightly  above  75"  in  North  Wales. 
Thunderstorms  occurred  on  the  same  day  in  seA’eral  parts  of 
the  coxintry.  Towards  the  close  of  the  month  the  anticyclone 
broke  up,  numerous  small  cyclonic  systems  advanced  over  us, 
and  the  Aveather  again  became  very  changeable,  Avith  heaA’y 
rain  in  the  west  and  north  on  the  23rd.  Thunderstorms 
occurred  in  many  places  on  the  26th  and  27th,  and  again  on 
the  30th  and  31st. 
The  mean  temperature  of  the  entire  spring  was  beloAv  the 
average,  the  deficiency  of  Avarmth  (greatest  in  the  daytime) 
being  again,  due  A-ery  largely  to  the  absence  of  sunshine. 
The  duration  of  that  element  Avas  in  all  districts,  excepting 
the  north-eastern,  the  smallest  registered  in  the  spring  for 
at  least  ten  years  past.  In  the  Channel  Islands  the  mean 
VOL.  65.  C C 
