MR. A. W. I’KESTON ON THE GREAT FROST OF 1890 — 91 . 
191 
VII. 
NOTES ON THE GREAT FROST OF 1890—91. 
By Arthur W. Preston, F. R. Met. Soc. 
Read 21f.Hi February , 1891. 
The severe frost which set in on the 25th November, 1890, 
continued until the 22nd January, 1891, a period of fifty- 
nine days ; and, as this occurrence is such a remarkable one, it is 
proposed here to mention a few of the details of this exceptional 
winter. The mean temperature of the whole period, from ob- 
servations taken by me at Blofield, was 29.8 degrees, or more than 
2 degrees below the freezing point, and about 9 degrees below 
the average. At Ilillington, Norfolk (which is a more exposed, 
bleak situation), the mean was 28.6 degrees, and at Somerleyton 
29.9 degrees. The lowest mean registered in England for 
the period was 28.5 degrees at Bennington, Herts (in London 
it was 29.3 degrees, and at one or two other stations about the 
same), so that it will be seen that in Norfolk we were situated 
in the region of the greatest cold, although not quite in the 
centre of it. In the south-east of England, generally, the mean 
temperature for the fifty-nine days was more than 10 degrees below 
the average ; in the north of England the deficiency was about 
5 degrees, but in the extreme north of Scotland it was less than 
1 degree. 
Dealing with the frost as experienced in Norfolk, it may be said 
that it set in very suddenly. On Sunday, November 23rd, the 
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