The Autumn of 1894 . 
813 
thunderstorms, with heavy hail, were experienced in the south-east 
of England. The only mention of snow during the season was on 
October 19, when a slight fall occurred in many parts of our northern 
and western counties. 
After the middle of November the country was again brought 
under the influence of a large anticyclonic system which spread over 
us from the Continent. The weather therefore became fair and dry ; 
and, although temperature remained somewhat high in the daytime, 
the nights were cold, with repeated frosts in the northern and 
inland districts. Cloud and fog were very prevalent in places, and 
over the country generally the amount of bright sunshine was far 
smaller than it had been during the rainy weather which prevailed 
earlier in the month. 
The leading features in the weather of the entire season are 
shown in a statistical form on p. 815, the following remarks giving 
some details of interest in the history of each particular element. 
Temperature . — During the earlier half of the quarter the mean 
temperature was below the average in five weeks out of seven, the 
deficit being greatest at the very commencement of the period. The 
last six weeks were distinguished by an excess of warmth in nearly 
all districts, the departure from the normal being greatest at the 
end of October and the beginning of November. Taking the season 
as a whole, we see from the table that the day temperatures were a 
little below the average in the eastern, midland, and southern 
counties, but a trifle above it in the western and north-eastern 
districts, and decidedly above it in the Channel Islands. The night 
temperatures showed an excess in all but the north-eastern counties, 
and especially in the south. Over the south-west of England the 
nights were unusually cool during the early part of the season, and 
the deficiency of nocturnal heat for the entire quarter was therefore 
rather large. The highest autumn temperatures were observed at 
varying times during the first three weeks in September, but in all 
the eastern, southern, and south-western districts the thermometer 
failed to reach 70°, the maximum readings being decidedly low for 
the time of year. At the beginning of November, however, the 
weather was exceptionally mild, the maximum temperature of 65° 
registered in London on the 1st being the highest November reading 
observed since the year 1847. The lowest readings were recorded 
mostly about October 22, when sharp frost occurred over the entire 
country. Over our southern and south-western counties and the 
Channel Islands, however, the lowest temperatures were observed 
quite at the close of the season. 
Rainfall .— At the beginning of September the rainfall was in 
excess of the average, but in the succeeding six weeks there was 
a considerable deficiency in nearly all parts of the kingdom. In 
some parts of our midland and north-western counties an entire 
absence of rain was reported for about a fortnight in September ; 
VOL. V. T. S. — 20 3 H 
