478 
mr. a. w. preston’s meteorological notes. 
December. 
This month was exceptionally mild, notwithstanding a few 
rather cold days just before Christmas. The mean temperature 
was 44. 1 degrees, which was upwards of C degrees over the average, 
and no December appears to have been so mild since 1868. The 
thermometer exceeded 50 degrees on seventeen days. The mean of 
the first eighteen days was 47.5 degrees, which is higher than the 
mean of April ; and the night of the 5th, when the thermometer 
did not fall below 53.6 degrees, was the warmest December night 
recorded in these parts since 1856. There were but few frosts, 
and none severe. Snow fell on one day only, and the rainfall of 
the month was in close agreement with the average. There were 
gales on the 2nd and 27th, that on the latter date being severe. 
The Seasons. 
The following Tables show the mean temperature and rainfall for 
the four seasons, together with those of the five previous years, 
and of a twenty-year approximate average. AVinter comprises the 
three months December to February inclusive ; Spring, March to 
May; Summer, June to August; and Autumn, September to 
November. 
TEMPERATURE. 
Seasons. 
1893. 
1894. 
3895. 
1896. 
1897. 
1898. 
20- year 
average. 
Departure 
of 1898 from 
average. 
Winter 
Spring 
Summer 
Autumn 
degrees. 
36.5 
49.1 
61.2 
50.0 
degrees. 
39.2 
47.7 
59.3 
50.1 
degrees. 
34.7 
47.6 
60.4 
51.4 
degrees. 
39.6 
48.0 
61.1 
48.5 
degrees. 
38.3 
46.9 
61.9 
50.3 
degrees. 
41.3 
45.8 
59.7 
54.0 
degrees. 
37.8 
46.2 
60.2 
49.5 
degrees. 
+ 3.5 
— 1.1 
— 0.5 
+ 4.5 
Year 49.6 
49.2 
48.4 
49.3 
49.5 
50.5 
48.4 
+ 2.1 
RAINFALL. 
Seasons. 
1893. 
1894. 
1895. 
1896. 
1897. 
1898. 
20-year 
average 
Departure 
of 1898 from 
average. 
Winter ... 
Spring . . . 
Summer ... 
Autumn ... 
in. 
5.80 
1.61 
5.37 
6.10 
in. 
4.81 
5.62 
8.74 
7.12 
in. 
7.35 
4.15 
7.51 
7.13 
ill. 
3.28 
5.18 
4.88 
8.49 
in. 
7.86 
5.05 
4.17 
6.42 
in. 
4.11 
6.18 
6.90 
5.65 
in. 
6.02 
5.21 
7.17 
8.50 
in. 
— 1.91 
+ 0.97 
— 0.27 
— 2.85 
Year 
19.66 
27.32 
24.91 
23.28 
22.07 
23.33 
26.90 
— 3.57 
