258 The Weather during the Agricultural Year , 1904-1905. 
the 18th, the weather became colder and exceedingly changeable, 
with occasional falls of snow or hail, and with thunder or 
lightning in some parts of England and Wales on the 26th. 
A gale from the north-westward was experienced over the 
whole country on the 19th, and another gale from points 
between south and west on the 26th. Sharp frosts occurred 
between the nights of the 23rd and 25th, the thermometer 
in some of the more central parts of the country falling at 
least 10° below the freezing point. 
For the winter as a whole the mean temperature was above 
the average in all but the western parts of the country, where 
there was practically no divergence from the normal. In most 
districts the excess of warmth was shown more by the day 
than by the night readings, but in the eastern counties it 
appears to have been distributed almost equally throughout the 
twenty-four hours. The rainfall of the winter was slightly 
below the average as regards frequency, and very deficient in 
amount. In no district but the Channel Islands did the total 
quantity amount to more than three-fourths of the average ; in 
the southern and south-western counties it did not amount to 
two-thirds ; while in the midland and north-eastern counties it 
was not much more than half the normal. The driest portion 
of the winter was included within the eight weeks ending 
with February 25, during which period all the more eastern 
and southern parts of England received a rainfall amounting 
to between only one-third and one-half of the average. Over 
the country as a whole, the winter was the driest experienced 
since that of 1895-1896, and in some parts of our midland and 
north-eastern counties it was the driest since the exceptional 
season of 1890-1891. The amount of bright sunshine registered 
during the winter was more than the average, the excess being- 
slight in the north-eastern and Channel Islands districts, but 
rather large over our eastern, southern, and north-western 
counties. In the north-eastern and south-western parts of the 
country the winter was the sunniest since that of 1894-1895. 
The Spring of 1905. 
The variable winter of 1904-1905 was followed by a still 
more variable spring. March was a mild, but exceedingly rough 
and blustering month, with heavy rains, especially in the 
earlier half of the time. April was cooler, drier, and less 
stormy, but at the same time very changeable, with occasional 
snow showers in most districts, an alarming shock of earthquake 
being experienced over the northern half of England early on 
the morning of the 23rd (Easter Sunday). In May the weather 
was much quieter and drier than in either of the two preceding 
months, very little rain falling during the three weeks ending 
