AT WANSEORD HOUSE, WATFORD, IN 1885 . 
89 
February.— Very mild, rather dull (though brighter than the 
average of our eight-year period), with a humid atmosphere of very 
low pressure, and with a considerable amount of rain falling on a 
great number of days, hut scarcely any snow (only a slight fall on 
17th). The wet period which began on 25th January lasted until 
8 th February, rain falling on 15 consecutive days. Rain also fell 
consecutively from 14th to 17th, and from 21st to 28th. The warm 
weather of the end of January continued for the first 3 days only 
of February. On 4th it became decidedly colder, on 11th warmer, 
on 17th again colder, and on 23rd again warmer. 
O 
O 
O 
o 
1st to 3rd . 
.. 9 a.m. 44*4 
Mean Min. 40-7 
Mean Max. 49-0 
Mean 44*7 
4th to 10th.. 
38-6 
99 
33*8 
99 
47*4 
99 
39-9 
11 th to 16th ... 
47-5 
99 
42-4 
99 
51*4 
99 
47*1 
17th to 22nd ... 
•• 9 9 
34-6 
99 
29-7 
9 9 
42-5 
99 
35-6 
23rd to 28th ... 
45-3 
99 
41-2 
99 
52-0 
99 
46*2 
These figures give a rather singular result, and afford a good 
illustration of the fickleness of our climate. Of the five periods 
into which the month of February is here divided, the first has a 
mean temperature between that of March and April, the second has 
a February mean temperature, the third an April, the fourth a 
January, and the fifth an April temperature again. The change 
from the third period (of 6 days) to the fourth period (also of 6 
days) is from a mean temperature higher than that of the spring to 
one lower than that of the winter of our eight-year period. Min. 
below 32° on 7 days; max. above 42° on 26 (every day but 20th 
and 21st), above 52° on 5. Southerly winds prevailed to a greater 
extent even than in January. 
March.— Cold, bright, with an atmosphere of average pressure 
and humidity, and with a small amount of rain (though more than 
our eight-year mean) on very few days, but with a considerable 
fall of snow. Of the total rainfall (including snow), 0-66 in. fell 
on 3rd, and 0*70 in. (as snow) on 21st, leaving only 0*44 in. for the 
rest of the month, this amount being distributed over 5 days. 
From 9th to 20th, inclusive, only 0'02 in. fell (on 17th), and from 
23rd to 31st, 0-16 in. (on 26th). There was no decided change in 
temperature. The mean was considerably below that of February, 
though the mean maximum was about the same in both months. 
Min. below 32° on 14 days; max. above 52° on 7. The range in 
barometric pressure was considerable, from 29'295 ins. at 9 a.m. 
on 6th to 30-609 ins. at 9 a.m. on 14th, a range of 1*314 in. The 
prevailing direction of the wind was N. to 17.E. 
April. —Warm, of average brightness, with a rather dry atmo¬ 
sphere of rather low pressure, and with a considerable amount of 
rain. The first half of the month was much colder than the 
second half. 
O O 0 0 
1st to 15th. 9 a.m. 41*7 Mean Min. 35-1 Mean Max. 50*5 Mean 42*4 
16th to 30th . „ 53-5 „ 41*4 „ 63*2 „ 52*7 
Difference .. „ 11-8 „ 6-3 „ 12*7 „ 10-3. 
