148 
J. HOPKINSON—METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 
midnight being that of a gale, and the strongest gnsts, from the 
west, rising to a rate of 45 miles per hour. Much damage was 
done at various places in the county. At Codicote two of the 
large ornamental chimneys of the Yicarage were blown down, 
other chimneys and roofs in the village suffered, and several trees 
were uprooted; and in Hertford and its neighbourhood several 
large trees were blown down or broken off, and chimneys and roofs 
were damaged by the force of the wind. 
February.— A very cold month, with a humid atmosphere, 
a cloudy sky, and a rather small rainfall on about the average 
number of days. The mean temperature was 3 degrees below the 
average, the defect being twice as much due to the coldness of 
the days as to that of the nights; the mean daily range was 
therefore smaller than usual. The sun shone for only an hour and 
a half a day on the average, being little more than half the usual 
duration. The wind blew mostly from the west, north-west, and 
north. Nearly all the precipitation was in the form of snow, 
except about a quarter of an inch of rain on the 28th and a rather 
smaller quantity, with some snow, on the 26th. The 14th was 
much the coldest day; at St. Albans the minimum during the 
previous night was 18°, and by 9 a.m. the temperature had only 
risen to 25°. Only twice since these records began have we had 
a colder February; in 1888 when it was a little colder, and in 
1895 when it was much colder, the mean for the county being 28°*1. 
The last week was the only moderately warm period in the month. 
March. —Also a very cold month, being hut little more than 
a degree warmer than January, and having a humid atmosphere, 
a very cloudy sky, and a heavy rainfall on a large number of days. 
The days were much more unseasonably cold than the nights, the 
mean temperature being 2£° below the average, hut the mean 
maximum 4° below it. The mean daily range of temperature was 
therefore small. The sun shone only two hours and a half a day 
on the average; an hour and a half a day less than usual. North¬ 
easterly winds very greatly prevailed, and the next in frequency 
were south-westerly. The first five days, the 12th, and the 31st, 
were warm, these being the only days on which, at St. Albans, 
the temperature rose to 50°. Eain fell every day for the first 
eight days, with a little snow and hail occasionally, and on nearly 
every day from the 15th there was rain, snow, or hail, several 
days having rain and snow or rain and hail, and some having all 
three. The general character of the month may he summed up 
as cold, wet, gloomy, humid, and calm, and its usual “peck of 
dust” was certainly wanting. 
April.— Father warm on the whole, with a very dry atmosphere, 
a bright sky, and a heavy rainfall on a large number of days. The 
apparent paradox in these conditions may be explained by the fact 
of the first and second halves of the month having two distinct 
types of weather, the heavy and continuous rainfall of the first 
sixteen days giving the month one character, and the diy atmosphere 
and bright sky of the last fourteen days more than counterbalancing 
