BRITAIN'S SUMMER.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 233, 1 October 1912, Page 8

BRITAIN'S SUMMER.

STORMS, COLD, AND RAIN;

LONDON, Aug. 16

Cold and cheerless conditions have

i prevailed during the past week over most oi the country. In many places the temperature was abnormally l&wr. On Wednesday'at I p.m. it was only 53dog. at Blacksod T 55deg. HsAyhend" aiul Nottingham, and -4belo^ r 60dog. in all parts of tho United Kingdom, except the extreme southeasterly corner of England. 'Kariy in the morning, however, a reading of 4xleg. was recorded at tho Meteorological Office at South. Kensington, and it was stated that this temperature -was the lowest recorded in August since August 3, 1886, when the minimum was only 44.1deg. : In certain portions of the Continent very similar weather is .reported. Over an inch of rain fell in Paris on Monday, which was the wettest clay for thirty-seven years, and the cyclonic disturbance which advanced slowly along the Channel on tliat day has passed on to Belgium and Germany. ' The effect of the cold weather upon the harvest is becoming serious in several parts of the country. In Cheshire, for example, the outlook is exceptionally bad. Since August 1 only two fine days have been experienced at Eaton. Thousand^ of acres of liay have lain out for just a month, and the grass is black and rotting. The grain crops have everywhere been beaten down by the gale». Fine crops of oats can bo .seen with the weeds growing right through them.

One curious offe.-t of the cold was reported at a mating of the Slough Urban Council Complaints were made as'to the number of street lamps that were out at night, and the cause was thought to bo the unsatisfactory working of the new system of automatic controllers for lighting and extinguishing the lamps. The surveyor however, stated that hundreds of gnats and small flies had attached themselves to the lanterns to obtainwarmth, and that, consequently fchv» by-passes had become choked with flies, so that the mantles amid not receive a full supply of gas