A RECORD JANUARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16205, 15 April 1916, Page 5 (Supplement)

A RECORD JANUARY.

Owing very largely to their position ofl the north-eastern edge of the Atlantic the British Isles are liable to extremes of climatic conditions in all seasons of the year, every month being subject to abnormalities of heat and cold, of rain and drought. The month which forms the- middle period of winter, and in ordinary- circumstances is the.coldest of the year, has now provided the country with weather of unprecedented iaildncs. During last January only a few insignificant local frosts were experienced even in Scotland, and there was tin almost entire absence of snow and fog. In the metropolis there was not a cold day, the month being milder than any January in three-quarters of a century. The official records which appear daily in the London weather table show that the shade temperature did not once 6ink to the freezing point, nearly all the night minima being up in the forties, and in one instance 50deg. Similarly with the day values, two-thirds of the maxima were from 50deg. to sSdeg. For tho entire month, therefore, the nights averaged 43deK., or Sdeg. above the normal, ana the afternoons Sldeg., or Bdeg. in excess, the general average of thought and day values being 47deg.,or Jhe temperature of an ordinary April. A divergent of Meg. from a month's normal^«*«*•£• prevalance of great warmth or cold Even . n the terrific heat of the summer of 1911 ■■- L excess for August was onlv 6ideg., £%!» for Wary, <<bsck.se; j i the enormous excess of B ? <leg. lne . month's rainfall the under IK a deficr. ■ Incv of iin, and the sunshine (scoeedod 40 hours, not much short of double the. ayeri , »ge. •■-■',-., - ,■'