London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Hampstead 1914
Report for the year 1914 of the Medical Officer of Health
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Mean Hours per Day of Bright Sunshine.
| Mouth. | Greenwich. | Hampstead. | Kew. | Tottenham. | Westminster. | Camden Square. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.67 | 0.94 | 0.84 | 0.65 | 0.28 | 0.51 |
| February | 3.79 | 2.71 | 2.93 | 1.43 | 2.68 | 2.04 |
| March | 2.83 | 2.63 | 2.81 | 2.61 | 2.42 | 2.55 |
| April | 7.73 | 7.67 | 7.27 | 7.10 | 7.20 | 7.07 |
| May | 6.74 | 6.90 | 6.52 | 6.74 | 6.10 | 6.03 |
| June | 8.90 | 8.97 | 8.50 | 9.07 | 8.33 | 7.90 |
| July | 5.77 | 5.48 | 5.13 | 5.45 | 5.42 | 4.81 |
| August | 5.94 | 5.68 | 5.58 | 5.77 | 5.35 | 5.42 |
| September | 6.80 | 7.27 | 6.63 | 6.77 | 5.97 | 5.90 |
| October | 2.16 | 2.26 | 2.32 | 1.97 | 1.97 | 1.84 |
| November | 2.13 | 2.17 | 2.17 | 2.03 | 1.37 | 1.63 |
| December | 1.29 | 1.01 | 1.29 | 0.63 | 0.97 | 0.87 |
| Total | 54.75 | 53.69 | 51.99 | 50.24 | 48.06 | 46.60 |
The total actual hours of sunshine represented by the above figures, are as follows :—
| Greenwich. | Hampstead. | Kew. | Tottenham | . Westminster. | Camden Square. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1657.1 | 1631.5 | 1576.8 | 1529.3 | 1460.0 | 1416.2 |
Temperature.—The extremes of temperatures recorded in Hampstead
are less than the rest of London, and this, again, is due to its elevation.
In cool weather, should the wind be calm, the summit of the Heath will
be found to be warmer than the adjacent low-lying land, the explanation
being that cold air is heavier than warm air, and consequently will
accumulate in the valleys and leave the higher lands comparatively
warmer. Should there be much wind on, the nights will be colder in
the high land than in the valleys. The mean temperature of Hampstead
as a whole is lower than the rest of London. In hot weather it is found
that Hampstead is cooler than any other place in the vicinity, this being
due to the fact that there is always breeze on the hill which keeps the
temperature down, while its elevation also aids radiation. During that
never-to-be-forgotten August of 1911, when 100 degrees were registered
at Greenwich, Hampstead did not registered a higher temperature than
94 degrees, this latter is the highest temperature ever recorded in