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47
frosts being local and unimportant. On the other hand, there was
nothing exceptional in the warmth of the days. For the month,
as a whole, pressure was above the normal over the more Southern
parts of the Kingdom, and considerably below it in the far North;
the winds were mainly in the South-West and North-West
quarters, gales being frequent in the Northern districts ; temperature
was nearly everywhere in excess, and both rainfall and
bright sunshine were rather variable.
May.—The weather during this month was exceedingly variable in
character. For the normally brightest part of the year it was
unusually dull, only the third week being marked by much sunshine.
A singular feature associated with the prevalent dullness
was an intensely dark gloom, of brief duration, which visited the
Metropolis about 10 o'clock in the forenoon of the 27th, and was
accompanied by barometric oscillations of a somewhat unusual
character. Rain was of frequent occurrence, but, as a rule, the individual
amounts were not large. As often happens at this season
the country experienced a touch of winter cold round the 8th, on
which date very low maximum temperatures were recorded. For
the month, as a whole, pressure was below the average ; the winds
were rather variable in direction, and of no great strength ; temperature
was in excess over Eastern England, mostly in defect
elsewhere; rainfall generally was above the normal; and bright
sunshine was decidedly less than usual in nearly all localities.
June.—The weather experienced throughout the United Kingdom
during the month of June was a decided improvement on the very
unsettled, rainy conditions which had prevailed for an unusually
long and continuous period. There was consequently a predominance
of very fine, bright and dry weather, many localities being
rainless for periods of a week or more at a time. During the less
settled parts of the month the rain was mostly in light showers,
heavy and continuous falls being the exception. Thunderstorms
occurred on a few occasions, but they were of a sporadic character,
and of no great violence. For such a fine month there was a