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quiet, mild, and dry weather prevailed during the earlier days.
Then followed an unsettled wet week, heavy falls of rain being
reported almost daily, and from the 7th to 9th gales and very
strong winds from the Westward and North-West ward were
experienced practically all over the country, with temperature,
however, maintaining a high level in most districts. Earth tremors
were experienced at Isleworth on the 9th, and at Oundle on the
11th, on which date an earthquake shock is said to have occurred
at Newbury. For the whole month pressure was everywhere in
excess of the normal ; temperature was nearly everywhere lower
than usual ; rainfall (including melted snow) was less than the
normal at nearly all stations ; and bright sunshine was very
variable in amount.
December.—With the break up of the severe frost at the close of
November the weather over the whole of the United Kingdom
became exceedingly unsettled. In many localities rain fell every
day, and in some places hail, sleet, or snow, was reported at
times. High winds and gales were of frequent occurrence, the
gales of the 5th and 12th being felt very generally. This period
was succeeded by an exceptionally quiet spell, the barometer
rising and the conditions becoming anticyclonic, the winds being
very light and the weather all but rainless. The change to calm
weather was attended by one of the worst fogs of recent years,
lasting into the early part of the last week, and interfering greatly
with the Christmas traffic both by land and sea. There were
occasional frosts locally, but as a rule mildness prevailed. For the
whole month pressure was a little below the normal nearly everywhere
; temperature showed an excess in most places; the winds
were mainly from between South and West ; rainfall was deficientover
the greater part of the country ; and bright sunshine was,
somewhat irregular in its distribution.