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VOL. 46. No. I. ISSUED AUTHORITY Annual Subscription, including
BY THE OF THE METEOROLOGICAL COMMITTEE.
Annual Summary and Introduc-
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JANUARY, 1929: Very cold with a decided deficiency of precipitation. Dull In central and eastern districts of Great Britain.
The weather durinI the month was, the highest
()t whole, quiet, very cold 3kt, the temperature occurring in some places on the 19th,
mainly dry with a conspicuous
and paucity of westerly and south- but in most places (luring the last few days of the month. Apart from
winds. Apart from a few days of moderate temperature brief intervals
westerly about these weather, temperature
of mild remained at a low
the 10th in western districts and in all districts the 19th 20th level in several in central districts England failed
on and and and eastern to
and mild conditions during the last few days, temperature in most rise above the freezing point on the 5th, 6th, 7th and 16th. At Leafield
districts remained below 40 F. by day
frequently by fell
night and the temperature remained at or below 32 F. from the 5th to the 9th
below freezing point. Precipitation, in the form
well often of sleet or inclusive. Frost occurred frequently during the month, some unusually
frequently. 5ut from rain 9th low readings
snow, occurred apart much on the and in the grass being recorded
on several nights. The following
in the on the 22nd during the last four days
south-west and of the were amongst the lowest
temperatures recorded on the morning of the
month, amounts were generally slight and except in the date F. in the screen Ist and 9 F. in the screen
north-east given : -7 on the on
and England totals for the below
east of month were the normal. the 2nd and 4th at Markree, 21 F. in the screen and 8 F. on the grass
Unshine aggregates were about or above the in districts Birr ist, 17 F. in the 14` F. on
normal western at on the screen and the grass at
but in the central and eastern districts of Great Britain Renfrew 1 1 F. on the
were markedly on the 2nd, 23' F. in the screen and grass at
below the Birr 19 F. in 13 F. on the grass
normal. on the 7th, the screen and at South
During the first five days of January, the Farnborough 13th, 25 F. in 15 F. on
weather was quiet and on the the screen and the grass
little Good
cold with precipitation and varying amounts of cloud. at Richmond on the (Surrey)
17th, 17 F. in the screen and 9 F. on
obtained during the first three days. At Renfrew
sunshine records were the grass at Aberdeen on the l8th, 15 F. in the screen and 5 F. on
the temperature below freezing fog
remained point and persisted the grass at Eskdalemuir on the
28th.
enntinnously during the first four days Snow
The for
nnri CIPPt nrrnrrrut extreme temperatures the month were : -England and
I period
locally during the 3rd to 7th, but the amounts Wales, 63' F. at Aber (Bangor) 12 F. at Castleton,
measured were on the 30th and
From the 5th to the 9th, temperature low in the Yorks, 27th Scotland, 55 F. at Fort Augustus Inverness
small. was very on the and
districts of England, day on the 30th Gordon Castle
more southerly temperatures
not exceeding and at Achnashellach and on the 31st and
32 F. for days Braemar Glasnevin
several at some stations and remaining at or below 3 F. at on the 4th. Ireland. 62 F. at (Dublin)
freezing point at Leafield for as many as five consecutive days. Vide- on the 30th, and 7 F. at Markree Castle on the ist.

spread fog occurred from the 8th to the 10th. There light falls Precipitation. the British Isles,

were -The general precipitation over

locally, but on the 9th, a depression for
of snow associated with to the expressed as a percentage of the normal the period
1881-1915,
of the British Isles,
became for the constituent
west precipitation general over the whole was 63 ; the values countries were : -England and
being mostly in the form of snow or sleet in the and Wales 71, Scotland 49, Ireland 57. Thus in contrast to January, 1928.
country, north
There was a temporary rise in temperature, in the when the general over the British Isles just exceeded
east. moderate precipitation
south and west and in Scotland and very slight in eastern England. twice the normal, January, 1929, was relatively dry. A smaller fall
On the 11th an anticyclone to the north of Scotland maintained cloudy than that of 1929
occurred only has of in the Januaries 1880,1881,
to fair weather with wintry showers on the 1 1th and 12th. Meanwhile 1896,1907, and 1911 when the general falls were 37,44,53,60 and
the anticyclone moved to the west of the British Isles as secondaries to 60 per cent. respectively. The outstanding feature of the distribution
a deep depression Finland
over moved southwards over the North Sea of the rainfall of January, 1929, as a percentage of the normal, was the
and in consequence northerly winds with rain or sleet and snow prevailed gradient from east to west, associated with an unusual frequency of
from the 15th to 17th. Snow lying to a depth less frequent There
widely of 3 or 4 inches northerly and westerly winds. was rather more
from Marchmont on the 15th 16th of England and less than
was reported and and from Durham than the normal rainfall along the east coast
on the 16th and in parts of the north-east of Scotland the depth of snow 50 per over cent.
most of the western half of Great Britain and of
ranged from eight to twelve inches. Ireland, 25 per cent. in the wester Highlands of Scotland
with only about
During this time conditions were much milder in the west, where the and in the north-west of Ireland. The rainfall was most remarkable
50 F. On of 1881.
temperature rose above the 18th these milder conditions in Scotland where the month was the driest January since that

spread over the rest of the country and the 19th and 20th were mild, At Ardross Castle, in eastern Ross-shire, January, 1929, with 25 mm.
days, with over 7 hours bright sunshine at many places and over the driest January before 1870. Elsewhere, over the British
sunny was since
in the Channel Islands. On the 21st Isles, the Januaries the driest
8 hours there was a return cold to of 1880 and 1881 were most often on record.
in eastern and central districts but in the the Apart widespread from precipitation on the 9th, mostly in the
conditions south-west
continued mild with much rain on the 22nd. Meanwhile, form of snow or sleet in the north and east, and some heavy rain in
weather
from an anticyclone to the north of the British Isles a ridge of high the south-west on the 22nd, precipitation was unimportant up to the
began to extend southwards and with northerly winds the 27th rain fell daily, heavy falls occurring locally. Amongst
pressure after which
fall in temperature had spread to almost districts by the 23rd. the daily largest measurements 38 mm. at Ardtornish and 37 mm.
all were
Some wintry precipitation occurred in most districts but at Glenhranter on the 9th and 48 mm. at l'rincetown and 41 nun. at
good sunshine
were obtained from the 24th to 27th. Fog was again widespread Dean Prior on the 31st.

records
from the 20th to 23rd. A deep depression on the Atlantic brought Precipitation occurred frequently in the form of snow, particularly

and in 29th temperature during the 5th to 9th the 16th 27th. Up to

warm southerly winds a marked rise on the period and about and
and during the remainder of the month the weather was dull and 6 inches of snow fell in parts of Scotland on the 9th. Further snow,
frequent rain. northerly winds and some drifting, occurred in the north-
mild with with strong
pressure and Winds. -An abnormal feature of the pressure distribu- east counties of Scotland from the 15th to 17th. amounts ranging up to
tion was the pronounced excess of pressure in the north of Scotland. twelve inches. Owing to the melting of snow on high ground, flooding
Conditions were mainly anticyclonic from the Ist to the 29th in in East Lothian southern and parts of Scotland on the 29th.
and occurred
for the month in general
all districts the mean pressure was markedly above the Sunshine.
-Sunshine aggregates were above the normal
normal ; in the extreme north of Scotland the excess exceeded 16 in the north and west of Scotland and in the western districts of England
and in the extreme south of the British Isles amounted to Wales Ireland, and below the elsewhere. Repre-
millibars and and normal
7 or 8 millibars- There for Districts,
was a conspicuous paucity of westerly and south- sentative totals expressed as a percentage of the normal
winds. Northerly and easterly winds occurred with considerable for the 1881 to 1915, from 140 in Scotland N. to 64 in
westerly period ranged
frequency. Wind force was mostly light to moderate and there the Midland Counties. The during the first
was an sunniest periods occurred
almost complete absence of gales. At Southport the month was the three days of the month, on the 12th, 13th, 16th, 19th, 20th and from
least westerly January in 58 years. 24th to 27th. There days
calmest and the were many on which no sunshine was
Temperature. 1929 was remarkable for its persistent in those districts the aggregates for the month
-January, and recorded even where
pronounced coldness ; in all districts the mean temperature was below exceeded the normal ; Stornoway with a total of 20 hours above the
the normal, notably in the north and west of Scotland and in southern had 14 sunless days. There 22 sunless days at Croydon
normal were
England. The month was the first January since 1922 in which the 20 at Renfrew, 19 at Gorleston, 17 at Liverpool and 15 at Birr. No
below the normal in any district
niean temperature was and the first sunshine was recorded on twelve consecutive days at
Renfrew (1st to
cold January since 1917. 12th) Croydon (4th to 15th).

really and at
The month was the coldest January at Richmond
(Surrey) 1895. Fog. fog during the in and
since -Much occurred month, particularly
At Eastbourne the
mean maximum temperature was the lowest large centres. Fog was in
since around most cities and manufacturing
1917 and the mean minimum temperature the lowest since 1895. At during the periods 8th to 10th, 20th to 23rd
general most widespread
Halstead (Essex) the mean minimum temperature the lowest, 28th to 31st.
was with and
one exception, since observations ccmmenced therein 1893. At Copdock Miscellaneous Phenomena. was observed at Baltasound on
-Aurora
the was the coldest January for 27 5th, Gordon Castle 2nd, 3rd 5th
month years. the 4th and at on the and and at
Mild conditions prevailed temporarily about the loth in western Fort Augustus Stornoway the 5th. There an
auroral glow
and on was
districts and generally on the 19th and 20th from the 28th to the Eskdalemuir the 30th.

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