Abstract of a Register of the Barometer, Thermometer, and Rain, at Lyndon, in Rutland, 1780. By Thomas Barker, Esquire

XXI. Abstract of a Register of the Barometer, Thermometer, and Rain, at Lyndon, in Rutland, 1780. By Thomas Barker, Esquire. Read May 3, 1781. | | Barometer | Thermometer | Rain | Mean rain | |-------|-----------|-------------|------|-----------| | | Highest | Lowest | Mean | Highest | Lowest | Mean | Highest | Lowest | Mean | 10 yrs. | 44 yrs. | | Jan. | Morn. | 29.89 | 28.16 | 29.39 | 39 | 28 | 34 | 36\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 15\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 27 | 1,013 | 1,677 | 1,573 | | | Aftern. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Feb. | Morn. | 30.06 | 28.72 | 29.49 | 44\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 34 | 38 | 46 | 39\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 39 | 1,572 | 1,871 | 1,378 | | | Aftern. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Mar. | Morn. | 29.94 | 28.99 | 29.47 | 51\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 41\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 46 | 49 | 30 | 40 | 1,175 | 1,355 | 1,315 | | | Aftern. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Apr. | Morn. | 29.77 | 28.40 | 29.21 | 53 | 40 | 49 | 52 | 29\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 38 | 2,727 | 1,314 | 1,465 | | | Aftern. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | May | Morn. | 29.83 | 28.80 | 29.48 | 67 | 51 | 55 | 65 | 40\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 50\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 53 | 1,201 | 2,081 | 1,610 | | | Aftern. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | June | Morn. | 29.89 | 29.26 | 29.55 | 65\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 52 | 57\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 62\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 43 | 53\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 1,920 | 2,374 | 2,249 | | | Aftern. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | July | Morn. | 29.87 | 29.21 | 29.61 | 69\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 59 | 63 | 65 | 51\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 57\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 64 | 1,566 | 2,507 | 2,516 | | | Aftern. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Aug. | Morn. | 29.81 | 29.43 | 29.65 | 68 | 61\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 64 | 63 | 52 | 58 | 0,432 | 2,468 | 2,247 | | | Aftern. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Sept. | Morn. | 29.79 | 28.70 | 29.38 | 70 | 53 | 61 | 61 | 43 | 52 | 3,427 | 3,142 | 2,016 | | | Aftern. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Oct. | Morn. | 29.87 | 28.20 | 29.23 | 59 | 48 | 52 | 64 | 45\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 53 | 3,580 | 2,975 | 2,158 | | | Aftern. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Nov. | Morn. | 30.00 | 28.62 | 29.41 | 50 | 38\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 43 | 48\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 19\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 36 | 1,461 | 2,372 | 1,943 | | | Aftern. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Dec. | Morn. | 30.08 | 29.22 | 29.83 | 45 | 35 | 40 | 46\(\frac{1}{2}\) | 26 | 35 | 0,534 | 1,889 | 1,740 | | | Aftern. | | | | | | | | | | | | | A a a 2 The three driest seasons from one month to twelve are the same as in vol. LXI. except the following. | Months | Feb. and Mar. 79 | Jan. and Feb. 79 | |--------|------------------|------------------| | 2 | 0,370 | 0,451 | | 3 | 0,582 | 0,934 | | 7 | Dec. 42—Feb. 43 | Jan.—Mar. 40 | | 10 | O&. 40—July 41 | O&. 39—Apr. 40 | | 12 | Sept. 40—Aug. 41 | 13,427 | The three wettest seasons from one month to twelve are entirely different from those in vol. LXI. | Months | Sept. 74 | Nov. 70 | May 73 | |--------|----------|---------|--------| | 1 | 8,000 | 7,818 | 6,843 | | 2 | Aug. and Sept. 74 | Oct. and Nov. 70 | Aug. and Sept. 75 | | 3 | July—Sept. 74 | July—Sept. 75 | Oct.—Dec. 70 | | 4 | July—Oct. 75 | June—Sept. 74 | Oct. 70—Jan. 71 | | 5 | July—Nov. 75 | May—Sept. 74 | Aug.—Dec. 70 | | 6 | July—Dec. 75 | April—Sept. 74 | Jun.—Nov. 70 | | 7 | July 75—Jan. 76 | Mar.—Sept. 74 | July 63—Jan. 64 | | 8 | July 75—Feb. 76 | Feb.—Sept. 74 | May—Dec. 73 | | 9 | Jan.—Sept. 74 | July 75—Mar. 76 | May 73—Jan. 74 | | 10 | Dec. 73—Sept. 74 | May 73—Feb. 74 | July 75—April 76 | | 11 | Nov. 73—Sept. 74 | May 73—Mar. 74 | July 75—May 76 | | 12 | Oct. 73—Sept. 74 | May 73—April 74 | May 75—April 76 | The year began with frost, and was perhaps the severest winter since 1740, but there was not a great deal of snow, and in general it was calm. The frost was not so steady as it was that winter, there being several breaks in it; but was very sharp, and the ice was never entirely gone for nine or ten weeks together from December 22, till near the end of February, when it went away without wet, leaving the ground remarkably light and fine, and the weather grew mild, and continued so most part of March; but the coldness of the ground hindered the grass from growing greatly till toward the end of the time. The feed- time was fine and good, and the grain came up very well, but the first three weeks of April were cold, backening, and often frosty. Toward the end it was more showery, warmer and growing, and from that time the spring continued to come on, and there were so few N.E. winds that ships found a difficulty in getting down the channel, which is very unusual at that time of year, and all the spring from the end of February till toward the end of June was very windy, chiefly N.W. and S.W. In the former part of summer there were at times very hot days; but the season was oftener cool; many little showers, which in some countries were so small there was want of rain and grass, here we did pretty well. The hay-time was fine, but the crop small. The harvest was exceedingly well got: the barley and oats good, and some of the wheat; but the late-sown was thin through the severe winter, and in several places the wheat was mildewed, which could not be by wet such a year as this; but by this means wheat became three times the price of barley, being 50 and 52 shillings a quarter, and barley 16 or 17 shillings. From the latter part of July to the beginning of September it was very dry, hot, and burning; much scorching sun, the ground very much burnt up, and great want of water; but the N.E. winds, which came at this time of year instead of the spring, were sometimes fresh and cool. The beginning of September the rains began, and for above two months there was a good deal, with such fine and warm weather, that there was good grass, a pleasant autumn, and very few frosty mornings, and the ground, which before was so dry, did not get much dirty with it. The wheat feed-time was fine, and the weather mild till the middle of November, when when a hard frost, with snow, made people think of a hard winter; but it grew mild again, was chiefly dark and cloudy, but little rain, and drying a good deal of December; remarkably calm, but near a week's frost about Christmas. The sickly seasons, which began in August 1779, continued more or less all the year; and about the same time of the year increased again. There were great numbers of fevers and agues, especially in and near the fens, which were very obstinate, and did not yield to the usual medicines, but frequently returned again, and hung very long on the patients.