Abstract of a Register of the Barometer, Thermometer, and Rain, at Lyndon, in Rutland, 1784. By Thomas Barker, Esq. Also of the Rain at South Lambeth, Surrey; And at Selbourn and Fyfield, Hampshire. Communicated by Thomas White, Esq. F.R.S.

XXV. Abstract of a Register of the Barometer, Thermometer, and Rain, at Lyndon, in Rutland, 1784. By Thomas Barker, Esq. Also of the Rain at South Lambeth, Surrey; and at Selbourn and Fyfield, Hampshire. Communicated by Thomas White, Esq. F.R.S. Read June 16, 1785. | Barometer | Thermometer | Rain | |-----------|-------------|------| | | In the House | Abroad | Lyndon | S. Lambeth, Surrey | Selbourn, Hants | | Highest | Lowest | Mean | High | Low | Mean | High | Low | Mean | Inch. | Inch. | Inch. | | Jan. Morn. | 29.96 | 28.49 | 29.34 | 40½ | 28 | 33½ | 40 | 15½ | 27 | 1,877 | 2.54 | 3.18 | | Feb. Morn. | 30.00 | 28.50 | 29.23 | 47½ | 31 | 37 | 52½ | 23 | 36 | 1,225 | 1.49 | 0.77 | | Mar. Morn. | 29.63 | 28.59 | 29.23 | 47½ | 36 | 39½ | 45 | 21 | 32½ | 1,096 | 2.63 | 3.82 | | Apr. Morn. | 29.74 | 28.44 | 29.26 | 50½ | 35½ | 43½ | 51½ | 29 | 38½ | 1,741 | 2.56 | 3.92 | | May Morn. | 29.92 | 29.17 | 29.62 | 66½ | 47 | 57½ | 63 | 41 | 52 | 2,890 | 1.36 | 1.52 | | June Morn. | 29.92 | 28.98 | 29.43 | 62 | 55½ | 58 | 61½ | 48 | 54 | 3,810 | 3.45 | 3.65 | | July Morn. | 29.85 | 28.74 | 29.48 | 69 | 56 | 61 | 66 | 51 | 56 | 5,080 | 2.26 | 2.40 | | Aug. Morn. | 29.92 | 29.04 | 29.56 | 65 | 54 | 59 | 60½ | 42½ | 52 | 2,814 | 2.84 | 3.88 | | Sept. Morn. | 29.90 | 29.01 | 29.55 | 66½ | 53 | 61 | 57 | 39 | 52 | 1,740 | 1.65 | 2.51 | | Oct. Morn. | 30.00 | 28.98 | 29.62 | 71½ | 54 | 63 | 73½ | 51½ | 64 | 0.223 | 0.83 | 0.39 | | Nov. Morn. | 29.85 | 28.75 | 29.38 | 52½ | 42 | 48½ | 45 | 27½ | 39½ | 5,60 | 4.70 | 3 | | Dec. Morn. | 29.75 | 28.15 | 29.26 | 43 | 32½ | 37½ | 40½ | 19 | 32½ | 2,335 | 3.06 | 1 | Inches 27,207 27,21 33,80 Vol. LXXV. The frost, which began at Christmas last year, continued, except a few thawing days, till February 21, and was very severe, and with frequent snow. Some thought it the hardest winter since 1740; but that may be hard to determine. January 1776 seems to have been rather colder than this; but the frost lasted only a month. In 1780 the frost was not out of the ground for nine or ten weeks; but it was not so steady as this. It was certainly one of the mildest winters before Christmas, and one of the severest after it; yet the corn and other plants did not suffer so much as might be feared. After the frost there was some warm, windy, showery weather; but most part of March was frosty mornings, and was often in the shade all day; and at the latter end strong cold winds, with snow and perfect winter; and it did not much mend till near the middle of April. While in January and February most parts of Europe had severe frost, the southern parts of it seem to have had great storms and floods; and, at the breaking of the frost, the flat countries by the sides of the great rivers of Europe suffered much by floods and ice. The latter half of April the weather mended, and things came on gradually, yet with frequent frosty mornings till the first week in May; then, for three weeks, one of the finest and hottest Mays ever known; every thing before was exceeding backward, but now came on at a vast rate; the grass and leaves were remarkably green, a great blossom year, and plenty of fruit. This hot weather brought up thunder, which turned the weather wet near the end of May, and it was wet or showery and cool all June; this brought on the corn again, which was made rather thin by so much heat too early. Near the first two thirds of July was again fine and hot, and being in the height of hay time, a good deal of it was well made; but some of the first cut, and the latter was caught in the wet; for after the 19th it was showery or wet, and the 30th and 31st were, all over Leicestershire, Rutland, and part of Lincolnshire, the greatest flood since July 1736; and it continued wet and cool all August, so that the summer was in general cold, wet, and backward, yet with some very fine fits in it. The harvest began but indifferently; but being late this year, and the weather wet, not much was carried before September, when, in about three weeks calm, hot, and dry weather, yet with vast dews, most of the white corn was well got in this country; but some of the pease, and, where it was earlier and later, some of the white corn was carried damp, for the end of September was again wet. The autumn was various; a dry and fine October, toward the end of it sharp frosty mornings; a showery November, with a sharp frost in the middle, yet often pleasant; and after December 5th, a considerable snow (in some countries it was very great) and a severer frost than is usual before Christmas lasted till into January.