Abstract
THE Meteorological Office pilot chart for September contains very interesting information relating to the temperature of the sea water round the coasts of the United Kingdom in the month of June last. Over nearly the whole of the Atlantic between the 30th and 50th parallels the temperature for the month was below the average, in many places the deficiency amounting to 50 and upwards. This fact is clearly shown on the general chart, but two small charts have been added to illustrate a remarkable change experienced close inshore. Daily records at a large number of coastguard stations and lightships disclose the prevalence of very cold water during a considerable part of the month, and a rapid increase of warmth towards the close. The extra sketches exhibit the mean results for June 1 to 24 and June 25 to 30 respectively. Along the western and southern coasts, many of the minimum values during the cold period were as low as 48° to 52°, the lowest in several places occurring as late as the 15th of the month. Off Eastbourne, 54° on the 8th and 9th was the lowest June record in nineteen years. On the east of Britain and west of Scotland the minima were from 42° to 48°. Before the end of the month the west and south coasts were generally above 60°, and the east and north 55° to 60° and upwards. Up the north-western shores the temperatures were higher than in any other neighbourhood, the maxima being registered on the 28th or 29th as a rule. Storno-way and Sea field touched 66°, Ballyglass 67°, Liscannor 68°, Teelin Head 70°, and Blacksod Point 72°. Even the Orkneys reached 60°, while Eastbourne did not pass 62°. Confirmation of these very high readings in the north-west is afforded by the records of ships well out in the offing, the observations in about 551° N., 11½ W., showing 500 on the 1st and 65° on the 29th.
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Sea Temperature Variations on the British Coasts . Nature 66, 452–453 (1902). https://doi.org/10.1038/066452b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/066452b0