Abstract
CEVERAL features of especial interest were associated with the recent cold spell of weather experienced over the central and southern, parts of western Europe. It is common enough in January for lower temperatures to prevail over Germany than in England, but in the coastal regions of the south of France the normal temperatures at this season of the year are warmer than in the British Isles. The temperatures taken from the Daily Weather Report of the Meteoro. logical Office show that for the twelve days January 12-23, which approximately comprise the cold spell, the mean temperature in London was 340, the mean of the maxima being 36°, and of the minima,32°. At Biarritz the mean for the whole period was 33.5°, the mean of the maxima 38°, and the mean of the minima 29°; nine nights out of the twelve were colder than in London; the lowest temperatures were 21° on January 16, and 22° on January 15, whilst in London the lowest temperature in the twelve days was 24° on January 23. The mean temperature at Perpignan for the period was 34.5°, the mean of the maxima 40°, and of the minima 29°, the latter being 3° colder than in London, and nine nights had lower minima; the lowest readings were 22° on January 20 and 22. At Nice the mean was 40.5°, the mean of the maxima 47°, and of the minima 34°; frost occurred on the three consecutive nights, January 14-16. Paris had the mean temperature 24.5°, the mean of the maxima 30°, and the mean of the minima 19°; January 20 was the only day with the maximum above the freezing point. Much snow also occurred with the cold in parts of France. The cold spell was due to a region of high barometer readings, which maintained a position between the British Isles, Denmark, and the north of Germany, and caused a flow of air over Germany and France from the colder regions of Russia. The Daily Weather Report on January 23 shows that at 7 a.m. the temperature was 50° at Seydisfjord in Iceland, which was the same as at Lisbon, and with this exception was warmer than any other station given for western Europe. Seydisfjord was 25° warmer than London, 36° warmer than Paris, and 14° warmer than Nice. The southerly current of air which caused the anomaly was doubtless associated with the same disturbance which occasioned the rapid rise of temperature and thaw over the British Isles.
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Recent Temperatures in Europe . Nature 92, 617 (1914). https://doi.org/10.1038/092617a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/092617a0