It is with pleasure that we include this year abstracts of observations from Irish lighthouses, lightships and tenders, through the courtesy of the Commissioners of Irish Lights. Thanks are also due to the personnel of the lighthouses and lightships who have furnished us with observations through the courtesy of the Elder Brethren of Trinity House, as also to the masters of many merchant and other vessels.
No snowfall throughout the season was noted at Sark (Channel Islands), Fastnet Rock, Roancarraigmore, Balbriggan and Skelligs. The greatest number of snow-days reported was 36 at Rathlin Island East lighthouse, 13 of them in January. The earliest observed snow was on October 20th at South Stack lighthouse, Anglesey, and at Clare Island and Rotten Island lighthouses in Ireland. The latest was on April 23rd at Rathlin Island East lighthouse.
Snowfalls were occasional, sporadic and mostly slight until December 24th, but from December 25th to 31st were rather widely distributed north-east of a line from the Lizard to Lowestoft and locally substantial. Much more general and sometimes heavy in places were the snowfalls of the next two months, particularly during the last week of January, when they extended from the Hebrides to the Channel Islands, and during the period February 9th–14th. March brought little snow until its closing days; the outstanding wind-driven fall of the 29th–30th on the mainland of southern England affected the adjoining sea areas, reaching as far west as Mizen Head (Kerry) and as far south as Caskets lighthouse (Channel Islands). Snow in April was confined to a few scattered showers.
Summary
East Anglian Area. The distribution of days with snowfall during the season is shown on the map (Fig. 2, p. 227). It will be seen that the frequency exceeds 20 days at the Cromer, Dowsing, Newarp and Smith’s Knoll lightships. As in 1950–51, the minimum is found at the Galloper lightship. A region of slightly higher frequency again stretches from the Goodwin to Shipwash, with lower frequencies both shoreward and seaward.
Bristol Channel Area. Fig. 3 (p. 227) indicates the distribution of snow-days in this area, The relatively high frequency at Flatholm lighthouse and Scarweather lightship is in marked contrast with the figures at adjacent stations on either side. Compared with 1450–51 the relative frequencies on Lundy are reversed, but the patch of higher frequency near St. Ann’s Head is maintained.
English Channel. Down channel from the east the season’s frequency of snow-days falls from 9 at the Varne lightship to 6 at the Needles lighthouse, and to only 1 at Portland Bill. Westward it increases again to 3 days at Eddystone, 4 at the Lizard, and then falls off to 2 days at Bishop Rock.
Sea Ice
Bally lighthouse reported sea ice on Sutton Strand, Co. Dublin, for a distance of about 700 yards and a width of from 20 to 40 yards to seaward on January 27th.
D.L.C.
