We have had extraordinary changes of weather in the North
of England, during the last ten days. For three weeks past, up to the 11th instant, the weather had been all that could have been wished. On that day the wind changed round to the west in the course of the morning, and blew with hurricane violence in many parts of the North of England; stranding ships, unroofing houses in many places, and up- rooting or snapping off near the ground trees that had braved the blast for many a long year. In Northumberland and Cumberland, the wind was so strong as to seriously impede the motions of the coaches both on the railways and on the common roads. On the following evening, there were exhibitions of the aurora borealis ; and a frost took place equal in severity to those of mid-winter. The thermometer suddenly fell several degrees below the point of congelation ; the dahlia and the nasturtium, and all flowers of the same kind, were shrivelled up as if they had been exposed to the action of fire ; and the wall-fruit, not covered up, was almost wholly spoiled, while the leaves of the mul- berry, the ash, &c. were totally destroyed. At daylight on Saturday morning, throughout the Northern counties, ice was found on the still waters nearly an inch thick ; and in some parts of Scotland we learn that the temperature was so low that curling-matches were actually played long after the sun had risen and shone out with more than usual power at this season of the year. In the course of the following night, a heavy rain came on, and fell in torrents in Cumberland, Northumberland, Durham, North Lancashire, and the Western parts of Yorkshire, till Tuesday evening, causing heavy floods, and in many places doing con- siderable damage. Here in Leeds, these extremities of the weather were felt with less severity than further North. Yet we have not escaped the effects of both wind and flood ; and we are sorry to add, that the weather seems broken, and that the latter harvest is likely to suffer. In this neighbourhood, however, the harvest is nearly at an end. Further North there are still large quantities of grain unstacked, and even uncut. In Cumberland and Westmoreland, barley and oats are a fair crop ; the wheat is deficient in quantity, not, (alien as a whole, snore than two .thirds of an average crop, and the quality is far front good. Until next harvest, therefore, grain must needs continue high ; and we fear the coming winter will prove a dyficult one for the poor. In this state of things, our governors and the wealthy have duties to perform, which, even as matters of worldly policy, cannot be safely neglected. The time certainly calls for foresight and strenuous exertions. —Leeds Intel- ligencer.
The Durham Chronicle says that " the late harvest must be greatly damaged, if not destroyed."
The harvest is now almost ended ; and most of the grain, with the exception of beans, has been secured in the barns or the stack-yard. Unfavourable accounts continue to reach us respecting the wheat crop. —Preston Chronicle.
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