44 J. HOPKINSON THE WEATHER 



The rainfall in Hertfordshire continues to be in excess of that 

 of the adjoining counties, and in 1905 did not only exceed their 

 average but was greater than that of any one of them. In 

 previous reports the mean rainfall at certain selected stations 

 only has been given for comparison. For 1905 it has been 

 computed from all the stations in ' British Rainfall.' The 

 result is as follows: — Cambridgeshire (50 stations), 19"59 ins. ; 

 Bedfordshire (23 stations), 20"47 ins. ; Buckinghamshire (32 

 stations), 2206 ins. ; Middlesex, excluding London (49 stations), 

 22"26 ins. ; and Essex (88 stations), 19"52 ins. The mean 

 rainfall at all the stations (242) is 2068 ins. Hertfordshire, 

 with a mean rainfall (at 51 stations) of 2349 ins., shows an 

 excess over the average rainfall in the adjoining counties of nearly 

 3 inches in amount, and of 16 per cent, in proportion. 



Two meteorological events in the year call for special notice, 

 a hurricane at St. Albans, and elsewhere, but very locally, in the 

 South of England, on Wednesday the 15th of March, and the 

 thunderstorms which raged all over the county, and in fact 

 extended all over the kingdom, on Sunday the 9th of July. 



The wind was unusually high during the night of the 

 14th-15th March, and in the morning there were occasional 

 thunderstorms. At about 1.45 p.m., after a loud peal of 

 thunder, and when hail was falling, the gale increased to the 

 force of a hurricane and did much damage in various parts of 

 St. Albans, stripping slates and tiles off roofs, blowing down 

 walls, ripping up fences, lifting up and carrying away carts, and 

 demolishing a large temporary cartshed, its heavy timbers being 

 hurled against the rear of some cottages, the windows and 

 window-frames of which they drove in. For a full account of 

 the damage done, reference should be made to the ' Herts 

 Advertiser ' of the 18th of March. 



Taking, in the usual order, the localities in our county where 

 damage was done by the thunderstorm, or series of thunderstorms, 

 on the 9tli of July, they are as follows : — 



In the north of the county, at Hitchin, where the storm came 

 on in the afternoon, a stone cross on St. Saviour's church was 

 thrown on to the roof of the vestry, damaging it, a horse and 

 a cow were killed, and the wheat crop was badly beaten down. 



At Kensworth several trees were struck by the lightning. 

 At Hemel Hempstead a bullock in Gradebridge Park was killed 

 and a tree was struck. At St. Albans and Harpenden the storm 

 appears to have been at its height between 12.30 and 1 p.m., and 

 severe up to 2, continuing until between 5 and 6. At Watford 

 it began at 12 noon, was at its height by 12.15, ceased for a time 

 about 1, soon recommenced, and finally ceased about 5. Two 

 hovises in Callow Laud were struck and damaged, and two larch- 

 trees near each other at Russells. One of these is depicted on 

 Plate I. It will be seen that a narrow strip of bark has been 

 removed from nearly the top of the tree to the bottom. It was 

 cut out as cleanly as if it had been done with a broad chisel. 



