OF 1905 IN HERTFORDSHIRE. 45 



I did not hear of it for some months afterwards, and had no 

 opportunity of taking the photograph in a favourable light until 

 the following spring, when the whiteness of the surface of the 

 wood exposed under the bark had toned down. Mr. Lewis Evans, 

 on whose estate the tree stands, informs me that he saw it struck 

 at about 12.30, when sheltering in a greenhouse near it. The 

 Chapel at St. Margaret's School, Bushey, was set on fire ; after 

 some damage had been done the fire was extinguished by the 

 Bushey Fire Brigade. Many trees were struck in the neighbour- 

 hood of Elstree, from Hillfield Park to Shenley and Aldenham, 

 and one, a willow, on the island in the Reservoir. 



In the east of the county the whole of the district between 

 Bishop's Stortford and Waltham Cross suffered severely, trees 

 and houses being struck and much damage being done to the 

 wheat and oat crops. A pig, a few cows, and some sheep were 

 killed. At Bengeo an oak was split from the inside and the 

 bark entirely stripped from the trunk. Roads were converted 

 into rivers. 



Notes on the Months. 



January. — The weather was mild, with a dry atmosphere, 

 a bright sky, and a small rainfall, Imt of frequent occurrence. 

 The excess in the temperature was chiefly due to the warmth of 

 the days, the mean daily range being considerable. The minmimii 

 temperature was below 32° on rather more than half the nights 

 in the month, and at St. Albans on the 16th the temperature was 

 below 22° at 9 a.m. That was the wettest day at all stations, 

 and at 33 the rainfall was at least half an inch. A little snow 

 fell on the 1st, 2nd, and 16th. The total rainfall (including 

 snow) was a little more than half the average. 



February. — The weather was very mild, with a dry atmosphere, 

 a bright sky, and a small rainfall, but of frequent occiu-rence. 

 Both days and nights were warm, the nights especially so for 

 the month, the mean daily range of temperature being small. 

 On but few nights did the minimiun sink below 32°. The 20th 

 was the wettest day at 5 stations, the 26tli at 46, at 4 of which, 

 in the Lower Lea district, the rainfall reached half an inch. 

 Snow fell on the 12th, 21st, 23rd, and 26th to 28th. The total 

 rainfall (including snow) was a little more than half the average. 



March. — The weather was again mild, but the air was rather 

 moist for the month, the sky cloudy, and the rainfall heavy and 

 of very frequent occurrence. The excess of temperature was 

 nearly twice as much due to the warmth of the nights as to that 

 of the days, the mean daily range being small. The minimum 

 was below 32° on three of tlie first four days in the month only. 

 A little snow fell on the 1st, with rain, and up to the 18th or 

 19th rain fell every day but one or two. The rainfall reached at 

 least half an inch on three days, on the 10th at 18 stations, on 

 the 13th at 8, and on the 15th, with thunderstorms and hail, at 

 21. The total fall was nearly double the average. 



