OF 1906 IN HERTFORDSHIRE. 237 



at 21 on the 27th, on which day it exceeded thj-ee- quarters of an 

 inch at 12 of these and an inch at 6 of the 12: 105 in. at 

 Valency House, Eastbury, 1-12 in. at Fanhams Hall, Ware, 

 l"15in. at the London Orphan Asylum, Watford, l'28in. at 

 Broxbourue, l'36in. at Weetwood, Watford, and 155 in. at 

 Easby, Northwood. This fall was caused by a severe thunder- 

 storm in the afternoon, commencing just after one o'clock. 

 At Watford the rain was so heavy that the High Street and 

 some other streets were converted into rivers, the station was 

 flooded, and the Fire Brigade had to be called out to pump the 

 water from the electric light works. In Cassiobury Park three 

 sheep sheltering under a lime-tree were killed by the lightning, 

 and the stone cross on the western end of the old chapel of 

 Cassiobury House was shattered into fragments, which in falling- 

 damaged the roof. Some parts of Rickmansworth also were 

 flooded, and a house there was struck by the lightning and the 

 roof damaged. At Berkhamsted for five minutes during the 

 storm, rain was falling at the mean rate of over an inch an hour. 

 At Weetwood, Watford, the rain commenced at 0'55 p.m., and 

 at 1'50, when the storm ceased, had reached l'32in., being at 

 the rate of 1'44 in. per hour for the whole time. 



August. — Exceedingly warm, with a dry atmosphere, a bright 

 sky, and a very small rainfall on very few days. The days 

 were about twice as much warmer than the average than were 

 the nights, giving, as in July, a great mean daily range of 

 temperature. The weather became somewhat cooler on the 9th 

 and warmer again on the 21st. The air was extremely dry 

 on the 2nd. The 2nd, 8th, 22nd, and 30tli were very warm 

 days, and the 31st was excessively warm, the temperature at 

 St. Albans at 9 a.m. being 80' 1°, and the maximum 92-7°. The 

 coldest night in the month was, however, that of the 29th-30tli. 

 At Berkhamsted the thermometer exposed on the lawn registered 

 within 2° of frost. The range of temperature in the shade at 

 St. Albans on the 31st was very great (38'0°). This was the 

 commencement of a brief hot period which extended into the 

 first few days of September. On only one day after the 17tli was 

 there an appreciable fall of rain. This was the 24th, which had 

 an average throughout the county of about a quarter of an inch. 

 On the 2nd and 16th there were local thunderstorms. The 2nd 

 was the wettest day at one station (Bulboui-ne), the 15th at 

 29 stations, and the 24th at 24. The 13th was the only day on 

 which the rainfall reached half an inch, at 9 stations only. 



September. — Very warm, with an exceedingly dry atmosphere, 

 a sky a little brighter than usual, and a very small rainfall on 

 very few days. The days were abou.t three times as much 

 warmer than the average than were the nights, giving a con- 

 siderable mean daily range of temperature. The early part 

 of the month was very warm, and the first three days were 

 excessively so. The weather became much cooler on the 9th, 

 and on the 11 the exposed thermometer on the lawn at 



VOL. XIII. PART III. 17 



