116 



J. HOPKINSON EEPOET Olif THE 



The mean rainfall in each of the minor river-basins or sub- 

 districts represented, was as follows : — 



mi?. 



Cam Rhee 23-36 



IvEL Hiz 26-86 



Thamk Upper Thame 27*11 



^Bulbourne 26-36 



Gade 27-15 



Ver 26-64 



Lower Colne 24-03 



COLNE . 



Lea. 



ins. 



r Mimram 24-03 



Beane 25-62 



Rib 24-43 



.^ Ash 22-74 



Stort 23-77 



Upper Lea 21-38 



^ Lower Lea 22-02 



The total yearly fall ranged from 20*75 inches at Fanhams Hall, 

 Ware, to 29-86 ins. at Kensworth.; and the total monthly fall from 

 0-06 inch at J^ash Mills in February, to 6-08 ins. at Moor Park in 

 July. The greatest fall in any one day was 1-84 in. at Moor Park 

 on the 19th of July. 



Distribution of Haiti/all in each Month. — The nomenclature used 

 in the following account of the chief falls of rain is the same as in 

 my previous reports, falls of at least ^ inch being styled consider- 

 ahle, f inch very considerable, 1 inch great, \^ inch very great, 

 \-\ inch heavy, and \^ inch very heavy. There was no excessive 

 (2 inches) fall in the year. This analysis only applies to the 

 thirty-three stations for which I have returns of the daily rainfall. 



Janca.iit. — Rainfall a little above the average and on a large 

 number of days, in the form of snow except for a few days about 

 the middle of the month. The 19th was a very wet day at all 

 stations, the fall being considerable at nine, very considerable at 

 twenty-two, and great at Kensworth (1*06 in.) and Moor Park 

 (1-07 in.). 



Febetjart. — An excessively dry month, with rain or snow on very 

 few days. There was no considerable fall at any station. 



Maech. — Rainfall a little above the average and on a rather 

 large number of days. Snow fell only on a few days at the 

 beginning of the month. There was a considerable fall of rain at 

 five stations on the 27th. 



Apeil. — A rather dry month, with rain on the usual number of 

 days. There was a considerable fall at eleven stations on the 25th. 



Mat. — A very dry month, with rain on very few days. There 

 was a slight fall of snow early on the morning of the 17th. On the 

 12th the fall of rain was considerable at one station; on the l7th it 

 was considerable at one ; on the 23rd it was considerable at two 

 (from a thunderstorm) ; and on the 30th it was considerable at one 

 (High Down, Hitchin). This, also, was due to a thimderstorm 

 which passed over the north of the county and was most severe just 

 beyond our borders, in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. At 

 Pirton, a village a little to the north of High Down, Hitchin, 

 a wheat-stack was struck by the lightning and set on fire, and five 

 men who were sheltering under it were struck, one of them being 

 killed on the spot and another very seriously injured. Almost 

 immediately afterwards a cottage in Pirton was struck, and, with 

 thi'ee others adjoining it, burned to the ground. Rain fell in 



