228 J. HOPKINSON — THE CLIMATE OF ST. ALBAKS. 



The least fall of rain in any season was 1-61 in. in the spring of 

 1893, the least in- any month was 0-05 in. in February, 1888; the 

 greatest fall of rain in any season was 11*14 ins. in the autumn of 

 1896, the greatest in any month was 6-69 ins. in September, 1896 ; 

 the greatest fall in any day (of 24 hours ending 9 a.m. on the 

 following day) was 2-95 ins. on the r2th of July, 1889. 



Falls of rain exceeding one inch in 24 hours have occurred on 

 eighteen occasions, averaging 1'47 inch each fall. 



Absolute droughts (periods of more than fourteen consecutive 

 days without rain) have occurred on ten occasions, their average 

 duration being 20 days. The longest was 29 days, from 18th 

 March to 15th April, 1893; the next in duration was 27 days, 

 from 7th June to 3rd July, 1887. 



^Exceptional Phenomena. — Only a few of the more remarkable 

 meteorological phenomena which have occun'ed at St, Albans are 

 here enumerated, in chronological order. The references are to 

 my accounts of the phenomena in the Society's ' Transactions.' 



The year 1887 was very dry, the rainfall being 26 per cent, 

 below the average for the ten years. In 1888 there fell in nine 

 hours in the night of 26th-27th June, 2*40 inches of rain, being 

 at the rate of 0-27 inch per hour. In 1889 there fell on 12th July. 

 2-95 inches of rain, and on the following day 0-23 inch, making 

 3*18 inches in two days. The great frost of 1890-91 lasted for 

 the eight weeks fi'om 26th November to 20th January, the mean 

 temperature during this period being 29°-3, or 2°-7 below freezing- 

 point (VI, 172). In February, 1891, only 0-05 inch of rain fell. 

 In 1892 the minimum shade temperature on 7th May was 2°-9 

 below freezing-point; there was a white frost on 15th June and 

 18th September; and on 24th October the minimum shade 

 temperature was 5°-5 below freezing-point. There was a severe 

 thunderstorm on the night of 28th-29th June (VII, 180, 212). 

 The year 1893 was exceptionally warm, and had several very 

 severe thunderstorms in July, August, and November; a violent 

 gale and heavy snowstorm on 1 8th November ; and a still more 

 furious gale, which did much damage, on 12th December (VIII, 

 41-44, 63-64). In 1894 there were 8-33 inches of rain in October 

 and November together, causing serious floods (VIII, 141-146). 

 In 1895 occurred the great frost of ten weeks' duration which 

 did so much damage to water-pipes, and, by their leaky condition 

 during the dry weather which succeeded it in the spring, helped 

 to cause the water-famine in the east of London. The frost was 

 most severe between 26th January and 14th February (IX, 88, 89). 

 In March occurred a gale which blew clown many trees (VIII, 

 199-202). September was exceedingly warm (IX, 91). In 1896 

 September was excessively wet, 6-69 inches of rain falling, and 

 in October 3 46 inches, more than half as much rain thus falling 

 in two months as fell in the whole of the year 1887. 



