34 J. HOPKESrSON BEPOET OJT THE 



than 14 consecutive days without any rain, and a " partial 

 drought " is a period of more than 28 consecutive days with an 

 aggregate rainfall not exceeding 0"01 in. per diem. The great 

 dryness of the spring of 1893 will be best brought out by an 

 analysis of such droughts which have occurred in it at the 33 

 stations for which we have daily records of the rainfall. 



Of absolute droughts there were three: (1) in March and April, 

 (2) in May, (3) in June. The first of these was an absolute 

 di'ought at all stations, lasting for 



31 days, March 17 to April 16, at 2 stations. 



30 ,, ,, 17 ,, ,, 15, ,, 19 ,, 



29 ,, ,, 18 ,, ,, 15, ,, 10 ,, 



24 ;> ii 23 ,, ,, 15, ,, 2 ,, 



The two stations at which rain is not recorded to have fallen 

 on the 1 6th of April are Cowroast and Welwyn Rectory ; rain 

 (O'Ol in.) fell on the 2'2nd of March at Odsey and Ecnnington 

 House, reducing the length of the drought at those stations to 24 

 days. The average duration of this drought was 29^ days. 



The second absolute drought lasted for 



16 days, April 30 to May 15, at 1 station. 



15 ,, ,, 30 ,, ,, 14, ,, 6 stations. 



The third lasted for 



16 days, June 6 to June 21, at 1 station. 

 1^ !) )) 6 ,, ,, 20, ,, 1 ,, 



15 ,, ,, 7 ,, ,, 21, ,, 3 stations 



The Old J^urseries, Cheshunt, is the station at which no rain fell 

 on the 1 5th of May ; Frogmore, Watford, is that at which none fell 

 from the 6th to the 2 1st of June. 



A partial drought extended throughout the months of March 

 and April and through the greater part of May, its duration being 

 from about eleven to thirteen weeks. It prevailed at all the 

 stations, and lasted for 



89 days, March 1 to May 28, at 3 stations. 



^^ )> )) 2 ,, ,, 28, ,, 3 ,, 



78 „ Feb. 28 „ „ 16, „ 10 „ 



77 ,, March 1 ,, ,, 16, ,, 8 ,, 



"6 „ ,, 2 ,, ,, 16, ,, 9 ,, 



The difference of ten days or more in the duration of the 

 partial drought at the different stations is chiefly due to the varia- 

 tion in the fall of rain during a thunderstorm which occiirred on 

 the 17th of May. The average rainfall on this day at the six 

 stations with a partial drought of 88 or 89 days was 0-30 in. ; at 

 the twenty-seven stations with a partial drought of 76 to 78 days 

 it was 0-47 in. The stations at which the partial drought lasted 

 for 89 days are Eoyston, Odsey, and New Barnet ; those at which 

 it lasted for 88 days are Therfield, Much Hadham, and Bay ford- 

 bury, Hertford. Its average duration was 79 days. 



