TAKEN AT ST. ALBANS IN 1894. 1G7 



July. — Of average temperature, with a rather large daily range, 

 an atmosphere of average humidity and rather low pressure, a 

 rather cloudy sky, and about the average rainfall, but on a large 

 nundicr of days. Coldest day 23rd, mean 56°'2 ; warmest day 1st, 

 mean 69°-7. Min. below 52° on 8 days; max. above 62° every 

 day but one (2.3rd), above 72° on 9 days. The first week and the 

 last week were very warm, the mean temperature of the first seven 

 days being 65°-8, and that of the last seven days 62°-9, while the 

 intermediate period of seventeen days had a mean temperature of 

 only 58°-4. An ahsohde drought of 15 days terminated on 5th, 

 after which rain fell on nineteen consecutive days, 6th to 24th, 

 to the amount of 2 J- inches. The only other fall of rain during 

 the month was 0*28 inch on the 29th. There was a thunderstorm 

 on the evening of the 6th, and another on the afternoon of the 

 14th, when nearly a quarter of an inch of rain fell in half an hour 

 (2 to 2.30). A double rainbow was observed on the 7th, lasting 

 fi'om about 7.45 to 8 p.m. As usual, the colours in the larger arc 

 were fainter than in the smaller one, and in reversed succession. 

 On the 29th, between 1.55 and 2 p.m., Miss E. A. Ormerod 

 observed at Torrington House, St. Albans, "a mass of very much 

 broken cloud behaving most peculiarly. . . The chief part was 

 floating from east to west, but several straggling masses at the 

 highest point, or pieces of neighbouring cloud, became detached, 

 or rather turned back in the contrary direction, and the two bodies, 

 or fragments of clouds, crossed each other. In about a minute the 

 air in the valley was full of dust, the wind bringing it up, with 

 a quantity of smoke also, and by about two o'clock the curling cloud 

 was dispersed. It did not fall as rain, nor did it float on, but 

 appeared as if it were simply blown to pieces." "While Miss 

 Ormerod was making these observations in the valley, a miniature 

 whirlwind was observed on the hill above, at The Grange, the 

 air being suddenly filled with particles of dust whirling rapidly 

 round and round. At about the same time there were thunder- 

 storms, with heavy rain, in several parts of the Midland counties. 



August. — A rather cold month, with a very small daily range 

 of temperature, an atmosphere of average humidity and pressure, 

 a rather bright sky, and a very heavy rainfall on a large number 

 of days. Coldest day 17th, mean 53°-7 ; warmest day 14th, mean 

 64°*7. Min. below 52° on 14 davs ; max. above 62° on 26 days, 

 above 72° on 3 (14th, 26th, and 31st). All the rain in the month 

 fell duiing the first twenty-five days, and only four of these (6th, 

 14th, 17th, and 20th) were without rain. On the 23rd 0-77 inch 

 fell, and on the 24th 1'42 inch, giving over two inches in the two 

 days. It is entirely due to this excessive fall that the month was 

 a wet one. 



September. — A cold month, with a very small daily range of 

 temperature, an atmosphere of average humidity and pressure, 

 a cloudy sky, and a rather small rainfall on about the usual 

 number of days. Coldest day 29th, mean 46°-5 ; warmest day 

 1st, mean 58°- 8. Min. below 42° on 5 days ; max. above 52° 



