XXIX. 



EEPORT ON THE RAINFALL IN HERTFORDSHIRE IN 



THE YEAR 1899. 



By John Hopkinsox, F.L.S., F.G.S., F.R.Met.Soc, Assoc. Inst.C.E. 



The number of rainfall returns received for the year 1899 is 

 about the same as that for the previous year and greater than 

 any \ip to that year. The principal table contains the monthly 

 records for 45 stations, being three less than for 1898 and one more 

 than for 1897. Three stations have been discontinued — London 

 Eoad, lloyston ; Nash Mills, Hemel Hempstead ; and The Lawns, 

 Southgate. The loss of the Royston station is due to the death of 

 the veteran observer, Mr. Hale Wortham, whose meteorological 

 obsei-vations have for many years appeared in the ' Quarterly 

 Returns of the Registrar General ' ; and that of the Southgate 

 station also to the death of the observer, Mr. George A. Church. 

 The discontinuance of the observations at Nash Mills closes the 

 longest record of rainfall in the county, a complete record for 

 57 years. The gauge at Apsley Mills is, however, so near to the 

 old Nash Mills gauge that it may be considered to take the place 

 of it. Two other stations are omitted — Bulbourne and Cowroast, 

 Tiing. The returns from these stations have, however, been 

 received, but after this table was in type and the Report written, 

 and therefore too late to incorporate in it. Against these losses 

 are two additions — Royston Workhouse, which will take the place 

 of the late Mr. Wortham' s station ; and Fairhill, Berkhamsted, 

 a former station reinstated. 



The number of daily records received is 34, which is two less 

 than the number for 1898 and one less than that for 1897. 



Particulars of the 45 rainfall stations, and the monthly and total 

 rainfall and number of days of rain in 1899, are given in Tables I 

 and II, pp. 215-217. 



A supplementary table (Table III, p. 218) gives nine other 

 records of the total rainfall in the year. Two are the records of 

 additional gauges at Rothamsted, one is that of an additional gauge 

 at Odsey, two are the returns from Bulbourne and Cowroast 

 received too late for insertion in the principal table, and four are 

 taken from ' British Rainfall, 1899.' 



The mean I'ainfall in the county in the year 1899 was 24 "53 inches. 

 This is 2-21 inches below the average for the decade 1880-89, and 

 1*80 inch below that for the half-century 1840-89. The year was, 

 therefore, one of rather small rainfall, this being due chiefly to the 

 dryness of March and August. The mean number of wet days 

 in the year was 148, being 20 less than the average for the twenty 

 years 1870-89. Twice only during this period has a smaller 

 number been recorded — in 1884 when the number was 141, and in 

 1887 when it was 146. 



