XXX. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS TAKEX IN HERTFORDSHIRE 



IN THE TEAR 1899. 



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



With uiiich regret I have to announce that, owing to the death 

 of Mr. Hale Wortham, of Royston, on the 18th of April, 1899, in 

 his 77th year, the longest series of meteorological observations in 

 Hertfordshire (excepting those of rainfall or of temperature only) 

 has come to an end, and the number of stations from which this 

 report is drawn up is reduced from five, for the previous twelve 

 years, to four. This is the only alteration which has taken place 

 in the meteorological stations of Hertfordshire during this period. 



Tlie observations at the four remaining stations have been taken 

 as usual. The hour of observation is 9 a.m., and all the records 

 are entered to the same day except those of the maximum tempera- 

 ture and the rainfall, which are entered to the previous day. At 

 Bennington, Berkhamsted, and St. Albans the shade-temperature 

 thermometers are in Stevenson screens, in accordance with the 

 regulations of the Royal Meteorological Society ; at New Barnet 

 they are under Glaisher stands. 



Table I. — Results of Climatological Ohservations taken in 

 Hertfordshire in the Year 1899. 



The year 1899 was warm on the whole, although the spring was 

 rather cold. The rainfall was a little less than the average for the 

 sixtv years 1840-99, and the number of rainy days was also rather 

 less than the average. Compared with the average of the twelve 

 years 1887-98, the excess in mean temperature was 1°'3, and the 

 rainfall was about an inch greater although the rainy days were 

 twelve less in number. The mean day temperature was more in 

 excess than the mean night temperature, the mean daily range 

 being nearly two degi'ees greater than usual. The relative humidity 



