3G The Meteorology of 1900. 



towards Glasgow and Falkirk to Stirling-, and from Stirling west 

 again towards the Atlantic. The mean annual temperature has 

 been as high as 49-5 deg., and as low as 46 deg. I make the 

 average to be about 47-5 deg., but possibly a longer period of 

 observation might give a higher mean. We cannot fail to observe, 

 however, that the mean annual temperature of 48 deg. in the past 

 year, which is fully up to the average or a Uttle above it, is not 

 due so much to a warm summer as to the unusual mildness of 

 several of the winter months. 



Eainfall. — The most outstanding feature of the meteorology 

 of Dumfries during the past year was the excessive rainfall by 

 which it was characterised. The total amount which fell from 

 January to December was no less than 47-08 inches. The average 

 of twelve years was 36-20 inches, so that the record for the year 

 was in excess of the mean by nearly 11 inches. This is the 

 heaviest annual rainfall recorded at this station since observations 

 were begun in 1886. The only approaches to it were 42-81 in. in 

 1897 and 42-9-2 in. in 1891, both of which are more than 4 inches 

 less. The year as a whole was remarkable for its frequent and 

 heavy rainfalls, almost the only exception among the months 

 being the weather of March, which was abnormally dry, showing 

 a fall of no more than a quarter of an inch, with 6 days on which 

 it fell. The wettest month was December, which had nearly 

 double the average, 7-07 in., as compared with about 4 in., and 27 

 days on which it fell. It is worthy of note that this was the 

 wettest December of the 14 years to which the observations 

 extend. The next wettest December was in 1891, which had a 

 record of 6-24 in., and twice it had 5 in. August was also an 

 extremely wet month, having a record of 6-30 in., and 20 days on 

 which it fell. But in fact all the months except March, which 

 was exceptionally dry, and July and November, which had about 

 the normal quantities, showed an excess above the mean. The 

 number of days on which precipitation of rain or snow took place 

 to the amount of not less than one hundredth of an inch was 218 

 (rain, 208; snow, 10, chiefly in February), which is considerably 

 above the average. As the result of such frequent and heavy 

 rainfalls the river Nith was frequently in flood. In August and 

 December it was more or less flooded during the whole of these 

 months, the gauge at the New Bridge showing not unfrequently 



