354 The Meteorology of 1903. 



in 1887. The next heaviest was 47.08 inches in 1900. In 

 1891, 1894, 1897, and 1899 they ranged from 40.86 in. to 42.92, 

 but all the others were under 40 in., the driest year having 

 30.99 in., in 1887, the average of the whole period being about 

 37 in. Three times in the course of the year there was a fall 

 exceeding an inch in 24 hours, once in January, once in July, 

 and once in October, and on these occasions the river was in 

 heavy flood. During the months of March and October, indeed, 

 it may be said to have been in constant flood, the depth at the 

 Xew Bridge, as indicated by the gauge, ranging from seven or 

 eight to eleven or even twelve feet. I have noted eleven and 

 a-half feet on the depth on the 17th March, and twelve feet on 

 the 22nd, and nine feet on the 27th October. There were dry 

 periods in April and June. From the i6th to the 28th of the 

 former month rain fell only once to the amount of no more than 

 ■0.03 in., and from the 5th to the 14th June, a period of nine 

 days, there was no rain. Again, there was a period in September, 

 extending from the nth to 22nd, twelve days, quite dry, during 

 which an opportunity was afforded on early farms of securing the 

 safe in-gathering of the crops, but after that there were not two 

 days in succession perfectly dry till well on in November, with 

 the unfortunate result that the work of the harvest was almost 

 completely arrested, and great loss and damage to the crops 

 ensued. 



Hygrometer — The annual mean of the 9 a.m. and the 9 

 p.m. readings of the dry bulb thermometer was 47.5 deg., very 

 nearly equal to the mean temperature of the year. The annual 

 mean of the wet bulb readings was 45 deg. The mean tempera- 

 ture of the dew point, as calculated from these data, was 41.8 

 deg., and the relati\e humidity (saturation being equal to 100) 

 ■was 83. 



As regards the wind directions, the south-westerly was as 

 usual the most prevailing, blowing no fewer than 98 days. The 

 next was the westerly, which had 57 days. Then followed the 

 south-easterly with 45 J days, the east with 43^, the north-west 

 with 42^, the south with 34^, the north-east with 29^, and the 

 north with iih, while six were calm or variable. Combining 

 those which had a southerly and westerly direction, but including 

 the south-easterly, we have a total of 235 days, while those from 

 a northerly and easterly direction, including the north-westerly. 



