26 



NOTES ON THE WEATHER OF 1887. 



Several abnormal occurences have combined to render the past year 

 remarkable for its meteorological aspect, for few years are distinguished by 

 such a combination of a severe and prolonged Winter, an absence of Spring 

 weather, a short and unusually hot Summer, and a rainfall unrivalled for 

 several years back for its paucity, as 1887 can boast of 



Taking the most striking feature, the meagre rainfall first, we find the 

 total amount of rain for the twelve months to be only 1872 inches against a 

 mean of 29'35 inches for the past eight years, a deficiency of no less than 36 

 per cent. Appended is a comparative table of the monthly means of the past 

 eight years, and the monthly rainfall of last year: 



Yearly mean for past 8 years— 2935. 



Total for 1887— 1872. 



With the exception of January, the rainfall of which exceeds the average, 

 we find every month of 1887 considerably below the mean. The rainfall in 

 January was sufficient to mark this year of drought with a flood, the over- 

 flowing waters of the Trent just entering the town on the 20th of that month. 

 This was caused by the rapid thawing of a large amount of snow, which had 

 been accumulating for a fortnight, the greater part of which, however, fell on 

 the 7th, when it attained the height of 9>^ inches. 



