14 



Hoiuesdale Natural History Society, Royal Microscopic Society, Rochester Natural History Society, 

 Welling^ton College Science Society, and Manchester Microscopical Society. 



From the Societies to which we are affiliated we have received the following' annual tran- 

 sactions ; — 



Ray Society, Quekett Microscopical Club, and the Royal Photographic Society, S.E. Union of 

 Scientific Societies. 



H. T. MEAD, 



Hon. Librarian. 



METEOROLOQICAL NOTES FOR 1908. 



The past year will long be reiuembered in Canterbiuy beca-use of the t^errific hailstorm, thunder- 

 storm, and serious flooding on September 11. The storm came up with a N.W. wind about o p.m., 

 and within a few minutes of its breaking over the City semi-darkness set in. Rain fell in torrents, 

 and then hail beat down incessantly for nearly an hour. The streets were quickly flooded owing to 

 the hail stopping the gullies. Cellars and basements were soon deep in water, and in many cases 

 ceilings were washed down owing to the water pipes getting choked with hail. In hollows the hail 

 was 15 inches deep, and some of the streets were veritable rivers, and the poor hop-pickers were in a 

 pitiable state. Wincheap seemed to have suifered most. Mr. C. H. Page at the Gas Works 

 registered 3-15 inches, and at the Medical Hall, in High Street, r99 (of which 1^ inch fell in about 

 twenty minutes), but at the Sewage Farm, Stuny Road, only O-t.j was measured. 



The year was i-emarkable for heavy rainfalls on several occasions, viz. : January 7, 1*24; May lit. 

 •SO ; May 29, IJJ.s ; August V4, 'S:!. At Heme Bay 27 inches were reported to have fallen in three- 

 and-a-half hoiu's during the early morning of July I'S, causing serious flooding in the lower parts of 

 the town, and on June 4, at 7.30 p.m., there was a terrific storm at Tunbridge Wells and district, 

 which appears to have been nearly as bad as the Canterbiuy storm of three months later. Much 

 damage was done by the hail and rain, shops and houses being flooded and the electric lights going 

 out in a portion of the town. Although it was the worst storm for nineteen years no account of it 

 occurs in the official meteorological reports ; 114 inches of rain was recorded at Mount Ephraim, but 

 considerably more than this must have fallen in other pai-ts of the town and neighbourhood. 



The fir.st half of January was very cold with great and sudden fluctuations of temperatui-e. On 

 the 7th there was heavy and continuous rain, changing to snow on the morning of the 8th, the 

 rain and melted snow measuring 1] inches at 9 o'clock on the Sth with several inches of snow on the 

 ground. On the 12th temperature fell to 14-1 in screen and G on grass. The second half of the 

 month was mild, there being only08 of rain and about double the average amount of sunshine for the 

 month. A great gale occurred on the afternoon of February 22. March was cold and wet, but perhaps 

 the most remarkable weather of the year was the great cold and heavy snow at Easter week at the 

 end of April. We have still a vivid recollection of a motor ride to Whitstable on Easter Monday, 

 April 20, in a blinding snowstorm— and liittorly cold. Several inches of snow fell on the 24th, giving, 

 when melted, '1)3 inches of water, but in Berkshire the snow was 2^ feet deep, being of unprecedented 

 severity for so late in the year, (^tn the 2.jth temperature fell to 26*^ on grass in Canterbury and to 

 21'= at Tenterden and Tunbridge Wells. 



May was remarkable for the absence of low night temperatures, and there was no frost diu-ing 

 the whole month, and on the last day of the uionth the temperature rose to 77-j**' in the screen ; '8 of 

 niin fell l>etween 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. on the 21st. and as much as 1*38 on the 29tii. 



At the end of June and the beginning of July there was a reuiarkable luminosity in the Northern 

 sky at night, nianj- people in Canterbury thinking there was a big fire somewhere about Blean, but 

 it may interest them to know that this fiery appearance was seen over practically the whole of Europe. 



July nights were very wai*ni, the minimum being nearly always above 50. July 12 — reuiarkable 

 and i-apid fluctuations of barometer. 



The first week in October realised unusually high temperatures — 80 on the 3rd and 4th in 

 Canterbury and 84*" as far north as Whitby. No frost in the air the whole month. November 10 — 

 very sharp frost, 23'-' in screen ami 15 on grass. 



The last week in December was intensely cold ; on the last day of the month the thermometer in 

 the screen fell to 13« and to 7"^ on the grass, and on the 30th the maximum was 2S« in Canterbury 

 and 233 at Greenwich. The ^nly days during the last century with a December maximum lielow 

 tliis was December 24, 1S30, 22*^ ; December 21, 1855, 23-2'^. Nearly six inches of snow fell on the 

 29tli, but it was so light that it only measured "S.") inches when melted. 



During the past .summer we have experimented with kites, balloons, etc., and have perfected a 

 very IJ'^Hit iiietrnnPL,n;iph for use in kites, and a kite reel, etc., with which in the coming year we hope 

 to gain useful int-niuation about the upper atmosphere. 



A. LANDER, F.R. Mot. Soe. 



Medical Hall, Cant*;rbiuy. 



