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Note.—The observations are taken. at 9 a.m., except at Redhill, 
Reigate Hill (Nutwood Lodge), Addington (Park Farm), and Brixton 
(8 a.m.), Croydon (Woburn Road) (8.30 a.m.), and Sevenoaks 
(10 a.m.). 
NOTES. 
(March, 1898.) 
The month has been cold and somewhat dry, with numerous frosts 
and snow showers. A thunderstorm with lightning and hail occurred 
at Abinger on the 28rd; and on the 24th, 25th, and 26th there were 
heavy snowstorms, more particularly about Warlingham, Chipstead, 
and Caterham, where there were drifts in places 5 ft. to 6 ft. deep. 
In these storms damage was done to the peach, plum, and apricot 
blossom, other trees escaping. There has been a great deal of illness 
about, particularly influenza, measles, whooping cough, and scarlet 
fever, and many old people have died. The sallow bloomed on the 
1st, and the plum on the 19th at Sidcup, and Ribes on the 30th at 
Nutfield. The rainfall is about a quarter of an inch below the average, 
and the ground water is exceedingly low, many wells and springs 
being dry. At Nutfield the sulphur butterfly was seen on the 18th, 
and the peacock on the 28th. At Croydon the maximum thermometer 
was 50° and above on four days, and below 40° on five days; whilst 
the minimum thermometer was below 40° on twenty-eight days. The 
mean temperature of the month is about 1° below the average, and 
was at Croydon (Duppas House and Whitgift) 40-4°, at Wallington 
40°3°, at Chipstead 39-9°, at Waddon 39°8°, and at Redhill 39-1° 
There were recorded at Wallington 82-3 hours of sunlight, which is 
11 per cent. below the March mean of the ten years 1886-95. 
F, Campsetu-Bayarp, P.R.Met.Soe., 
Hon. Sec. 
