344 Report of the Meteorological Sub- Committee for 1891. 



and upwards in the 24 hours, extracted from Appendices II. 

 and III. 



And, finally, Appendix V. contains general notes on the 

 characteristic features of every month. 



The observations are taken at 9 a.m. at all the stations, except 

 at Addington (Park Farm), and Brixton 8 a.m., Bickley 9.80 

 a.m., and Croydon (Limes Road), South Norwood, and Kew 

 10 a.m. 



With reference to the rainfall of the year, the Sub-Committee 

 find it very difficult to come to any definite conclusion. Com- 

 paring it with 1890, it appears an extremely wet year, but when 

 it is looked at more closely there is rather a different tale. The 

 first six months of the year were comparatively dry, and the last 

 six months wet, the amount falling in the last months ranging 

 from If to f in. excess of the amount falling in the first six 

 months. It is, however, by comparing the year with the 

 averages of previous years that we must decide whether the 

 year has been wet or dry. At Greenwich the year closed with 

 an excess of -52 in. oyer the 50 years 1841 — 90 average, and was 

 the wettest year since 1888^ at Surbiton it closed with an 

 excess of 3-20 in. over the 35 years 1856 — -90, and was the 

 wettest year since 1880 ; at Kew it closed with an excess of 

 2-36 in. over the 35 years 1856 — 90, and was the wettest year 

 since 1885 ; at Brixton it closed with an excess of 3'00 in. over 

 the 20 years 1871 — 90, and was the wettest year since 1880 ; at 

 Beckenham it closed with a defect of '78 in. on the 20 years 

 1871 — 90, and was the wettest year since 1888 ; at Addiscombe 

 (Outram Road) it closed with an excess of 3-93 in. on the 15 

 years 1876—90, and was the wettest year since 1880 ; and at 

 Sutton it closed with an excess of 5-69 in. on the 10 years 1881 — 

 90, and was the wettest year since 1880. We may therefore fairly, 

 the Sub-Committee think, come to the conclusion that the year 

 was a wet one, though not to any very great extent, the probability 

 being that the excess was not much more than 1 in. over the 

 average of a long series of years. With respect to the time at 

 which the rain fell, we all know what miserable weather we had 

 for our holidays ; but even this was not without its corresponding 

 advantages, for these rains filled up the underground springs, 

 and instead of a great scarcity of water, which was expected by 

 nearly everyone about October, we got through scatheless, and 

 now the springs are well filled, and there is, your Sub-Committee 

 trust, no fear of a scarcity of water during this present year. 

 The Sub-Committee, however, cannot contemplate without appre- 

 hension the continuous pumping up of the under-ground waters 

 for the supply of our large towns, and are fully aware of the 

 prejudicial effects that this must eventually have on the public 

 health, and would impress on all public authorities the necessity, 



