165 



In a recent letter in your Hereford Times from an eminent meteorologrist, 

 Mr. Symons, a gentleman who has indeed done good work in determining 

 the British rainfall, he gave his opinion of a drought as a period when 

 for 14 days no measurable quantity of rain has fallen. This was considered 

 an absolute drought ; but a drought was also further defined as a period 

 when for 28 days only a quarter of an inch of rain had fallen. Being 

 of opinion that neither of the above periods is acceptable as a satisfactory 

 definition of a period of drought, but that there is a danger of their becoming an 

 accepted standard as emanating from a most accomplished and distinguished 

 meteorologist, it appears a question wherein other minds may have a word before 

 any accepteil definition of a drought is determined. To my mind a period of 14 

 days without rain in no wise can confer the term of absolute drought. This 

 comparatively short rainless period may intervene between two wet periods, and 

 hence its effect may be as naught over a district. While farmers and others may 

 be astonished to hear of the period being spoken of as drought ; while, upon the 

 other hand, it is possible for us to have not only a 14 days, but a 40 days, of real 

 drought, wherein there has never appeared a consecutive 14 days without rain, I 

 am of opinion that both periods are far too short for the determining of a period of 

 drought. I do not consider ten weeks any too long a period for the clearly 

 defining a period of drought ; and even then it would require adjective definition, 

 as slight drought, drought, severe drought, and, finally, the great drought. The 

 latter appears to apply at places to the drought of this summer during the ten 

 weeks ending upon the 15th inst. The general characteristics of the great 

 drought of this year are presentable in the following table, drawn up from the 

 weekly reports of the Meteorological Office : — 



THE GREAT DROUGHT. 



Rainfall. 



Aberdeen ... 

 Dublin 

 Isle of Man 

 Pembroke ... 

 Yarmouth ... 

 Llandudno ... 

 Cambridge ... 

 Jersey 

 Scarborough 

 Liverpool ... 

 Manchester 

 Plymouth ... 

 London 

 Hurst Castle 

 Southampton 

 Hereford 

 Oxford 

 Hastings 

 Eastbourne ... 



Deficient. 

 Inches. 



.. 6-35 



.. 5-33 



.. 4-69 



.. 4-60 



. 4-40 



,. 4-39 



.. 4-35 



. 4-39 



. 3-98 



. 3-91 



. 3-77 



. 3-77 



. 3-69 



. 3-43 



. 3-30 



. 3-24 



. 3-08 



. 3 01 



. 1-81 



