72 RAINFALL IN DORSET. 



of the i4th. March iyth and i8th: Small showers of some- 

 thing between snow and hail [Graupel, H.S.E.] ; igth, hail 

 about 3.30 p.m. All the hailstones were of a conical shape with 

 convex bases, the height being 4-i6in. and in a few larger ones 

 up to 5-i6in., the diameter 3-i8in. and in the largest up to 

 7-i6in. ; 26th, several snow showers. July zoth : Distant 

 thunder but no rain; 26th, summer lightning at night; 27th, 

 thunder and lightning. Two loud claps very close. A man on 

 the top of a hay cart was struck by lightning and made insensible 

 for a short time, but soon recovered ; an iron bar being carried 

 by another man in a brickfield was knocked out of his hand and 

 thrown to a distance, but the man was not hurt. November 1 2th : 

 Slight thunderstorm. 



DORCHESTER, WOLLASTON HOUSE. The type of weather in 

 November and December was remarkable for constant depres- 

 sions advancing over England from the Atlantic, which 

 culminated in heavy gales at the end of the year. On the great 

 majority of days the sheltered thermometer marked a maximum 

 of 50 and over, and only twice showed a minimum below the 

 freezing point, when 3 1 was recorded. 



HORTON VICARAGE. February ist isth: Fifteen frosts in 

 succession, 17 on the loth. April 2ist: Thermometer 81 in 

 the screen. July loth 2oth : Eleven hot days in succession, 

 from 79 to 95 ; also eight from 22nd to 29th, 79 to 95*. 



LYME REGIS. July 27th and 29th : Thunderstorms. 



PORTLAND, CHESIL. July 26th : Lightning ; 27th, thunder 

 and lightning. 



SHERBORNE, COOMBE FARM. February isth: The greatest 

 flood on record in the little valley of " The Coombe " (a water 

 shed of about two square miles). A farm house. . . was 

 flooded to a depth of 3ft. The occupant has known this house 

 for fifty-five years, and it had only been flooded once before to 

 the depth of ift. The cause was the fall of snow the two 

 previous days of about ift., and, the ground being frozen, the 

 melting snow and heavy rain could not penetrate into the earth. 

 August 22nd : Hailstorm with lightning and thunder. 



