94 RAINFALL IN DORSET. 



but a fresh S.E. gale came on in the evening with heavy rain 

 and sleet. During the early morning hours of the 2nd a great 

 tidal wave, causing much damage and alarm, swept along the 

 south coast, and between 4 and 6.45 a.m. severe earthquake 

 shocks were felt at Jersey. At this station the barograph 

 showed no disturbance, and the registering anemometer only a 

 very light wind movement. On May 23rd rain, with fog, 

 commenced about 4 p.m., and continued till the same time next 

 day. Such a continuous downpour, accompanied by dense fog, 

 is happily unusual. On July igth, at 9 p.m., 0*31 inch fell in 

 half-an-hour, accompanied by brilliant lightning and thunder, 

 and soon after noon on the 23rd 075 inch fell in less than 

 i hour. On the night of December 5th lightning was frequent, 

 and from 2 to 3 a.m. on the 6th a heavy thunderstorm, with 

 vivid lightning, was passing over the Channel. 



ILMINSTER, WHITELACKINGTON, SOMERSET. January nth : 

 Vivid lightning and loud thunder. May loth : Very loud 

 thunder and vivid lightning, about 0^50 inch from melted hail in 

 iz minutes. A thatched poultry-house was set on fire at 

 Atherstone Farm by the lightning. Maximum thermometer in 

 shade recorded on July 9th, 84; loth, 86; nth, 83; i7th, 

 84; 1 8th, 83; and August 3rd, 81. Lightning and thunder 

 on July 22nd and August 3rd, 23rd, and 3oth. On the evening 

 of August 23rd rain and hail, amounting to 2 - oo inch, fell in 

 about 2 hours. 



The following cutting from the Daily Telegraph of Decem- 

 ber 8th, 1904, refers to the thunderstorm mentioned by several 

 observers as having occurred in Beaminster and that neighbour- 

 hood on the 6th of that month : 



A DORSETSHIRE CYCLONE. 



Tuesday morning the town of Beaminster, in Dorsetshire, was 

 visited by a cyclone. Rain and hail descended in torrents, the 



