RAINFALL IN DORSET. 115 



CHEDINGTON COURT. On 5th January, we had a thunder- 

 storm, lightning, and rough S.W. wind, and on i3th May, from 



3 to 5 p.m., a severe thunderstorm. Again, on 23rd June, 

 between 8.30 and n p.m., accompanied by rough wind. Our 

 average rainfall for nine years, up to end of 1906, is 36'88in. 



CHETNOLE. On i3th May there was a heavy thunderstorm, 

 lasting from about 3 to 1 1 p.m., at times quite close and all 

 round, but we only got the outside sprinkle of hail and rain 

 amounting to 0*06. 



WINTERBOURNE STEEPLETON. The rainfall has been 

 slightly (o'39in.) over the estimated 30 year average. The 

 months of January, February, May, and October had an excess, 

 the other months a deficiency. Upwards of i in. fell on four 

 days during the year. The longest period without any rain was 

 during the last 15 days in September. The rain in January 

 amounted to 8-91 in., which was 5-01 in. in excess of the esti- 

 mated average for that month, and the heaviest rainfall recorded 

 for January, since observations here began in 1893. 



DORCHESTER, WOLLASTON HOUSE. Notwithstanding the 

 dry Spring and Summer, which lasted to the very end of 

 September, the total rainfall has exceeded the average by over 



4 in. The four months, January, February, October, and 

 November, give 24-58 in. of the year's total. It is worthy of 

 notice that Dorchester and the neighbourhood entirely escaped 

 the very heavy snowstorm which commenced early on 2 6th 

 December, over nearly the whole of England. 



