78 RAItfPALL IN DORSET. 



April. Snow on the 2nd and 3rd ; snow and rain on the 

 4th ; snow on 9th, 10th, and llth. 



May. Thunder on the llth, 12th, 26th, and 29th. 



June. Thunder on the 5th and 17th ; very windy on the 

 29th. 



July. Thunder on the 7th. 



August. Thunder on the 15th. 



December. Sleet on the 16th ; snow on the 31st. 



CHEDINGTON COURT. The year 1917 completes our records 

 of 20 years' unbroken rainfall registration, and it shows 

 also the smallest record for one year during that time, in 

 spite of the fact that the months of June, July, and August, 

 which are usually dry, were all rainy ; the total rainfall for 

 August (5.55in.) being the greatest fall in one month for the 

 whole year. The chief cause of the small total was the 

 absence of rainfall during the six months, January, February, 

 March, October, November, and December, which are usually 

 our wettest months. 



Our average for the 19 years ending with 1916 was 39.21in. 

 in 173 days ; but the dry ness of 1917 reduces the average for 

 the last 20 years to 38.7in. in 172 days. 



The following comparisons are interesting as showing what 

 a great difference there is between our highest and lowest 

 records : 



1914 (wettest record). 



Total for year 50.75 on 194 days. 

 Feb 6.49in. in 19 days 

 March 5.93in. in 27 days 

 Nov. 685in. in 18 days 

 Dee 10.21in. in 28 days 



1914 (4 months) 28.98 in 92 days. 



1917 (dryest record). 

 Total for year 29.01in. in 172 days. 



Feb. 1.51in. in 10 days. 



March 3.29in. in 18 days. 



Nov. 1.04in. in 9 days. 



Dc. l.llin. in 7 days. 

 1917 (4 mouths) 6.95in. in 44 days. 



DORCHESTER (WOLLASTON HOUSE). A remarkably dry 

 year. The average annual rainfall (Dorchester) for the 21 

 years, 1896-1917, is 37.36in. Dividing these 21 years into 

 3 periods of 7 years each, there is shown a regular and con- 

 sistent increase up to 1916. The first period gives 32.96 ; 

 the second period, 37.45 ; the third period, 41.68. 



The total for the past year (1917), 28.85in., is an unusual 

 yarjation from the average. 



J, E, 



