251 
TWENTY-NINE YEARS’ RAINFALL AT WETWANG. 
HUGH ROBERT MILL, D.Sc., LL.D. 
OBSERVATIONS of rainfall made daily at 9 a.m., were commenced 
in 1882 by the late Rev. Maule Cole at Wetwang, which is 
situated on the Chalk Wolds at an altitude of 235 feet above 
sea-level. The rain gauge was five inches in diameter, and 
set with its receiving surface one foot above the ground, The 
observations cover the twenty-nine years, 1882 to 1g10, and 
the falls for each month, with the annual totals, are given, 
together with the greatest daily fallin each year. At the foot 
of the table are quoted the average monthly falls—(1) for the 
first ten years; (2) for the second ten years; and (3) for the 
last nine years. An examination of these three results seems 
to indicate a diminution in the annual rainfall, for the first 
decade gives an average annual fall of 28.06 inches, the second 
decade, 26.42 inches, and the last nine years, 24.15 inches. 
There is, however, no reason to suppose that this apparent 
diminution in the rainfall will continue. The past two years 
have both had falls much in excess of the average, and it is 
possible that they are the forerunners of a series of wet years, 
which would have a parallel in the years 1875 to 1883. 
In a report on the rainfall of the East Riding of Yorkshire, 
which I prepared for one of the Water Supply Memoirs 
of the Geological Survey, it is stated that the rainfall of every 
one of those nine years was above the average, the excess 
amounting on the whole to 16 per cent., while in earlier years 
the rainfall had been much below the average. The average 
of the twenty-nine years’ record is 26.28 inches, and there were 
fifteen years above, and fourteen below this average. Since 
the observations do not cover the long spell of wet years 
referred to above, it is probable that the true average rainfall 
would be somewhat greater. The computed average rainfall 
for thirty-five years at Wetwang is quoted in the Water Supply 
Memoir of 28.2 inches. The wettest year in the record was 
1882, with 39.52 inches of rain, or 150 per cent. of the average 
amount. The driest year was 1905, with 17°21 inches, or 
65 per cent. of the average. 
The following table gives the average rainfall during the 
twenty-nine years for each month, together with the percentage 
which each month’s fall is of the year’s total. 
Jan. | Feb. | Mar.} Apr. | May 
Le 87, |) do 70) aor 
Tiel 65 | 73 
1git July 1. 
