800 



REPORT — 1898. 



The monthly and annual means for each county and for the whole area at the 

 72 stations are as follows : — 



The annual means at the 118 stations are — Monmouth (5 stations), 3619 ins. ; 

 Hereford (9 stations), 28-64 ins. ; Worce.ster (7 stations), 27-02 ins. ; Gloucester 

 (13 stations), 2939 ins. ; Wilts (14 stations), 29-71 ins. ; Dorset (10 stations), 

 33-53 ins. ; Somerset (16 stations), 35-54 ins. ; Devon (20 stations), 37-24 ins. ; and 

 Cornwall (13 stations), 42-48 ins. ; the mean for the Avhole area being 34-08 ins. 



During the ten years 1881 to 1890 the rainfall in this part of England was 

 rather less than that for the twenty-five years ending 1890 and that for the thirty 

 years ending 1895. Twenty stations fairly distributed over the area give for the 

 twenty-five years an annual mean of 1-2 inch more than for the ten years, and 

 twelve stations give for the thirty years exactly the same exce.ss over tlie ten years, 

 so we may assume that the mean rainfall deduced for the ten years 1881 to 1890 

 is about an inch, or 3 per cent., less than it would have been had it heen worked 

 out for twenty-five or thirty years. 



The mean for the 113 stations, one to each 100 square miles in each county, is 

 no doubt more accurate for the decade 1881-90, as well for the whole area as for 

 each county, than that for the 72 stations, hut it is evident that the latter is much 

 nearer the mark for the thirty years 1866-95, the true mean for the whole area for 

 this period probahly being ahout 35 inches per annum. 



The rainfall in these counties follows the general rule for England of increase 

 from east to west. Dividing them into three groups, iN., S.E., and S.W., 

 22 stations for the northern group, Monmouth, Hereford, "Worcester, and Glouces- 

 ter, give an annual mean of 30-03 inches ; 20 stations for the south-eastern group, 

 Wilts, Dorset, and Somerset, give 33-G4 inches; and 30 stations for the South- 

 western group, Devon and Cornwall, give 38-82 inches. In the first group the 

 driest month is April, with a mean fall of 2-01 inches; in the second, the driest 

 month is May, with a mean fall of 2-23 inches ; and in the third, the driest month 

 is June, with a mean fall of 2-25 inches. In each group the wettest month is 

 November, with a mean fall of 3-51 inches in the first group ; of 3-91 inches in the 

 second ; and of 4-65 inches in the third. From October to April and in July Wor- 

 cester is the driest county ; in May, Wilts ; in June, Devon ; and in August and 

 September, Hereford. From September to April and in July Cornwall is the 

 wettest county ; in May, Monmouth ; in June, Wilts ; and in August, Somerset. 



The mean annual rainfall at twelve stations, every county being represented by 



