The Distribution of Rainfall in Ceylon. 365 



The inner limit between this zone and the next presents, however, 

 an extremely irregular outline. In this region is found much of 

 the mixed flora of the country, separating the wet from the dry 

 regions. 



(4) The 100-150 inch zone, within the last, comprises most of 

 the mountainous part of Ceylon, including its highest peak. 



(5) The 150-200 inch zone is a nearly oval region, wholly 

 surrounded by the last, and nowhere quite reaching the sea-coast. 

 At its northern end lies 



(6) the zone of over 200 inches, a small area within the influence 

 of Adam's Peak. Here the greater portion of the rainfall occurs 

 during the south-west monsoon, at which period a fall exceeding 

 10 inches in the twenty four hours is by no means uncommon. 



It will be seen, therefore, that the area of greatest rainfall 

 corresponds with the mountainous country, and is marked by the 

 path of the South-west monsoon, Negombo, 19 miles north of 

 Colombo, with a fall of about 62 inches, being its northern edge, 

 and Galle, with a 91 inch average, being the southern edge of the 

 maximum monsoon path. Following the tract of maximum fall 

 towards .the great central mass of mountains, the increase is very 

 pronounced, culminating with an average of over 230 inches at 

 Padupola, on the confines of the Central Province. 



The average temperature of Ceylon varies both with the time of 

 year and the rainfall ; but, taking the hottest and coolest stations, it 

 ranges from 81 °j' at Mannar and Jaffna (both on the coast), to 

 57°9' at Nuwara Eliya (6188 feet above sea-level). The changes in 

 temperature, according to the time of year, may be succinctly 

 illustrated by a statement of the highest and lowest average monthly 

 mean temperature at Jaffna and Nuwara Eliya. At the former the 

 highest monthly average is 85°5' in April, and the lowest 77°3' 

 in December; while, at the latter, the extreme averages are 6o°4' 

 in May, and 56°5' in January. 



The barometer (uncorrected for sea-level) shows an absolute 

 range from 30*157 inches, the highest recorded in 1887, at Jaffna, 

 to 23*800 inches, in 1886, at Nuwara Eliya. The range at particular 

 localities is small, as will be seen from the appended table, taken 

 from the statistics issued from the Surveyor General's-Office, which is 

 confined to the sixteen stations possessing umbroken records, in 

 most cases for nearly thirty years. 



The movement of the atmosphere is much influenced by the 

 distance from the sea. Thus at Kandy, roughly in the centre of 

 Ceylon, the average diurnal velocity of the wind ranges from 28 miles 

 in April to 84 in August. At Hambantota, on the sea-coast, the corre- 

 sponding figures are 149 miles in March, and 268 miles in August. 

 Again, the average diurnal velocity at Vavuniya, which is situated 

 about midway between the East and West coasts, ranges from 31 

 miles to 165 miles, while, at Ratnapura, with its high rainfall, it only 

 varies from 18 to 69 miles. 



