144 



RAINFALL AT CLIFTON IN 188G. 



Rkmarks. — From tho foregoing tabic it will bo soon tbiit 

 the total rainfall of tho past year exceeded tho average by 

 upwards of five inches. This excess was largely due to 

 the rainy character of tho last three months of tho year. 

 January and May wore also very wet months. On the 

 whole, eight of the months yielded an excess, and four a 

 deficiency of rain. The driest of all was February, with less 

 than an inch. ; tlio wettest was December, with, over flvo 

 inches. Ju.no, August, and September were dry months, 

 and a drought of 27 days' duration, commencing in June, 

 extended to the 11th of July. On the whole, therefore, tho 

 summer was very fine. 



Tho year was free from any extraordinary diurnal rain- 

 fall, the heaviest being 1-320 in., occurring with a violent 

 gale on tlie ISth of October. Miiy and December also had 

 each a diurnal fall exceeding one inch, the latter instance 

 including the deep snow of December 26th. On that 

 occasion the rain and melted snow iiirionnto<l together to 

 1-140 in., and tho average depth of snow lying on the 

 ground was 4| inches. It was the deepest snow experienced 

 here since January, 1881, and tlie quantity was greater than 

 the depth alone would indicate. Falling on a wot ground, 

 and with a temperature rather above the freezing point, it 

 lay compactly, and the 4| inches of actual measurement 

 represented not less than eight inches of dry snow. In 

 localities a triflo colder than our own, the actual depth 

 corresponded more nearly with tho calculated depth. 



The havoc wrought by this snowstorm upon tho telegraph 

 wires and poles was probably without precedent, and tho 

 circumstances conducing to this result may be worth con- 

 sidering. The storm was the outcome of a cyclonic dis- 

 turbance which pursued a somewhat unusual course, its 

 centre passing up tho English Channel just off our southern 



