RAINFALL AT SARK, HERM AND ALDERNEY. 545 



And just one Avord as to the cause of the snowfalls. They 

 were occasioned by a depression which, situated to the North 

 of Ireland on the Friday morning (the 24th), advanced steadily 

 in a S.S.Ely, direction and (with the barometer at 29*3in.) 

 lay ^immediately over the Channel Islands at 8 a.m. on the 

 Saturday. After touching these islands the system moved 

 away N.E. to the east coast of England and with its 

 departure the unseasonable cold snap ended to everybody's 

 entire satisfaction. 



The period June 30th to July 1th was a very thundery 

 one in the Channel Islands. During the early morning of the 

 30th (Tuesday) a storm of moderate intensity prevailed at 

 Guernsey. All the rain fell between 5.30 and 9 a.m., but 

 thunder rolled continuously to the east of Guernsey from 

 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. The disturbance gave a rainfall of 0*21 in. to 

 Sark. From Alderney Mr. Picot wrote under date of 

 June 3()th, " Thunderstorm south of Alderney." Rain to the 

 amount of 0*12 in. fell at Alderney that day, but after 9 a.m. 

 In Jersey to all accounts the storm was very severe. 



The next day, Wednesday, July 1st, another and rather 

 severe storm raged in this island from 10 ]).m. to 1 a.m., which 

 gave 0*25 in. of rain at Les Blanches and 0*35 in. at Sark. At 

 Alderney, where the day's rainfall was only 0*02 in., the report 

 ran, " Much thunder south, a little rain." This storm was also 

 felt at Jersey, but appears to have been heaviest in this island 

 (Guernsey). The following night lightning w^as occurring 

 again to the S. and S.E. of Guernsey, and thunder was rumb- 

 ling low down, but no rain fell here. On the Friday night 

 and again on Saturday (the 3rd and 4th) lightning was 

 observed in the S. and E. 



The long drought of July and August began one day 

 earlier at Alderney, viz., on July 17th, than at either Guern- 

 sey or Sark. At Les Blanches a slight shower brought the 

 drought to an end (technically) on August 13tli, after 27 

 rainless days. Both at Sark and Alderney, however, the dry 

 interval ran on unbroken till the 18th, and when on the 19th 

 rain began to be measured once more Sark had had 32 rainless 

 day and Alderney 33. The break-up of the drought was a 

 real one everywhere, copious showers falling in all the islands 

 refreshing the parched and withered countryside and gladden- 

 ing the heart of the farmer. By the end of the month over 

 an inch and a quarter of rain had fallen at Sark, more than an 

 inch and a half at Alderney, and practically two inches at 

 Herm. That the unsettled weather continued in September 

 the table published with these notes bears ample testimony— 



