NOTES ON THE RAINFALL AND WEATHER 

 OF THE BAILIWICK IN 1913, WITH SPECIAL 

 REFERENCE TO SARK AND ALDERNEY. 



BT BASIL T. ROWSWELL. 



INTRODUCTORY. 



Unlike 1910 and 1912, two years in which the rainfall 

 largely exceeded the normal in all the islands, 1913 ended 

 w r ith totals that departed but little from the normal anywhere, 

 and in this respect proved very similar to 1911. Beginning 

 with 1909 we have had an interesting and regular alternation 

 of dry and wet years, 1909, 1911 and 1913 having been 

 remarkably dry as compared with 1910 and 1912. This is 

 well seen in the yearly totals at Les Blanches, Guernsey, 

 given below. 



1909. 1910. 1911. 1912. 1913. 



in. in. in. in. in. 



32*32 45-54 34'74 45*55 35*09 



As regards 1913 it must be spoken of as having been 

 (considered as a whole) warm, unsettled and very gloomy. 

 At Guernsey (Les Blanches) no droughts — either "absolute" 

 or " partial " — were recorded, the longest absolutely dry interval 

 being only 11 days long, viz., from July 18 to 28. On the 

 other hand two "rain spells" each of 16 days' duration 

 occurred. These will be found tabulated at the end of the 

 paper. The year's total, 35*09 in. is 0*52 in. above the average 

 of the 20 years, 1894-1913, and the rain days (212) are 9 in 

 excess. The Spring months (March to May) were mild and 

 unsettled with rain days much above the normal ; the 

 Summer (June to August) was both very cold and very dry, 

 and with marked absence of sunshine ; and the Autumn 

 (September to November) proved mild and wet, but included 

 a pleasantly sunny October, much rain notwithstanding. 



At Sark, where Capt. Henry of the Vallee du Creux has 

 an unbroken record now covering eight years, the total for 

 the twelve months, 27*09 in. is 1*36 in. below the average of 

 the eight years. One " partial " but no " absolute " drought 

 occurred, and in this respect Sark was different from Guernsey, 



