140 BAILIWICK RAINFALL. 



increasing rainfall in recent years, a belief there is other and 

 more conclusive evidence to warrant. The normal annual 

 rainfall of the 10 years 1894-1903 was 33*95 in., while that of 

 1904-13 was 35*18 in. On an average therefore 1£ in. more 

 of rain fell yearly during the second decade of years quoted 

 than during the first. The figures for 1914, not included in 

 these comparative statistics, afford further proof if needed of 

 increasing (or increased) rainfall at Guernsey and doubtless 

 of course in the other islands also. 



At Sark where, thanks to Captain Henry, of La Vallee 

 du Creux, we have an unbroken record of rainfall extending 

 over nine years (1906-1914), the total for 1914 (35 - 61 in.) was 

 6*37 in. in excess of the normal as derived from the nine years' 

 figures. From the Table published here it will be seen that 

 the year is the third wettest of the series, while we may add 

 that as regards monthly totals that for December (7*25 in.) 

 has only been exceeded once in the nine years. This was in 

 November, 1910, when no less than 10*15 in. was measured. 

 Twice during the twelvemonths the daily fall passed one inch 

 in amount, but no new record was created by either downpour. 



The rainfall station at Alderney, established at the same 

 time as that at Sark and kindly looked after by Mr. W. J. 

 Picot, H.M.'s Procureur, of Le Huret, being very unfor- 

 tunately handicapped by the loss of a month's observations in 

 1910, leaves us with only eight complete years to work upon. 

 However, as calculated on the eight years' basis, the 1914 

 rainfall (37*11 in.) was 5*68 in. above the average. In the 

 broken series the year stands out as the second wettest of the 

 eight, while the December fall, 8*69 in., is the second biggest 

 monthly total registered, November 1910 having a total to 

 its credit of 8*79 in. As in Guernsey and Sark over one inch 

 of rain as a daily fall was measured twice at Alderney, but 

 here, too, no new record was established. 



The islands are keeping their relative positions as regards 

 rainfall, Guernsey having clearly the most, and Sark the least, 

 while Alderney occupies a good intermediate place. That the 

 same type of weather prevails all over the Bailiwick at the 

 same time no one of course doubts — the distances separating 

 the islands are too small to allow of differences of type. As 

 one interesting example of this fact we may state that in all 

 the islands the wettest month on record since the establish- 

 ment of the gauges at Sark and Alderney in January, 1906, 

 is November, 1910, and the second wettest December, 1914; 

 on the other hand the driest month too, everywhere, is April, 

 1912. Can one wish for closer agreement ? 



