1914.] BAILIWICK RAINFALL. 141 



GENERAL REMARKS. 



As already stated the year (1914) opened with a dry 

 month— in fact the driest January experienced for several 

 years. No long interval of drought was recorded anywhere, 

 the longest dry spell being seven days (18th-24th) at Alder- 

 ney. Rain fell frequently, but in comparatively small quan- 

 tity as a rule. 



But it was a cold month, with January, 1908, which had 

 a similar mean temperature, the coldest month of the name 

 since 1897. A sharp cold snap prevailed from the 12th to the 

 25th. Several severe frosts occurred, the worst, on the 24th, 

 reducing the screened thermometer to 27*3 deg. at Les 

 Blanches. The coldest day, the 22nd, had a mean of 31*5 

 deg. and the maximum rose no higher than 33*7 deg. This 

 was a very cold day for Guernsey. A daily mean tempera- 

 ture below freezing point is a great rarity in the Bailiwick. 



As showing how sometimes the usual order of things as 

 regards rainfall is reversed, Alderney was the driest of the 

 three islands in January and Sark the wettest. 



A slight shock of earthquake was felt at Guernsey (and 

 Jersey) at about 0.16 a.m. of the 8th and was noted by people 

 living widely apart. 



February began with a continuation of the dry weather, 

 but before the end of the first week a big change to wet had 

 set in which was to last for two full months. From February 

 6th to April 10th the weather was continuously unsettled and 

 rain fell so persistently and frequently heavily during these 

 nine weeks as to establish a surplus over the normal that was 

 not lost even in the driest part of the summer. The founda- 

 tions of the wet year were firmly laid in these excessively 

 rainy weeks, the total measurement during which was as 

 follows : — 



Guernsey. Sark. Alderney. 



in. in. in. 



Feb. 6 to April 10 11*47 9*78 9-53 



At Guernsey (Les Blanches) February was the fourth 

 and March the second wettest month of the name of the 21 

 years 1894-1914. At Sark it was the wettest February in 

 nine years and the second wettest March ; at A lderney one 

 wetter February and March have been recorded. As regards 

 the number of "rain days " during this nine weeks' interval, 

 Guernsey had 59, Sark 52, and Alderney 50. In other words 

 out of 64 consecutive days there were only 5 dry days at 

 Guernsey, 12 at Sark, and 14 at Alderney. At Les Blanches 

 every day in March was a " rain day " with the exception of 



