1915.] BAILIWICK RAINFALL. 231 



turtle off the north of Guernsey and plunged to the bottom, 

 the whole crew of 24 unfortunately perishing. 



A change in the distribution of atmospheric pressure 

 frequently follows an extra violent convulsion, and it was so 

 now, for at first northerly and then easterly winds became 

 established and we experienced the first real cold snap of the 

 winter, with drier at any rate, if not more sunny weather. 

 This burst of cold, which ended suddenly on the 29th, has 

 been referred to already, so we pass on with the remark that 

 on the 20th the barometer was at the very high level of 

 30*7 in. In the same month and with only a week and a day 

 separating the readings, occurred the lowest and highest 

 barometer of the year, and the range was no less than 2*2 in. 



That rare phenomenon, a lunar rainbow, was seen on the 

 evening of November 12th. It was faint, incomplete also, 

 and remained visible but a short time. This is the first moon 

 bow noted since October 31st, 1911. 



December, like its namesake in 1914, was again a month of 

 extraordinary rainfall ; constant and big fluctuations of the 

 barometer showed the atmosphere to be in a very disturbed 

 condition, gales and strong winds were frequent — a fierce 

 S.W. to W. gale in the early morning of the 1st did 

 considerable damage to greenhouse and other property at the 

 Forest — and temperature ranged high. Very few cold days 

 were experienced, and the month as a whole with a mean of 

 48*3 deg. (normal 45'8 deg.) was actually 3*4 deg. warmer 

 than November. Really, in the matter of temperature, the 

 two months changed places, November giving us December's 

 readings and December those usual in November. 



At the three stations it was the wettest December on 

 record — at Sark and Alderney of the ten years 1906-1915, at 

 Guernsey (Les Blanches) of the twenty-two years 1894-1915. 

 The amounts were : Sark 7*86 in., Alderney 10*18 in., Guernsey 

 8*39 in. The total for Guernsey makes December, 1915, the 

 second wettest month at Les Blanches of the twenty-two 

 years mentioned above. The first half of the month was 

 decidedly more unsettled and wet than the last half, indeed 

 precipitation was slight from the 16th to the 21st when low 

 pressure systems again drew nearer and rainfall once more 

 increased in amount. 



December 5th to the 11th (Sun. to Sat.) was the wettest 

 week of the year. At Les Blanches, where no less than 

 3*56 in. of rain fell in the seven days, the amount was 2*58 in. 

 in excess of the normal. At the Guille-Alles Library station 

 the week's rain totalled 3*78 in. ; at Sark the Lighthouse 



