1921.] REPORTS. 19 



The chief interest of the year is to be found in its ex- 

 treme dryness. The total rainfall for the year is 17.66, and 

 as the total in the averages is 36.46, we have had less than 

 half the average. 



The deficit is thus i8.8oin. But even that statement is 

 not as telling as the fact that since Guernsey has kept rain- 

 fall observations there has not occurred so dry a year. The 

 previous record for dryness was the total of 25.45 ln the year 

 1858. 



During the first six months of the year there was but 

 little cause to anticipate that the year would prove so dry. 

 Until last May the year 1858 was still the driest, the drier 

 of the two with the following figures, totals to date, 1858 — 

 8.o6in. and 1921 — 8.35m. Comparing these two years with 

 the previous record to the end of May we find that neither 

 of these years were the driest to date, for 1896 had a total 

 for the first five months of 5.83m. This latter year, how- 

 ever, lost its position in June and is no longer in the run- 

 ning. During the month of June, 1921 fell off and by June 

 the 30th the totals stood as 1921 — 8.72, and 1858 — 8.62; 

 then the latter year lost its position and 1921 from that time 

 became the driest year on record. The year ended with the 

 following totals for these two years : 1921 — 17.66 ,and 1858 

 — 25.45m. Thus 1921 gave a total which was 7.79 in. be- 

 low that of the previous driest year. It is interesting to note 

 that not a single month reached its average, and thus the 

 year from January to December was consistently dry. There 

 is one feature of the year which is worthy of note, viz. : the 

 month of October, usually the wettest month of the year, 

 this year gave the largest deficit of the months; and in doing 

 this made a new record for itself, for up to this year the 

 driest October had a total of 1.17m, whilst this October had 

 the small total of o.66in. 



It is to be regretted that no discussion on the effect of 

 this unprecedented want of rain will have on the water- 

 supply and the agiculture of the Island is possible, but if 

 undertaken at all it would require that the subject should 

 form the topic of a special paper. 



COMPARISONS OF SUNSHINE. 



ANNUAL TOTALS. 



Guernsey 



Jersey 



TotlandBay (I. of W.) .. 



Weymouth 



Falmouta 



2174 



Hastings 



2048 



2088 



Bournemouth 



1970 



1984 



Brighton 



1942 



1936 



Clacton 



... ,.. 1946 



1825 







