REPORTS. 



These additions are chiefly due to the energy and per- 

 sistence of Mr. J. W. Sinel, who besides having worked in 

 the Museum on routine work, gave up his long summer 

 evenings to search rambles. 



THE WEATHER OF 1921 IN COMPARISON WITH 

 FORMER EXTRAORDINARY YEARS. 



BY A. COLLENETTE, F.C.S. 



The past year has been, in most of the weather elements, 

 a most extraordinary one. In the temperature of both air 

 and soil it has left the averages far behind. In sunshine 

 there is a difference above the average of 265 hours, which is 

 equal to the average total of a summer month. In Rainfall 

 we have passed through what is very likely to prove the 

 driest year for a century. Taking these elements in order 

 we find that the year has differed from the average in its 

 mean temperature, by 2.5 deg., only two years in the series 

 of 79 have given higher annual means. The comparison 

 stands thus: — 1899: 53.8 deg.; 1846: 53.5 deg., and 1921 : 

 53.4 deg. The mean of the whole period is 50.9 deg. 

 Another point to remark is that the mean is not, as is usual, 

 made up of some months being warm and others cold; but 

 this year every month has been warmer than its average, so 

 that there has been no break in the continuity of the heat. 

 The variation has been from plus 0.2 deg. to plus 6.5 deg. 



July was the hottest month with a mean of 63.6 deg. and 

 March the coldest with 46.3 deg. The four months, July to 

 October, inclusive, had means which exceeded 60 deg. 



The soil was heated to a remarkable degree. No fewer 

 than 30 daily records were broken, and the maximum read- 

 ing went as high as 75 deg. at the ift. depth. The soil was 

 so warm during the summer and autumn that it represented 

 a greenhouse soil more nearly than an outdoor soil. 



In the element — sunshine— the year gave the second 

 highest total so far recorded. 1899 was the year which gave 

 the record of 2,214 hours, and this was run close this year 

 by a total of 2,170 hours. The month of October gave a 

 record and was 77 hours above its average. 



The whole year exceeded the average by 265 hours. The 

 next year, in order of high totals was 191 1, when the total 

 was 2,121. There have been, in the 28 years of sunshine 

 records, 8 with totals over 2,000 hours, and the average is 

 now 1,905 hours, 



