NOTES ON THE RAINFALL AT SARK AND 

 ALDERNEY DURING THE YEAR 1910.* 



BY BASIL T. ROWSWELL. 



The year 1910 will stand out in the annals of local Meteo- 

 rology as one of excessive rainfall. As far as my own 

 Station at Les Blanches in this island (Guernsey) is con- 

 cerned the total measurement for the twelve months, viz., 

 45*54 in., exceeded the average of the 10 years, 1894-1903, by 

 no less than 11*59 in. Of the 17 years during which 

 rainfall observations have been taken at Les Blanches, 1910 

 was by 7*34 in. the wettest year of the series, and its total 

 exceeds that of 1908 (24*33 in.), the driest of the seven- 

 teen, by 21*21 in. October with 7*59 in. of rain and 

 November with 11*13 in. (aggregate 18*72 in.) together 

 represent no less than 55 per cent, of the year's average 

 total. Five one-inch rainfalls were measured at Les Blanches 

 during October and November, the heaviest downpour of 

 the year, 1*53 in., occurring on October 13th. Only one 

 really dry month was experienced, September, the full 

 rainfall of which was but 0*35 in. 



In writing of 1910 as having been excessively wet, one 

 should do so guardedly. The year began with two very 

 wet months, but these were followed by a long interval of 

 just ordinary rainfall. As a matter of fact there was nothing 

 to point to the year being one of extraordinary rainfall 

 until the advent of November when, however, it became 

 abundantly clear that the accumulated fall for the twelve 

 months would certainly be an unusually heavy one and 

 that 1910 would finish up with a "grand total" unknown 

 at Guernsey for very many years. 



Incidental reference has been made to the great rainfall 

 shortage of 1908. This was followed in 1909 by a further, 

 if much smaller, loss, but together the deficiency for the 

 two years reached the big figure of 11*25 in. This alarming 

 drought, however, was more than wiped out by the 11*59 in. 



*The incidental references in these Notes to the Rainfall Station at Les 

 Blanches are included merely for the sake of comparing the Sark and Alderney 

 figures with those at a Guernsey Station. B.T.R. 

 [1910.] 



