242 



RAINFALL AT SARR AND ALDERNEY. 



and " thunder and hail " on the night of the 23rd. Another 

 peculiarity in the distribution of the rainfall was noted on 

 the 21st for while long showers, giving 0*27 in. at Guernsey 

 (Les Blanches), and 0*28 in. at Sark, fell in this part of 

 the Bailiwick, Alderney escaped with a paltry 0*01 in. 



With the advent of March much drier weather set in 

 and nearly the whole of the month's rainfall occurred in 

 the second week. On the 11th a downpour amounting to 

 three quarters of an inch roughly, fell in the three islands. 

 Two days before this date Alderney had been deluged with 

 a fall amounting to 0*82 in., while Les Blanches and Sark 

 received respectively 0*42 and 0*41 in. only. Different in 

 amount, however, as the rainfalls were on the 9th, a much 

 greater difference was noted on the 12th, and on this occasion 

 again Alderney came in for the bigger quantity. Here the 

 measurement was 1*03 in. and Mr. Picot reported "thunder, 

 lightning, rain extraordinary." At Guernsey and Sark where, 

 by the way, no electrical disturbance was experienced but 

 a dull sunless day the rainfall totalled 0*20 in. at Les Blanches 

 and 0*12 in. at Sark ! In the six days ending March 12th 

 Alderney received 2*68 in. of rain, Guernsey (Les Blanches) 

 1*58 in., and Sark 1*39 in. From the 19th to the end of 

 the month the weather was absolutely dry at all the 

 stations. The dry interval came to an end at Guernsey 

 and Alderney on the 2nd of April and at Sark on the 3rd. 

 This was the longest rainless spell of the whole year in 

 the islands. On April 4th when 0*05 in. of rain fell at 

 Guernsey (Les Blanches) Sark had 014 in. and Alderney 

 as much as 0*37 in. April was more or less an unsettled 

 period all through, but with deficient rainfall. At Sark, 

 where Capt. Henry measured a total of less than one inch, 

 it was the driest of the last five Aprils, but at Alderney 

 the month was drier in 1906. 



May was an unsettled month for the time of year. Rain 

 fell almost daily during the first three weeks, but the fourth 

 week was fine and absolutely dry both at Sark and Alderney. 

 This is the week during which Halley's comet was best seen in 

 the islands. Smart hail showers fell at Alderney and 

 Guernsey on the 7th and 8th, and on the 14th Alderney 

 experienced the " tail-end rain " of a heavy thunderstorm 

 raging in the Channel, north of that island, at 8 p.m. At Le 

 Huret, Mr. Picot's station, the gauge collected 0*08 in. only of 

 water. 



In the early part of June two severe thunderstorms 

 visited the Bailiwick, the first, which, (at Guernsey) com- 



