NOTES ON THE RAINFALL. 



329 



farming operations." The storm deposited as much as 

 0*44 in. of water in Capt. Henry's gauge at the Vallee du 

 Creux, but at Guernsey, where thick fog prevailed and the 

 electrical disturbance was slight, only 0*05 in. of rain fell at 

 Les Blanches. 



Alderney escaped the storm and shower altogether, but 

 not so on Thursday, the 18th, when thundery conditions 

 having again developed over the Bailiwick, that island lay in 

 the track of the electrical disturbance and 0*25 in. of rain fell 

 at 5 a.m. A paltry 0*02 in. of rain fell at Sark on this 

 occasion, but none at Guernsey, although distant thunder 

 was heard between 4 and 6 a.m. 



The whole of the last half of May was very dry every- 

 where, and indeed the month as a whole was decidedly a 

 period of drought ; it was also pleasantly warm and sunny. 

 These conditions spread into J une. The first fortnight in fact 

 would have been almost rainless but for a terrific thunder- 

 storm which prevailed for five hours on the evening of 

 Thursday, the 8th. At Guernsey (Les Blanches) the down- 

 pour amounted to 1*35 in. and during the height of the storm, 

 " Montville," a large and at the moment untenanted house at 

 Les Vardes, was struck by the electric fluid and gutted. At 

 Sark the rainfall was much less heavy being only 0*76 in. 

 Alderney was not involved in the rain area at all for Mr. 

 Picot remarked under that day's date: u tantalizing heavy 

 thunderstorm in S.W. ; no rain here." As far as Guernsey 

 is concerned this was the worst summer thunderstorm 

 experienced for many years. 



As a consequence of Alderney having escaped the rain of 

 this disastrous storm that island enjoyed four complete weeks 

 of absolutely dry weather, for the returns show that no rain at 

 all fell there during the twenty-eight days ended June 14th. 

 This was the longest " absolute " drought recorded in the 

 islands during the year. 



Beginning on June loth rain fell at all the stations, and 

 to the end of the month unsettled weather prevailed with 

 frequent copious showers. This period included the day of 

 the King's Coronation celebrations, Thursday, the 22nd, the 

 festivities in connection with which were marred in the three 

 islands by much rain. At Guernsey, where the day Avas 

 sunless, 0*41 in. of rain fell at Les Blanches ; at Sark and 

 Alderney the amount was 0*26 in. 



July was an ideal summer month — very warm as well as 

 very dry. At Guernsey (Les Blanches) and Sark no rain at 

 all fell until the 24th, but during the night from the 25th- 



F 



