1912.] 



BAILIWICK RAINFALL. 



393 



in all the islands on the 4th, Alderney reporting over half-an- 

 inch (0*51 in.), and the weather generally became unsettled. 

 January's contribution to the year's weather Avas a help in the 

 direction of " warm and wet " for the month had three 

 important rainy intervals and was very mild until the last few 

 days, when the only cold snap of the 1911-12 Avinter occurred. 

 Alderney felt the wintry nip, for it was reported that " hard 

 frost held the Blayes and bound the Marais cattle troughs " 

 on the 29th. 



The cold snap was most seA^ere in the first Aveek of 

 February, but came to a sudden end on the 5th, after which 

 extremely mild conditions with rainy weather prevailed to the 

 end of the month. One very wet week for the time of year 

 was experienced — the 18th-24th — when a total of 1*61 in. of 

 rain fell at Guernsey (Les Blanches), 1*44 in. at Sark, and 

 1*52 in. at Alderney. 



March was another month of unusually high temperature 

 and of much rainfall. At Guernsey (Les Blanches) it proved 

 to be the Avettest March of the 19 years (1894-1912; and in 

 the two smaller islands the total is a big figure (see Table). 

 During some rough cyclonic weather in the first Aveek big 

 differences of rainfall were experienced. For the 5th and 6th 

 the measurements were as follows : — 



GUERNSEY SARK ALDERNEY 



(Les Blanches). (Vallee dn Creux). (Le Huret). 



March 5th (Tuesday) ... 0-60 in 0'38 in O'llin. 



„ 6th (Wednesday) O20in 0'19in 0'03 in. 



Totals 0-80 in. 0'57 in. 0'14 in. 



Hail, thunder and lightning Avas a frequent accompani- 

 ment of the stormy spells. For instance violent thunder and 

 lightning occurred at Guernsey on the evening of the 5th, and 

 Alderney reported " squalls, hail, thunder, lightning " for the 

 19th, and " increasing gale, thunder in squalls," for the 21st. 

 Jersey, by the way, reported a thunderstorm in being to the 

 Meteorological Office at 7 a.m. on the 20th. 



An unusually wet week Avas that of Sunday to Saturday, 

 March 17th to 23rd, Avhen no less than 2*78 in. of rain fell at 

 Guernsey (Les Blanches), 2*31 in. at Sark, and 2*13 in. at 

 Alderney. Much better weather, howeA r er, was at hand for, 

 in striking contrast to the above, the measurements for the 

 following Aveek (March 24th to 30th) were: Guernsey, 

 0-08 in. ; Sark, 0'06 in. ; and Alderney, 0"06 in. 



April proved a delightful month — AA^arm and very dry. 

 It was, everywhere, the driest month of the year, and more 

 than that. At Sark it Avas the driest month experienced since 



