REPORT ON METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, WISLEY, 191 7, 323 
Isle of Wight, " lowest mean temperature during my 35 years' 
records " ; Scotland, "coldest April during last 60 years," etc. But 
not only gardeners — farmers and flock-masters were also severe 
sufferers from the continued frost, and from heavy snow-drifts ; and 
in more than one district, one of them being in the west of Ireland, 
these snow-drifts caused loss of human life also. The rainfall of the 
month was as a rule rather less than the average, but over the northern 
districts the average was somewhat exceeded. 
The following table summarizes the results of the observations ■ 
made at Wisley : 
Mean temperature of the air in shade .... 42*4° 
Highest .... 63 0 on the 30th 
Lowest „ „„.... 27 0 „ 7th 
Lowest on the grass . . . . .13° ,, 2nd 
Number of nights of ground frost . . . . . . . .27 
At depth of 
1 ft. 2 ft. 4 ft. 
Mean temperature of the soil at 9 a.m. . . . 42 0 42-2° 41*9° 
Highest „ • • • 49° 47° 44° 
Lowest 38 0 39 0 41 0 
Mean relative humidity of the air at 9 a.m. (complete saturation being repre- 
sented by 100), 78 per cent. 
Rain fell on 15 days, to the total depth of 2*02 in. (equivalent to about 9*4 
gallons of water to the square yard). Heaviest fall on any day 0*32 in., on the 
2nd. 
The prevailing winds were from between north-west and north-east. 
The average velocity of the wind was 6 miles an hour. 
There were 156 hours of bright sunshine, equal to 38 per cent, of the greatest 
possible amount. 
There was but one day on which no sunshine was recorded. 
May. — In marked contrast to what had occurred during the 
preceding months of the year the weather of May was unusually 
fine and warm ; everywhere the temperature was higher than the 
average, the excess varying from about one degree at places on the 
coast to as much as six degrees over some inland districts, where the 
heating power of the sun made itself more manifest. As might have 
been expected from these conditions, a good many thunderstorms 
occurred in various parts of the kingdom, some of them being of 
unusual severity, accompanied by floods of rain, or by heavy falls of 
hail ; but whilst in the western and southern districts the total rain- 
fall was above the average, it was generally below it elsewhere. The 
amount of bright sunshine recorded was as a rule less than the average, 
the Eastern Counties of England being the most favoured, with about 
one-half of the possible amount ; whilst Scotland had less than one- 
third, and the remainder, speaking generally, between one-third and 
one-half of the total possible amount ; at Wisley the average daily 
duration was six and three-quarter hours. But taking a broad view 
of the climatological conditions, they were very favourable for gardening 
or farming operations ; and although at the opening of the month 
everything was very backward, owing to the protracted winter, now, 
with the hot days, all growth leapt forward, so that by the close of 
the month the leeway had been more than made good, and the outlook 
