COLOMBO. 
Added as a Stipplemeiit Monthly to the "TROPICAL AGRICULTUPJST.' 
The following pages include the Contents of the Agricultural, Magazine for 
Decenaber : — 
Vol XV.] 
DECEMBER. 1903. 
[No. 6. 
THE CLIMATE OF CEYLON. 
He Surveyor-General's Report 
for 1902 is a particularly 
interesting document, and 18 
well illustrated by three 
maps of the Island besides 
other explanatory diagrams , 
The maps show respectively 
the mean annual rainfall, the mean rainfall 
during the South-West monsoon, and the mean 
rainfall during the North-East monsoon. 
We cull the following information from the 
report : — 
The climate varies considerably in different 
parts of the Island, both as regards temperature 
and rainfall. In the lowlands the climate is 
tropical, but in the mountains in the interior 
the climate is found equal to many parts of 
Europe. 
The mean temperature for the year 1902 was 
highest at Mannar and lowest at Nuwara Eliya, 
being 82*3° and 59*7° respectively. 
At Colombo and Kaudy the mean temperature 
was 81 '8° and 75'4° respectively. 
The mean daily range of temperature, i.e., the 
mean of the daily differences between the 
maximum and minimum temperatures, was highest 
at llatnapura, having been 20'2°, and lowest 
at Galle, 8-7° 
The differences recorded at Colombo and Kandy 
were 12'7°aud 15-8° respectively. 
The absolute range or differences between the 
highest and lowest temperature of the air recorded 
during, the year was greatest at Nuwara Eliya and 
lowest at Galle, having been 30'7^ and 12"5^ 
respectively. 
The absolute difference at Kandy was 24 'b° and 
at Colombo 19-0° 
The hottest station, taking the mean tempera- 
ture of night and day all the year round into 
account, was Mannar (82*3°). The coolest 
Nuwara Eliya (.59*7°.) Colombo and Kandy were 
81-0° and 75'-i° respectively. 
The deficiency in rainfall reported in 1901 
was more than made up for during 1902, The 
first three months of the year and the mouths 
of October and November were abnormarly wet 
all over the Island. October and November 
especially shewed large excess, the most remark- 
able being 17 inches in October on the West 
and over 12 inches in November on the East 
coast above the average. During the year the 
whole Island has received from 14 to 30 iHches 
more than the average for the past 33 years, the 
only exception being a small patch in the south 
part of the Uva Province with 2i inches below 
the average. 
The following figures give the moan annual 
rainfall of the chief towns in various parts of 
the Island :— Colombo, 88-77 ; Gnlle, 9172 ; 
Ilambautotfl, 37'11 ; Batticalon, 58'17 ; Trin- 
comalee, 63-45; Jaffun, 45-47 ; Mannar, 38-59; 
Futtalam. 46-98 ; Anuradhapura, 54-47; Kurune- 
galle, 84-71 ; Kandy, 82-16; Nuwara Eliyn, 94-44; 
BaduUn, 76 93; Raonapurn, 151-39, 
