mr. a. w. preston’s meteorological notes. 
597 
ending the 19th was very remarkable, there being no cloud 
whatever during the whole of the period. This continued sunshine 
and drought completely baked the surface of the soil, and the 
effect on vegetation was most disastrous. 
July. 
The first week was exceedingly fine and warm, culminating in 
an excessively hot day on the 8th, when the thermometer stood 
above 85 degrees in the shade from 11 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. This was 
the warmest day for eight years past, but the thunderstorm which 
occurred the same evening broke up the weather, and the remainder 
of the month was unsettled and showery, with no excessive heat, 
'fhe mean temperature of the month was in fair agreement with 
the average, and it was the warmest month since 1887. The 
rainfall was also about the average, although in West Norfolk 
it was considerably in excess. Thunderstorms occurred on the 8th, 
9th, 12th, 17th, andr 26th. The total rainfall for the year to the 
end of July was 4 inches deficient, but the amount registered 
during the last twenty-three days of .1 uly was equal to that which 
fell between March 2nd and July 7th, a period of over eighteen 
weeks. 
August. 
The warm and dry weather, which had hitherto been the pre- 
vailing characteristic of 1893, continued almost throughout August, 
the heat increasing as the month advanced. Maxima of 79.6 
degrees were recorded on the 8th, 77.8 on the 11th, 78.4 on the 
14th, 82 on the 15th, 85 on the 16th, 87 on the 17th, and 90 on 
the 18th. The last named reading was the highest since the 
11th of August, 1884, when 93.4 degrees was recorded at 
Hillington, 91 at Norwich, and 90.9 at Cromer. The night 
temperatures were also abnormally warm ; for whereas during the 
last five years there has been no night on which the thermometer 
did not fall to at least 60, during August on five occasions the 
minimum was above 62, and on the nights of the 17th, 18th, and 
20th, it was 64, 64.2, and 64 respectively. The mean tem- 
perature of the first twenty-one days was 66.4, or about 5 degrees 
above the average ; but the last week being decidedly cooler, 
