mh. a. w. preston’s meteorological notes. 207 
«ave us a long spell of fineness and great warmth, the intensity 
and oppressiveness of the heat of July, 1900, was considerably 
greater, in fact since 1868 there has been nothing like it. The 
thermometer exceeded 70 degrees daily during the twenty-one 
days ; it was over 75 degrees on seventeen days, over 80 degrees 
on six days, and reached 86 degrees on the 24th, and 87.2 degrees 
on the 25th. The nights were correspondingly warm. During 
the six nights ending the 26th, the temperature did not once fall 
below 60 degrees, and on the 26th the minimum was as high as 
63.2 degrees. The mean temperature of the week ending July 
21st was 68.3 degrees, and that of the week ending July 28th 
was 69.7 degrees, or more than 8 degrees above the average. 
That of the month (65.0 degrees) was higher than in any July 
since 1876, or in any month since August, 1884. The rainfall 
of the month was 1.72 in., or over an inch deficient. Thunder 
occurred on several days, the most severe storm having been that 
of the evening of the 21st, which lasted till 3.30 a.m. on 
the 22nd. The lightning was very brilliant and almost incessant, 
and at times the reports of thunder were terrific. Such a storm 
has not been experienced here since 1892; but in Mid-Norfolk it 
was even more severe and accompanied by hail and a tremendous 
downpour of rain. 
August. 
The entrance of August was signalized by a most abrupt change 
in the weather ; the heat wave breaking up and giving place to 
ten days of cold, rough, rainy weather such is rarely seen at this 
season, even in wet summers. The drop in temperature was about 
27 degrees, and the first ten days of the month yielded no less than 
3 inches of rain. Heavy gales occurred on the 4th and 6th, quite 
out of character with summer, and the August Bank Holiday will 
long be remembered for the wind and rain which accompanied it. 
On the 11th the weather improved and some fine days followed, 
giving place on the 21st to further thunder and rain. The total 
rainfall of the month was greatly in excess of the average. With 
us it was the wettest August since 1881, and the total which was 
4.35 in. considerably exceeded the aggregate of the three previous 
Augusts. In some parts of Norfolk the fall exceeded 5J inches. 
The mean temperature did not fall far short of the average, by 
reason of the nights being relatively warmer than the days. 
