MR. A. W. PRESTON’S METEOROLOGICAL NOTES. 
343 
remarkable. With the exception of 1905, which gave a 
mean temperature of 0 - 2° higher, it was the hottest July 
since my observations commenced in 1883. In 1905, however, 
the excess was by night rather than by day, but the day 
temperatures of July, 1911, averaged 75'4° against 74'6° in 
1905. The thermometer exceeded 80° on ten days ; daily 
during the last five days of the month. The highest reading 
for the month was 91'1° on the 21st. No rain whatever fell 
here betweeh the 2nd and the 24th, constituting an absolute 
drought of 22 days. Some showers fell in the last week, but 
they were quickly absorbed by the thirsty ground. On some 
days pleasant breezes tempered the heat, the direction being 
mainly from the north-east quarter. The amount of sunshine 
reached the extraordinary total of 310 hours, which was 100 
hours in excess of the normal amount for July. Ten hours 
and upwards were registered on 19 days, and no day was 
sunless. 
August. 
An almost unbroken continuance of the tropical weather 
which had characterised July prevailed during the greater 
part of August. The mean temperature was even higher 
than that of July, and was nearly 6° above the average. On 
the 9th (the day on which a shade temperature of 100° was 
registered at Greenwich) the maximum recorded here was 
93’5°, which is the highest on my registers, having been half 
a degree higher than the previous record of 93° on the 3rd 
September, 1906, which was taken with the same instrument 
at the same spot. 80° and upwards were reached on nine 
days, and the thermometer did not fall below 60° on nine 
nights. Somewhat less heat prevailed after the 18th. 
Another absolute drought occurred, lasting from the 1st to 
the 19th, or only four days shorter than the July drought; 
in fact rain fell on only six days during the seven weeks 
ending August 19th, to the depth of ’81 ins. only. The total 
