344 
mr. a. w. preston’s meteorological notes. 
rainfall of the month, here, was precisely the same as in 
July, viz., - 74 ins. Sunshine was 61 hours above the average. 
September. 
In September the heat returned with renewed energy, the 
thermometer exceeding 80° on six days, and reaching 90'5° 
on the 8th. After the 12th there was a decided reduction in 
temperature, and the weather became more seasonable, and 
the month concluded with a remarkably squally day on the 
30th, when the wind blew at times in gusts exceeding forty 
miles an hour, doing a considerable amount of damage both 
at sea and on land. Only half-an-inch of rain fell during the 
first three weeks of the month, and at this time the con- 
dition of the soil was in a deplorably parched state, the 
railway banks became in a highly inflammable condition 
and suffered much from fires caused by sparks from passing 
engines. 
October. 
Mean temperature was slightly above the average, but the 
departure from the normal was small as compared with some 
of the previous months of this warm year. It is not a little 
remarkable that every October of the present century (with 
the exception of 1905, which was one of the coldest ever 
known) has given a mean temperature above the average. 
The month was, on the whole, a fine and genial one, with 
many pleasant days, and although more rain fell than in any 
month since June, the total having been 2'78 ins., this total 
was nevertheless a quarter of an inch deficient. On the 22nd 
a sudden squall, accompanied by thunder, occurred at 5 a.m., 
during which the wind attained a velocity of 32 miles an 
hour. This was the fringe of a violent gale and thunderstorm 
which was prevailing at the time over the South and South- 
East of England. 
