MR. PRESTON’S NOTES ON THE NORFOLK FLOOD. 551 
IV. 
NOTES ON THE GREAT NORFOLK RAINSTORM 
OF 25th AND 26th AUGUST, 1912. 
By Arthur W. Preston, F.R.Met.Soc. 
Read 25t1i February, 1913. 
As will be seen from the foregoing “Meteorological Notes” for 
1912, a very rainy period of weather set in over this district on 
the 18th July, as much as 3’02 ins. of rain having fallen between 
that date and August 2+th, only 7 out of the 38 days having 
been rainless. On Sunday, August 25th, the weather seemed 
to improve, and the day was very fine, but towards evening the 
barometer began to fall, and this and a “ watery ” sunset 
indicated an early renewal of the wet weather. At 9 p.m. the 
barometer (corrected and reduced to sea level) stood at 29'55 
ins., and was still falling. The barograph chart shows that 
after midnight the fall was much more rapid. By 9 a.m. it had 
fallen to 29'08 ins., and by 1 p.m. to almost exactly 29 ins. A 
temporary rise ensued between 1 and 4 p.m., after which the 
mercury was steady till 10 p.m., when it again rose without 
interruption for 36 hours. The cause of the disturbance was a 
small depression, which appears to have come up from France, 
and whose centre was at 9 a.m. on the 26th situated over the 
Thames Estuary. The depression moved nearly northwards 
and deepened rapidly in its course. The centre must have 
passed over the vicinity of Norwich about 1 p.m., and this 
supposition is confirmed by the sudden backing and rising of 
the wind at about that time. The rain began to fall at Norwich 
about 4 a.m., and appeared to increase in intensity as the 
morning proceeded. By 9 a.m. 1'03 ins. had fallen. The 
greatest volume of water fell between 9 a.m. and 3.15 p.m. 
(4‘96 ins.); between 3.15 p.m. and 5.40 p.m. a further '60 in. 
was added, after which, although it still continued raining 
