mr. a. w. preston’s meteorological notes. 
479 
It will be seen from the above that the temperature of the 
Winter was considerably in excess of the average, that of the 
Spring and Summer slightly below, and that of the Autumn 
greatly in excess. The rainfall was deficient in each season 
except the Spring, which gave nearly an inch of rain more than 
usual. The dryness of the Autumn was most abnormal, the 
deficiency of rain during the three months amounting to nearly 
three inches. 
The Year. 
The mean temperature of the year (50.5 degrees) was more than 
2 degrees above the average, and was higher than in any year since 
1884. In January, September, October, November, and December, 
the excess of temperature ranged from 4 degrees to nearly 7 degrees 
above the average. May, .1 une, and J uly were somewhat colder than 
usual, but the departure from the average was so slight that it did 
but little to counterbalance the excess of warmth in the other months. 
The rainfall of the year, for the fourth year in succession, was con- 
siderably deficient, such deficiency having been, in 1895, 1.99 in. ; 
in 189G, 3.G2 in.; in 1897, 4.83 in.; and in 1898, 3.G7 in., or 
a total deficiency of 14.11 in. in the four years. In other words, 
we have had only 3A years’ rain in the four years. September 
was the driest month, and June the wettest. There was a general 
tendency to dryness until May, which month, with June, was wetter 
than usual, and gave rise to predictions in many quarters that, 
owing to the so-called “ nineteen-year weather cycle," the ensuing 
Summer was to be exceptionally wet. The fallacy of this pre- 
diction was exemplified by the result, which showed a deficiency 
of rain during July, August, September, and October, amounting 
in the aggregate to as much as 4.70 in. The number of days in 
the year on which rain was measured was only 1GG, being the 
fewest in any year since 1884. 
