340 The Weather during the Agricultural Tear, 1905-1903. 
t 
occurred on tlie 7th and 8th were again accompanied by heavy 
falls of rain in some parts of our eastern counties, the amount 
at Rauceby, in Lincolnshire, on the latter day being as much 
as L4 in. in the space of an hour and a half (10 to 11.30 p.m.). 
In the latter part of the month there was a general deficiency of 
rain in all but the northern districts, and quite at the close 
the thermometer rose rapidly to an abnormally high level for 
so late in the season ; the shade maxima of the 31st being above 
90° in many parts of the country, and as high as 95° at one or 
two places in the south. 
For the summer as a whole the mean temperature was above 
the average, but owing to the coolness of the earlier half of the 
season the excess of warmth was not very great. Excepting 
in those few localities in which torrential downpours occurred 
the rainfall was very deficient, the driest weather being experi- 
enced in the eastern, midland, and southern districts. For 
the south of England as a whole the total rainfall did not 
amount to more than 51 per cent, of the average. Bright sun- 
shine was abundant, especially in the drier portions of the 
country, where the summer was one of the finest within recent 
years. The amount of sunshine was, however, no larger than 
in 1904, and was not nearly so large as in 1899. 
The Autumn of 1906. 
The autumn was mostly warm, with an excess of rain over 
the eastern half of the country, but with a slight deficiency in 
the Avest. The tendency for fine weather, so largely prevalent 
in the earlier portions of the year, was still in evidence, and 
although the conditions in October and November were often 
extremely unsettled, the total duration of sunshine was again 
in excess of the average. 
The phenomenal burst of . heat experienced at the close of 
August continued throughout the first three days of September, 
when shade temperatures of 90° and upwards were recorded 
in nearly all parts of the country. At some places in the 
midland and southern counties the thermometer rose to 95°, 
and at Bawtry it touched 96°, the readings at the time being 
in nearly all cases the highest on record for the month of 
September, and in some cases the highest on record for any 
time in the year. A sudden change to cooler weather occurred 
on the 4th, but for nearly three weeks the temperature 
remained above the normal, the only touch of cold occurring 
on the night of the 10th, when a rather sharp ground frost 
occurred over the inland parts of the country. The conditions 
were for some little time changeable and showery, and on the 
15th and 16th thunderstorms were experienced in many 
places. Towards the close of the month the weather became 
