At other times more than the annual average may fall in one month. 
Because of this variability the general aspect of the island is 
much drier than the average annual rainfall would suggest. The 
growth of the vegetation may vary so much that descriptions 
written several years apart may scarcely appear to refer to the 
same island. 
In commenting on rainfall in the South 
Pacific, Beelye (1950) wrote that xhE annual rainfall is most 
variable along the western tongue of the equatorial dry zone 
which has a steep north-south rainfall gradient* Thus comparatively 
small disturbances of the controlling atmospheric circulation 
would be expected to produce spectacular changes in that area, 
fic Project observations on Howland 
, which is in this area, indicate 
that this conjecture is correct. When rain does fail, it usually 
falls in torrential showers, and several inches may fall in a 
few hours. July and October, 1963 were very wet MMHXXKSifSXMMSX 
.. 
n-T-kj;' - s’ 
na 
.but there seems to have 
been but little rainfall since that time judging from the state 
of the vegetation* 
Ramsay ( 1925 ) of the Whippoorwill Expedition doubts that Howland has 
a mean annual precipitation of over three inches while a Pacific Missile 
Range publication states that Howland 1 s annual precipitation may be 
estimated at 25 in jjhes. Enoch apparently was more accurate when he simply 
stated that the annual precipitation may vary as much as 24 inches from 
year to year. 
