XIV. 
REPORT OF THE 
Bright Sunshine was very deficient in the Autumn months, 
August being especially dull. Only August, 1885, has been 
worse since records were begun in 1881. September, also, was 
in striking contrast to the brilliant month of J895. January, 
April, and November did their duty best, although the last 
named gave us a shocking spell of sunless gloom from the 21st 
to the 29th. 
Rain or Snow (exceeding 0005 inches of water) fell on 190 
days. This is 20 days more than our average, yet the total 
rainfall, 2 T98 inches, is three inches less. March and December 
are chiefly responsible for the former ; January, April, May 
and July for the latter. Heavy thunderstorms in June 
prevented the drought in these districts from assuming the 
serious aspect of some other parts, notably in the South West. 
Snow fell on two daj^s in March and four in December. This 
is almost certainly the lowest record in our period. Last year, 
at least, a few flakes were noted on 45 days. There were 23 
days with thunderstorms, ten of them in June, including a 
consecutive series from the 2nd to the 8th. 
The race for first and last places in the cumulative rain totals 
from 1841 continues as exciting as ever. For the three wettest 
months we have as totals, August, 151*18 inches; October, 
150 79 ; and July, 149*85. Thus, with over twelve feet of rain¬ 
fall apiece, the winner leads by a bare third of an inch. July 
has dropped back to third place, although only 1*33 behind the 
first. The three driest months are closer still. Handicapped 
to a 30 day month the values are;—April, 88*51 ; March, 
88*74 (actually, 91*00) ; and February, 89*24 (actually, 84*05). 
April has thus slipped to the rear ; but with only f inch 
difference between the first and third it is still any man’s race 
before the end of this decade is gained. The same is nearly as 
true of the three wettest months. Still a consistent backer of 
August, from 1811 on, would have come out winner in the 
main. It led without a break from 1857 to 1886, the rest 
being nowhere in the latter half of the sixties. 
Floods of eight feet and over occurred on March 7th and 
December 5th and 6th, when nine feet three inches was reached, 
iieturns, rather fuller than last year, have been received from 
the gauges up the river. The results, however, in the absence 
