REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR 1908. 
II 
with 29*857 inches, October being highest with 30*149 inches, 
January coming next with 30*106 inches. The extreme range 
of pressure was 2*011 inches as compared with 2*470 inches 
for 1907, and 2*147 inches in 1906 ; the highest reading being 
taken on February 6th, at 9 p.m., and the lowest on December 
10th, at 9 p.m. 
Rain or Snow (0*005 inches or more) fell on 225 days, 
14 more than in 1907 and 26 more than in 1906, the rainfall 
for the whole year being only 21*77 inches, i.e., 2*73 inches 
below the average (24*5) for the last 65 years. It is worth 
re-affirming, against the defamers of our climate, that York is 
one of the driest places in the Kingdom ! The wettest months 
of the year were March, July, and May, with rainfalls amount¬ 
ing to 2*86 inches, 2*65 inches, and 2*36 inches respectively ; 
whilst October, June, and January yielded only 0*77, 0*87, and 
1*20 inches respectively. 
The cumulative totals for the wettest month since 1841 are 
now October 184*28 inches, August 180*89 inches, and July 
168*72 inches. The heaviest rainfall occurred on July 8th, 
when 0*90 in. fell. 
Observations of the winds show that we have had to record 
during the year the occurrence of 2 “gales” and “strong” 
winds on 43 days, 15 days during the year being “calm.” The 
chief air-currents were S. (207), W. (144), S.W. (70), N. (94), 
N.W. (55), E. (50). 
Days of “clear” sky numbered 49 as against 42 in 1907, 
“overcast” 130 as against 120 in 1907, and 14 days were 
marked by thunderstorms. Snow fell on 25 days, all but 2 
being in the early months, and fog prevailed on 36 days, 
chiefly at the end of the year. 
It is sad to have to record that sunshine again fell off from 
1265*3 hours to 1259*0, a drop from 29% to 28% of possible 
sunshine. 
In a paper read before the British Association in Dublin by 
Sir John W. Moore, M.D. on “Is our Climate changing?” 
the writer came to the conclusion that “ there is no evidence 
at all, from observations taken over six centuries, that any 
appreciable change has taken place in the climate of the 
British Isles.” 
