XXYI. 
REPORT ON THE RAINFALL IN HERTFORDSHIRE IN 1886. 
By the Bev. C. AY. IIaevey, M.A., F.B.Met.Soc. 
j Read at Hoddesdon , 3rd November , 1887. 
The number of gauges, and our staff of observers, remain 
exactly the same as last year, and I am aware of no change in 
the position of any of the gauges. I have compared the rainfall 
for 1886 with the rainfall of the previous ten years, 1876-85, 
using the same set of means as last year. The terms “mean” 
and “ average ” will therefore again refer to this ten-year period. 
The fall for the present year proves to he smaller than that of 
any of the previous ten, with the exception of 1883 and 1884, 
hut the number of wet days was slightly above the average. 
Distribution of Rainfall throughout the Year. —Of the total rainfall 
38°/ 0 fell during the winter months, 14°/ 0 during the spring, 28 0 / o 
during the summer, and 20°/ o during the autumn. The fall of 
each quarter, and of each season, and how far it differed from the 
mean, was as follows : 
Fall. 
Diff. 
Fall. 
Difi. 
1st quarter.. 
.... 5*32 in. 
— *69 in. 
Winter.. 
. 10*57 in. +3*42 in. 
2nd ,, 
.... 7*09 
*45 in. 
Spring . 
. 3*79 
—1*95 
3rd „ . 
.... 4-36 
—3*84 
Summer . 
. 7*59 
— *13 
4th „ . 
.... 10*73 
+2*58 
Autumn . 
. 5*55 
—2*84 
27*50 
—1*50 
27*50 
—1*50 
Thus the winter fall was most in excess of the mean, whilst the 
autumn fall showed the greatest deficiency. 
A comparison of the monthly fall with the mean shows that 
May was the wettest month and February the driest; January and 
December showed a considerable excess, whilst June, August, 
and September showed a corresponding deficiency. 
ins. ins. ins. ins. 
Jan. -f- 1-20 April. — -56 July. — *33 Oct. -61 
Feb. — 1*93 May. -}-2*50 Aug. —1*68 Nov. -j- '19 
Mar. + *04 June. —1-49 Sept. ■—183 Dec. —[-1*78 
Distribution of Rainfall throughout the County. —In each of the 
river-basins of the Thames and the Ouse the fall was just an inch 
below the mean. In the five districts of the Thame, Colne, Lea, 
Ivel, and Cam, the Thame alone showed any excess, and that very 
slight, whilst the Colne showed a considerable deficiency. The 
mean fall in each of these districts was— 
Lower Lea. 
ins. 
. 29*47 
Thame 
Upper Thame _ 
ms. 
... 32*01 
Upper Lea.. 
. 25*36 
Colne. 
/ Lower Colne. 
.... 29*82 
Mimram. 
. 27*24 
| Yer. 
... 28*26 
Beane. 
. 28*66 
( Gade ... 
... 29*25 
Rib. 
. 25*88 
Ivel . 
Hiz. 
... 26*43 
Ash . 
.. 26*47 
Cam . 
Rhee . 
... 23*40 
The total yearly fall ranged from 32*79 ins. at Moor Park, to 
22*33 ins. at Odsey; whilst the monthly fall ranged from 6*31 ins. 
at Tring in December, to 0*23 in. at Odsey in February. 
