RAINFALL IN HERTFORDSHIRE IN 1901. 
163 
rain commencing at 4 p.m., and in an action at Watford arising out 
of damage done by flooding (in which the writer gave evidence as 
to the rainfall) it was admitted by the party in the action whose 
interest it was to show that the fall was not exceptional in intensity 
that as much as 1*88 in. fell at another station in the town in three- 
quarters of an hour, giving an intensity at the rate of over two 
and a half inches per hour in that period, which is unprecedented 
in our records for any part of the county. It is a curious 
coincidence that the greatest fall recorded in Hertfordshire in 
any one day was on the 12th of July, 1889 (3*91 ins. at Harden 
Hill, Tewin), and that the greatest intensity of rainfall recorded 
in England as maintained for so long a period as an hour and 
a quarter was on the 12th July, 1900, when 3*75 ins. of rain fell 
in that time at Brook Street, Ilkley, being at the rate of 3 inches 
per hour. The fall at Watford occurred in a thunderstorm and 
was accompanied by hail; and similar heavy and usually local 
falls occurred in the county in the last week of this month. On 
the 25th the fall was considerable at 7 stations, great at Melbourn 
Street, Boyston (1*23 in.), and Bennington House, Stevenage 
(1*46 in.), and heavy at Datchworth Bectory (1-68 in.) and Hamels 
Park, Buntingford (1*68 in.). On the 26th the fall was considerable 
at 16 stations, very considerable at 3, great at The Maples, Hitchin 
(1*00 in.), The Chilterns, Hitchin (1*02 in.), Weston Park, 
Stevenage (1T1 in.), Bulbourne (IT6in.), and Bennington House 
(1*23in.), very great at Desmond Cottage, Bennington (1-29 in.), 
and heavy at High Down, Hitchin (P61 in.), and Pendley Manor, 
Tring (1*64 in.). On the 27th the fall was considerable at 2 stations 
and very considerable at 4; and on the 28th it was considerable at 
3 stations. The 12th was the wettest day at 12 stations, the 25th 
at 8, the 26th at 20, and the 27th at 5. 
August.—A rather dry month, with rain on a small number of 
days, most of it falling in the middle of the month and during 
the last week. There were a few slight thunderstorms ; one on the 
26th with hail. On the 25th the fall was considerable at 10 stations 
and very considerable at one station, on the 26th it was considerable 
at 5 stations, and on the 27th at 3. The 14th was the wettest 
day at 3 stations, the 15th at one station, the 25th at 25 stations, 
the 26th at 6, the 27th at 9, and the 14th and 27th were the 
wettest at one station. 
September.— A dry month, with rain on a very small number of 
days, chiefly in the middle of the month, when there were a few 
slight thunderstorms. On the 16th the fall was considerable at 17 
stations and very considerable at 2; on the 17th it was considerable 
at 2 stations, and on the 20th at 2 (so far apart as Cowroast and 
Broxbourne). The 16th was the wettest day at 29 stations, the 
17th at 2, and the 20th at 4. 
October.— Bather dry, with nearly the average number of wet 
days. There were a few slight thunderstorms during the first 
week. On the 2nd the fall was considerable at 3 stations ; on the 
16th it was considerable at 8 and very considerable at 2 ; and on the 
