G3 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  28,  19C4. 
and  closed  with  very  mild,  wet  weather,  but  sandwiched 
between  this  w'as  a  week  of  cloudless  skies  and  very  severe 
frost.  The  two  following  months  proved  remarkably  mild 
throughout,  with  a  good  deal  of  rain  during  the:  last  five 
weeks  of  the  period.  Then  followed  a  disastrously  cold 
Apiil  and  a  wet  and  sunless  May.  June,  after  commencing 
fairly,  brought  perhaps  the  most  remarkable  weather  of  the 
year,  in  a  very  wet  and  cold  period,  lasting  from  the  8th  to 
the  19th.  Following  this  came  the  only  summer  weather 
of  the  season,  just  in  time  for  the  haymakers.  This  lasted 
Avith  a  somewhat  lower  temperature  until  the  middle  of 
Jidy,  when  rainfalls  again  became  general  and  heavy  •,  this 
unpleasant  type  of  rveather  continuing  throughout  August 
and  Avell  into  September. 
Then,  however,  a  great  cyclonic  storm,  which  passed 
directly  across  our  islands  on  the  11th,  apparently  cleared 
the  air  somewhat,  for  the  last  fortnight  of  that  month 
showed  a  decided  improvement  in  every  way.  With 
October  rainfall  again  set  in,  this  month  being  the  wettest, 
taking  our  islands  as  a  whole,  for  many  years  past. 
November  brought  a  return  to  fairly  dry  conclitions,  accom¬ 
panied  by  mild  weather,  Avhich,  with  the  exception  of  a 
break  at  the  meeting  of  the  months,  continued  onward  to 
Christmastide.  Then  an  easterly  current  of  Avind  brought 
a  decided  diminution  of  temperature,  and  sharp  frosty 
Aveather  distinguished  the  closing  days  of  a  dark  and 
disastrous  year. 
To  a  greater  or  less  extent  thunderstorms  Avere  reported 
from  various  districts  during  every  month  of  the  year, 
April  and  December  being  the  only  months  fairly  free. 
Taking  the  time  of  year  into  consideration,  the  most  note¬ 
worthy  storms  took  place  over  the  southern  and  central 
districts  of  England  on  January  3rd,  being  accompanied  by 
remarkable  falls  of  hail. 
Snowstorms  Avere  very  little  in  evidence  during  the 
year.  The  principal  falls  took  place  over  the  Shetlands  on 
February  13th,  over  our  northern  and  eastern  districts 
throughout  the  third  Aveek  of  April,  and  over  Scotland  and 
the  northern  parts  of  England  during  the  last  few  days  of 
November.  Aurora  Avas  observed  at  Malin  Head  on 
February  24th,  over  the  north  of  Scotland  on  October  13th, 
and  at  Sumburgh  Head  on  November  20th.  A  very  unusual 
phenomenon  during  the  year  Avas  the  occurrence  of  a 
violent  magnetic  storm  over  Western  Europe  on 
October  31st. 
Gales  were  chiefly  prevalent  during  the  first  three 
months,  and  again  from  August  to  the  close  of  the  year ; 
cyclonic  storms  of  very  exceptional  violence  affecting  our 
islands  on  February  26th  and  27th,  and  again  on  Septem¬ 
ber  11th.  In  the  latter  case  the  destructive  force  of  the 
AAund  was  chiefly  confined  to  our  southern  and  south¬ 
western  districts  ;  but  in  the  former,  practically  the  Avhole 
of  our  islands  felt  the  storm. 
Although  in  a  short  article  of  this  description  it  is 
impossible  to  give  an  exhaustive  account  of  the  rainfall  of 
the  year,  its  general  distribution  over  our  islands  aauII  be 
easily  gathered  from  the  following  table,  Avhich  gives  the 
monthly  and  yearly  falls,  and  the  differences  of  the  latter 
from  the  average  at  nine  carefully  selected  stations:  — 
1903. 
O 
o 
o 
*o 
"o 
o 
tT 
p 
rf 
O 
o 
>> 
o 
CO 
'c 
-4-> 
u, 
? 
O 
t4-( 
d 
O 
G 
O 
1-4 
'A 
m 
« 
o 
,-4 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
January ... 
4-26 
4-04 
1-99 
8-25 
4-67 
3-04 
4-29 
2-58 
2-35 
February  . 
2-39 
3-76 
1-60 
5-41 
1-69 
2-40 
2-01 
0-79 
1-13 
March  . 
1-62 
3-25 
2-99 
9-16 
3-93 
2-90 
4-44 
3-03 
1-98 
April  . 
2-07 
0-92 
1-69 
2-32 
1-21 
1-94 
3-30 
2-28- 
2-02 
May  . 
2-23 
1-06 
2-51 
3-07 
1-46 
2-65 
3-38 
4-38 
3-24 
June  . 
1-64 
1-42 
1-92 
3-29 
1-24 
3-06 
3-74 
5-58 
6-17 
July . 
5-03 
3-75 
2-34 
4-51 
3-44 
2-56 
1-75 
3-47 
5-20 
August  ... 
4-18 
3-59 
3-37 
7-35 
4-91 
3  97 
4  39 
3.34 
4-62 
September  2-95 
1-87 
4-32 
6-95 
2-69 
3-22 
3-33 
1-54 
2-52 
October  ... 
4-47 
5-08 
7-37 
7-78 
6-89 
6-32 
8-03 
6-41 
5-32 
November 
2-94 
1-30 
2-77 
4-22 
2-54 
3-18 
1-91 
1-47 
2-09 
December 
2-53 
0-90 
1-99 
5-15 
5-16 
2-91 
3-13 
0-97 
1-31 
Total  fall.. 
36-31 
30-94 
34-86 
67-46 
39-86 
38-15 
43-70 
35-84 
37-95 
Averages .. 
30-84 
23-35 
28-93 
55-80 
33-99 
34-18 
34-86 
25-72 
24  84 
Depart- 
lines  from -1-5-47  -f7-59  -f  5-93-1-11.66  f5-87  -|-3-97  -|-8-84+10-12-t- 13-11 
Average 
So  far  as  the  totals  reported  from  these  stations  shoAV, 
therefore,  the  rainfall  wms  excessive  over  the  Avhole  of  our 
islands  ;  the  departure  from  normal  being  greatest  over 
the  metropolitan  and  midland  districts.  Of  the  individual 
months  the  last  tivo  alone  shoAv  a  generally  deficient  fall. 
On  the  other  hand,  January,  March,  August,  and  October 
contributed  very  excessive  amounts  almost  everyAvhere. 
In  the  metropolitan  district  a  remarkable  and  unprece¬ 
dented  feature  of  the  year  Avas  the  large  number  of  great 
individual  rains  occurring  during  the  summer  months  ;  no 
less  than  seven  instances  of  an  inch  or  more  of  rain  within 
twenty-four  hours  being  registered  from  June  to  September. 
Mean  atmospheric  pressure  for  the  twelve  months  shows 
a  general  deficiency ;  a  decided  contrast  to  the  two  pr^ 
ceding  years  of  the  century,  Avhich  each  gave  excesses  in 
all  districts.  The  monthly  means  and  those  for  the  year  at 
the  stations  for  Avhich  the  rainfall  values  have  been  given 
are  as  follows  : 
1903. 
O 
o 
u* 
o 
rO 
a 
o 
c 
4-1 
o 
> 
c3 
f-i 
o 
c5 
-b 
o 
o 
w 
u. 
CJ 
'o 
CO 
Oxford 
a 
o 
TJ 
a 
o 
1—1 
cc 
p 
-4 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
ins. 
•Tan.  ... 
29-732 
29-740 
29-871 
29-772 
29-887 
30-046 
29*990 
29-982 
29-992 
Feb  29-710  29-766  29-990  29-965  30-117  30-256  30-145.30-128  30-133 
March  29-501  29-518  29-685  29  665  29-794  29-966  29-791  29-824  29-847 
April  29-810  29-833  29-895  29-946  29-931  29-966  29-939  29-921  29  895 
IMay  29-884  29‘874  29-873  29-857  29-843  29  895  29-894  29-899  29-887 
June  30-099  30-091  30-073  30-057  30-005  30-011  30-055  30.053  30-031 
July  ..  29-841  29  850  29  916  29-922  29-953  30  012  29-971  29-956  29-947 
Aug.  29-641  29-669  29  751  29-812  29-885  29-965  29-870  29-859  29-856 
Sept.  .  29-978  29-960  29-995  29-872  29-965  30-049  30-027  30-039  30-028 
Oct  29-449  29-444  29  550  29  511  29-624  29-760  29-645  29-648  29-665 
Nov  29-867  29-911  30-029  30-117  30-111  30-131  30-104  30-084  30-063 
Dec.  ...  29-686  29-665  29-703  29  618  29  645  29-731  29-740  29-749  29-745 
iMcans.  29-766  29-777  29  861  29-84  3  29-897  29-892  29-931  29-928  29-924 
29-836  29-856  29-914  29-919  29-947  29-977  ?  29-955  29-957 
mean. 
from  -0-070  -0-079  -0  053  -0-076  -0-050  -0-085  ?  -0-027  -  0-073 
av. 
These  figures  shoAi-  a  general  excess  of  pressure  for  June 
and  November,  and  a  deficiency  in  January,  March,  May, 
July,  August,  October,  and  December.  Of  the  remaining 
months  February  and  April  gave  excesses  over  the  southern 
district,  but  deficiencies  in  the  north  ;  and  September 
excesses  everyAvhere  except  in  the  AA'est.  The  gteatest  pres¬ 
sure  reported  at  8  a.m.  OA-er  our  islands  during  the  year 
Avas  30.67in  at  Portland  Bill  and  Dungeness,  on  February 
lOth  and  17th  respectively;  and  the  least  28.58in  at  Sum¬ 
burgh  Head  on  February  23rd,  and  again  at  Blacksod  Point 
on  March  2nd — an  extreme  range  of  2.09iD. 
The  general  character  of  the  year  Avould  naturally  lead 
to  the  impression  that  the  temperature  Avould  be  deficient. 
Instead  of  this,  hoAvever,  except  in  the  extreme  north  and 
Avest,  the  tAvelA-c  months  shoAA'  a  substantial  ^cess  of 
warmth  over  our  islands.  In  the  third  table  given,  the 
mean  for  each  month,  and  also  for  the  year,  at  nine  stations 
distributed  over  our  islands  aauII  be  seen:  — 
1903. 
Aberdeen 
Leith 
Liverpool 
Valencia 
Scilly 
a 
C/. 
u 
O 
Bristol 
T3 
O 
'A 
O 
London 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
January . . 
.  38-0 
38-0 
39-7 
44-3 
46-3 
44-7 
40-5 
40-0 
40-9 
February  ... 
41-7 
44-1 
44-8 
46-9 
48-1 
46-2 
45-0 
45-1 
45-2 
March  . 
41-5 
43-3 
44-8 
45-3 
47-6 
48-1 
46-2 
45-7 
46-6 
April . 
40  7 
44-0 
43-7 
46-7 
47-4 
47-4 
44-9 
44-1 
45  0 
May  . 
48-0 
49-5 
51-3 
51-3 
53-2 
55-2 
53-1 
53-0 
54-7 
June  . 
51-3 
55-5 
55-1 
56-6 
55-6 
56-5 
55-6 
55-7 
56-9 
July  . 
54-6 
58-4 
58-3 
58-8 
61-3 
62-4 
60-4 
61-0 
62  6 
August . 
53-8 
57-4 
57-6 
57-2 
60-1 
61-4 
58-9 
58-7 
60-5 
September . 
51-6 
55-0 
55  1 
56-6 
57-8 
59-9 
56-9 
56-8 
58-8 
October . 
47-5 
49-8 
50-5 
51-4 
54-7 
56-2 
52-8 
52-1 
53  b 
November.. 
40-4 
43-7 
44-5 
47-5 
50-1 
49-8 
44-5 
43-8 
44-9 
December.. 
37-3 
37-8 
38-8 
43-1 
46-0 
42-5 
39-3 
38-6 
39-0 
Means  . 
45.5 
48-0 
48-7 
50-5 
52-4 
52-5 
49  8 
49-55 
50-7 
-  -  -  - 
_ 
- 
■ 
Av.  mean ... 
46-2 
47-7 
48-8 
51-0 
52-1 
51-9 
49-2 
48-8 
49  9 
— 
. 
— 
— 
— 
• - 
■ 
Departures 
* 
+  0-6 
4  0-75 
+0-8 
from 
average. 
-0-7 
+  0-3 
-01 
-0-5 
+6-3 
+0-6 
