Returns of Rainfall, &c., in Dorset

in 1909.

By H. STILWELL.

THE

year 1909 must be reckoned as a wet year in the county of Dorset, but its chief characteristic is the great number of days on which excessive falls of rain occurred.

At Evershot, Cattistock, Bradford Peverell, and Charminster, upwards of 1 in. is reported as having fallen on ten separate days in the year, and in the fourth column of Table II. it will be seen that at many places such falls occurred six, seven, or eight times; and Weymouth is the only place which reported only two falls of 1 in. in the year.

At Wynford House 3.75 in. was registered on 27th July, and falls of over 2 in. were recorded at ten other stations on that day, and on 26th October a fall of over 2 in. was reported by twenty observers. Also at Winterbourne Whitechurch Vicarage, 2.04 in. fell on 28th September.

Other days, on which falls of over 1 in. were recorded at several places, were 5th and 6th March, 6th June, 17th August, 10th and 28th September, and 21st December.

Taking the mean of the totals of the twenty stations marked with an asterisk in Table I., and comparing it with the mean rainfall of the previous 53 years, viz., 33.53 in., we have an excess of 3.69 in. in 1909; but during the first eight months the rainfall was very deficient, amounting only to 19-52 in., whereas the four later months gave 17·70 in., of which 8.12 in. fell in October, and 5.60 in December. November was a dry month, as also were January, February, April, and May.

The return showing the greatest total fall in the year comes from Bradford Peverell (49.02 in.) which seems abnormally high. Next comes Wynford House (48.33 in.) where 3·75 was registered on 27th July, then Cattistock with 44·94, Steepleton 43.82, and Evershot 43:35. The lowest returns are from Fleet House 27 15 in.; Weymouth, Westham, 27.68 in., and Chickerell Rectory 28.62.

The only long spell of drought occurred during the first 23 days of May.

In the following tables reports are published from ten new stations, for seven of which we are indebted to Dr. Mill, the editor of "British Rainfall," who has kindly given advice in the settlement of questions which arose in comparing the figures sent in from various districts.

Three returns, which appeared in the tables for 1908, have dropped out this year, one of these, Milton-on-Stour, being the most northerly station in the county; and, therefore, it is lost with regret.

It will be noticed in Table II., that the fifth column, which, in former reports, gave the number of days on which "01 in. only fell, has been altered to show the number of "Days with more than 01 in.," the number of "days of 01 in." having been deducted from the total number of "rain days" given in the last column of that table.

-Some observers are much more accurate than others in recording small amounts of rain, and a fall of '01 in. in the 24 hours is an almost inappreciable amount, although

when recorded, it shows the care and exactitude of the observer.

By giving a column with the number of days of more than '01 in.," it will be seen that the numbers of such appreciable rain days correspond more nearly with others in their immediate neighbourhood than do the figures given in the last column of that table.

OBSERVERS' NOTES ON METEOROLOGICAL
PHENOMENA, &C.

BUCKHORN WESTON.-March 2nd. A wonderfully heavy and sudden fall of snow, lasting from 4 p.m. to 4.48 p.m., during which a depth of 3 in. fell. During the night of March 2nd and 3rd, thermometer registered 12° Fahr. in meteorological screen; time, 4 a.m. August 12th.-This evening at about 9.50 p.m., I saw two magnificent meteors, the finest I have ever seen, in the Northern heavens, apparently starting from a point between the Pole star and Cassiopea's chair, and taking their course to the S.W. The tail of the first left a very wide trail of light, lasting some while, and stretching almost right across the sky. The second, which soon followed, -not quite so large, but a very fine one. I may mention here, that on the evening of February 22nd at 7.40, I saw a less beautiful, and slower-flighted meteor in the S.E. heavens, the tail extending over a large area and its course could be traced for quite 15 minutes.

SHROTON.-The feature of the year is the large number of heavy daily rainfalls, no less than five of over an inch, including the 2:51 in. on 26th October, the heaviest for 14 years, the system of which produced 3·48 in.

ST. GILES HOUSE.-Mean temperature of the year 48°.3. Amount of sunshine 1,855.5 hours. Maximum temperature, 91°, August 13th. Minimum 13°, February 23rd, and March 5th. Highest barometer reading, 30-55, January 4th. Lowest barometer reading, 28-40, December 3rd. May had

most sunshine, with 320 hours. From April 30th to May 12th, unbroken sunshine with cold wind. The only real warm weather of the year was between August 7th and August 16th, inclusive.

STURMINSTER MARSHALL.-Night of January 15th-16th bright lightning to the N.W. The snow, marked March 2nd, fell 5.30-6 p.m. A day or two later five inches deep. May 24th, about midnight, heavy thunder rain, 0-66 in. June 6th, heavy thunder rain. From August 1st to 17th, glorious weather. September 28th, rain 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Night, October 29th-30th, first white frost, flowers cut down. December 4th, 5 a.m., vivid flash of lightning and loud thunder.

BROADSTONE.-Only two short periods of drought, three weeks in May and a fortnight in August occurred during the year in this district. In October only three days without rain.

PARKSTONE.-Over 1 in. rain fell on seven occasions, the heaviest rainfall being 2 44 on October 26th. Slight snow fell in morning, February 10th and 28th. March 2nd, snow storm between 5 and 6 a.m. March 3rd, snow fell

from 7 to 8 a.m., measured 2 in.

WAREHAM, TRIGON.-February 23rd 18° frost at 8 a.m. March 1st snow fall began in evening. Two inches snow came down in an hour and a-half. By 9.30 a.m. on March 2nd snow measured 8 in., and later in the day 9 in. May 24th, thunderstorm.

EAST LULWORTH.-February dry and cold. February 22nd, brilliant meteor with luminous trail lasting 14 hours encircled Orion. March 2nd, heavy snowfall, 9 in. deep. March 4th, 16° frost. May, hot and dry till 24th. with N.E. wind. June 29th heavy thunder, lightning, and rain. July 10th, 50 in. rain in 21 hours. August, first fortnight extreme heat. October 7th fierce gale and rain. December 5th, thunder, lightning, and rain. Total rainfall 103 in. more than last year. Heaviest days February 5th and 6th July 27th, September 10th, December 21st.