April. Snow on the 2nd and 3rd; snow and rain on the 4th; snow on 9th, 10th, and 11th.

May. Thunder on the 11th, 12th, 26th, and 29th.

June. Thunder on the 5th and 17th; very windy on the 29th.

August. Thunder on the 15th.

December. Sleet on the 16th; snow on the 31st.

CHEDINGTON COURT.-The year 1917 completes our records of 20 years' unbroken rainfall registration, and it shows also the smallest record for one year during that time, in spite of the fact that the months of June, July, and August, which are usually dry, were all rainy; the total rainfall for August (5.55in.) being the greatest fall in one month for the whole year. The chief cause of the small total was the absence of rainfall during the six months, January, February, March, October, November, and December, which are usually our wettest months.

Our average for the 19 years ending with 1916 was 39.21in. in 173 days; but the dryness of 1917 reduces the average for the last 20 years to 38.7in. in 172 days.

The following comparisons are interesting as showing what a great difference there is between our highest and lowest records :

1917 (dryest record).

Total for year 29.01in. in 172 days.

Feb.

March

Nov.

1.51in. in 10 days.

3.29in. in 18 days.

March

Nov.

Dee

10.21in. in 28 days

1914 (4 months) 28.98 in 92 days.

Dec.

1.04in. in 9 days.
1.11in. in 7 days.

6.95in. in 44 days.

DORCHESTER (WOLLASTON HOUSE).-A remarkably dry year. The average annual rainfall (Dorchester) for the 21 years, 1896-1917, is 37.36in. Dividing these 21 years into 3 periods of 7 years each, there is shown a regular and consistent increase up to 1916. The first period gives 32.96; the second period, 37.45; the third period, 41.68.

The total for the past year (1917), 28.85in., is an unusual variation from the average,

J. E. ACLAND,

GUSSAGE MANOR.-The measurements on the following dates were of melted snow .-January 30th, February 4th, March 8th, 21st, 30th, April 2nd, 3rd, 10th, and December 16th.

EAST LULWORTH.—A rainfall of 30.59in. ; the lowest yearly total since 1908 (28.27), and 6.54in. below the 10 years' average. The August fall, 5.78 inches, in 18 days was the heaviest since 1912 (7.32 inches in 24 days). November (1.24in.) was the driest November since 1909 (1.07in.) December (1.22in.) was the driest December since 1905 (0.96in.).

I notice that often Barograph is unaffected by storm. On November 18th it stood at 30.71in., the highest since March 16th (30.90in.).

The first appreciable frost was on November 17th.

SHAFTESBURY.-The highest temperature in the year was 85° on June 17th; the lowest, 18°, on February 5th and on March 8th.

The greatest rainfall in one day was 2.26in. on June 28th. The greatest rainfall in one month was 5.13in. in August. The average rainfall during the period 1891-1917 was 32.4 inches.

WEYMOUTH (FLEET HOUSE).This year's is the smallest annual rainfall since the record was commenced in 1897. On March 22nd and 23rd there was snow with hard frost ; on April 2nd and 3rd-9th, snow storms.

WINTERBORNE WHITCHURCH.-January. The temperature did not rise above freezing point from the 21st to the 30th. The highest temperature of the month occurred on the 1st (54°.0); the lowest on the night of the 31st (16°.0). Frost was registered on 23 nights.

February was a very dry month. Frost occurred on 18 nights. The highest temperature registered was 50°.0 on the 21st; the lowest, on the night of the 3rd, 15°.0; snow fell heavily from 1 to 5 p.m., from S. and S. W., on the 4th March. Frost occurred on 17 nights. The highest temperature was registered on the 2nd, 54°.0 ; the lowest on the night of the 8th, 18°.0 Snow fell to the depth of 3in. on the 9th and 21st.

April. Exceptional wintry conditions prevailed from the 1st until the 17th. Snow fell at mid-day to the depth of 4 inches on the 2nd ; and on the night of the 11th, at 10 p.m., snow lay to the depth of 8 inches. The temperature fell below the freezing point on 15 nights, the lowest recorded occurring, respectively, on the nights of the 4th and 23rd (25°.0). The highest occurred on the 30th (63°.0).

May was a warm month. The temperature rose to 70° and above on 10 days, and no frost occurred. The highest temperature (77°.0) was registered on the 5th; the lowest (33°.0) occurred on the night of the 2nd. A thunderstorm passed from S. to N. to the E. on the 12th, between 8 and 9 p.m., and from W. to E. to the S. on the 27th, between 1.30 and 3 a.m.

June was a hot summer month, the temperature rising to 70° and above on 17 days. The hottest day was the 17th, when the thermometer rose to 86°.0, the hottest day of the year. The lowest observed was 36°.0 on the night of the 3rd. Slight thunderstorms occurred on the 2nd and 6th.

July. The temperature rose to 70° and above on 19 days. The warmest day was the 24th (76°.0); the coldest night was the 5th, when the thermometer fell to 40°.0.

August was a cold and unseasonable month throughout, no less than 6.31in. of rain falling on 27 days, the barometer falling as low as 28°.95 on the 28th (the lowest reading I have ever recorded for the time of year), and on two occasions, viz., the 8th and 27th, over an inch of rain fell in the 24 hours. Thunder storms of a destructive nature passed from W. to E. to the N. on the afternoon of the 9th. The highest temperature (74°.0) was registered on the 6th; the lowest (43°.0) on the night of the 19th.

September. The highest temperature (74°.0) was recorded on the 11th; the lowest (36°.0) on the night of the 27th. Rain fell on 12 days; the heaviest fall (0.79in.) occurred on the 17th.

October. Rain fell on 21 days, the heaviest fall (1.22in.) occurring on the 16th. The highest temperature (679.0)

was registered on the 1st; the lowest (23°.0) on the night of the 27th,- -a very severe frost for so early in the autumn. The thermometer rose above 60° on three occasions only.

November was a very dry month, only 1.12in. of rain being the total fall for the month, and this fell on 8 days. The highest temperature (59°.0) was on the 2nd; the lowest (29°.0) occurred during the night of the 15th.

December. From the 15th until the 22nd thoroughly winterly conditions prevailed, on the night of the 18th the temperature falling to 18°.0. On 22 nights the temperature

fell below the freezing point. (52°.0) was recorded on the 1st.

The highest temperature
On the night of the 16th

there was a hurricane from the N.E., accompanied with heavy snow and rain.

Total rainfall for the year, 32.05 inches.

GENERAL REMARKS.

The Rev. J. Ridley gives the following tabular statement of weather conditions :-

Snow. A little January 7th, 22nd, 31st; and lin. on 4th, and 23rd. March 1, 7th. heavy, 8th; 3 to 4in. on 22nd; 30th and 31st. April 1st; 2nd ; 3; 4; 9; 10; and 11th; December 14th.

Sunspot seen 10 Feb., 1917.

Thunder distant 11th May; storm 26th; a little thunder 28th; and heavy thunder 29th May; during June, short and heavy on 1st with hail, thousands of leaves torn by it; storms on 18th and 29th; on Aug. 9th and Oct. 22. The storm of 16th Dec. was very heavy, barometer fell during the day from 29.64 to 28.7. E.H.C.

Jan. 28.-Hard frosts and east winds for nearly a week, last Sunday a silver thaw.

Feb. 9.-The weather continues bitterly cold with skating.

Mar. 4.-Wind E.S.E., but a touch of spring in the air.

Mar. 8, 21, and 22.-Heavy snow.

Mar. 23 and 24.-A hard black frost, freezing sufficiently hard to produce ice on open vessels in garden, that persisted till Mar. 28.

Mar. 31.-Cold hard wind N.W., characteristic of the whole week.

April 1.-Dull, overcast, some sun, N.W. wind driving over snow clouds.

April 2.-Snowed hard at intervals from 2.45 p.m. till morning of April 3. 6 inches with a hard frost followed by hard frosts on the succeeding nights.

April 8.-Cold N.W. by W. wind, bright and sunny in the morning, followed by snow clouds later and some few flakes.

April 9.-Bright cold hard N.N.W. wind, some frozen snow, followed by snow at night and on following days.

April 13 and 14.-Sunny and much milder, fewer showers.

April 15.-Bright but cold, W.N.W. wind.