WEATHER REPORT MARCH—SEPTEMBER,
1955
MARCH, 1955.—Apart from a few mild days round the 24th, the weather was cold and wintry with winds from some Northerly point, in fact the mean temperature of 37.6°F. was the lowest since 1917. Air frosts occurred on 24 nights and ground frosts on 25. T h e last night of the month 30th - 3Ist gave a screen minimum of 23° and a grass minimum of 9°. T h e rainfall was 1.21 ins. and came chiefly from 5th - lOth and 22nd - 26th. Sunshine was above average due to several clear crisp days. APRIL.—In 1954, we experienced a very dry and cold April. In 1955, we had the unusual circumstances of another even drier April, though not cold. T h e total fall was only .17 in. the lowest in the available records (from 1902). T h e mean temperature was 49.1° (average 1902 - 41 = 4 6 . 2 ° ) . Sunshine was a little above the average. MAY.—The first three weeks gave very disturbed and wet weather with frequent thunderstorms ; 2.51 inches of rain feil from Ist - 21st inclusive. Thereafter the weather improved. It was one of the coldest Mays in the present Century and at no time did the maximum temperature exceed 65° (this on 23rd). T h e sunshine was nearly 30 hours deficient. JUNE.—Until the 12th the weather was much on the pattern of the previous month except that the falls of rain were heavier— 2.76 in. of rain feil in the first 12 days. After this the weather gradually began to build up to the noteworthy dry weather of July. T h e total J u n e rainfall was 3.14 ins. (av. 1.75). Mean temperature was 57.4° (av. 58.6°) and sunshine 181 hours (av. 206 hours). JULY.—The main feature of the month was the very dry weather. Only .16 inch of rain feil and it was far and away the driest July in the records at hand (for over 50 years). T h e weather was warm, but not unduly so. T h e period 9th to 17th gave the highestvalues— 83° maximum on 14th. T h e sunshine total was 244 hours, the highest since 1935 and about 43 hours in excess of the average 1903 - 41. AUGUST.—Until the 12th the weather was dry with no great heat. T h e 13th and 14th produced very heavy falls of rain and severe thunderstorms. On the 14th 1.50 ins. of rain feil at this Station in a storm ; at its height the automatic rain-gauge showed a fall of .89 of an inch in 16 minutes. F r o m 15th - 25th was the