British Rainfall, 1887. London : S.W
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
BRITISH RAINFALL, 1887. LONDON : 0. SHIELD, PRINTER, SLOANE SQUARE, CHF.L3EA, S.W. 1888. MONTHLY FALL OF RAIN IN 1887 COMPARED WITH THE AVERAGE 1870-79. CAMDEN S9 COSSEY BODMIN ORLETON ARNCLIFFE HAVERFORDWEST LLANDUDNO 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 j. V 3 v JEDBURGH KILMORY CULLODEN CORK DUBLIN BALLINASLOE OMAGH 8 7 6 5 4 \7 Shaded, portion Rainfall of 1881. BRITISH RAINFALL, 1887. ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF RAIN OVER THE BRITISH ISLES, DURING THE TEAR 1887, AS OBSERVED AT MORE THAN 2500 STATIONS IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, WITH ARTICLES UPON VARIOUS BRANCHES OF RAINFALL WORK. COMPILED BY G. J. SYMONS, F.R.S., Secretary RoyalMeteorologieal Society; Membredu Conseil Societe Meteorologique de France Member Scottish Meteorological Society; Korrespondirendes Mitgleid Deutsche Meteorologische Qesellschaft; Member of Council Royal Botanic Society; Registrar and Member of Council Sanitary Institute; Fellow Royal Colonial Institute; Membre correspondant etranger Soc. Royale de Medecine Publique de Belgique; Hon. Mem. Hertfordshire Nat. Hist. Soc., Essex Field Club; Northamptonshire Nat. Hist. Soc., Croydon Microscopic Soc., $c. $c. $c. LONDON: EDWARD STANFORD, CHARING CROSS, S.W SIMPKIN, MARSHALL & Co., STATIONER'S HALL COURT. 1888. CONTENTS OF BRITISH RAINFALL 1887. PAGE PREFACE ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ... 7 REPORT—CHECKING, VERIFYING, AND ENTERING RETURNS—RULES FOR OBSERVERS—RAIN GAUGES OVERFLOWING—DAYS WITH RAIN— INSPECTION OF RAINFALL STATIONS—OLD OBSERVATIONS—SELF RECORDING RAIN GAUGES—FINANCE ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8 WHAT is A DROUGHT? ... .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 15 HISTORIC DROUGHTS ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ••• 23 ROTHERHAM EXPERIMENTAL GAUGES ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ••• 36 THE CAMDEN SQUARE EVAPORATION EXPERIMENTS ... ... ... ... ... 38 RAINFALL AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, GREENWICH ... .. ... ... 40 THE STAFF OF OBSERVERS... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ••• 41 OBITUARY ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 54 RAINFALL AND METEOROLOGY OF 1887. ON THE METEOROLOGY OF 1887, WITH NOTES ON SOME OF THE PRINCIPAL PHENOMENA ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... [ 3 ] OBSERVERS' NOTES ON THE MONTHS OF 1887 ... ... ... ... ... ••• [ 39] OBSERVERS' NOTES ON THE YEAR 1887 ... ... ... ... ... ... ••• [ 88] HEAVY RAINS IN SHORT PERIODS IN 1887... ... ... ... ... ... ••• [133] HEAVY FALLS IN 24 HOURS DURING 1887... ... ... ... ... ... ... [i36l DROUGHTS IN 1887 ... ... ... ... .. .. ... ... ... ... ... ... [148] MONTHLY RAINFALL OF 1887 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ••• ... [iSS] MONTHLY RAINFALL AT 233 STATIONS IN 1887... ... ... ... ... ... [iS9] RELATION OF THE TOTAL RAINFALL IN 1887 TO THE AVERAGE ... ... [166] THE RAINFALL OF 1887 COMPARED WITH THAT OF OTHER DRY YEARS [168] COMPARISON OF THE RAINFALL OF THE YEAR 1887 WITH THE AVERAGE 1870-79... .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... [169] EXTREMES OF RAINFALL IN 1887 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ••• [i73l GENERAL TABLES OF TOTAL RAINFALL. EXPLANATION OF THE ARRANGEMENT OF GENERAL TABLES ... ... ... [176] COUNTY INDEX TO GENERAL TABLES ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... [177] ILLUSTRATIONS. MONTHLY FALL OF RAIN IN 1887 COMPARED WITH THE AVERAGE 1870-79 ... ... ... ... ... -.. ... ... ... ... ... ... Frontispiece DIAGRAM ILLUSTRATIVE OF HEAVY RAINS IN SHORT PERIODS... ... p. [134] MAPS OF MONTHLY RAINFALL IN 1887 ... ... ... betweenpp. [158]—[159] MAI> of ANNUAL RAINFALL IN 1887 ... ... ... ... ... ... .. face p. [166] ERRATA IN BRITISH RAINFALL, 1886. Page 30. Head line, 50° should be 53°. j> [ 79]- Six lines from bottom Insert " No " before E. „ [140]. Glenrath, March, for 3'27, read 4'08, and for 39'24 read 40'05. „ [167]. Throcking, for 24-85 read 25-24. ,, [187]. Barrington House, for? 39-70 read 4070. „ [198]. Distington, for ?38'91 read 39'10. „ [204]. Glenrath, vide supra. ,, [211], Kingussie figures all correct, but for H.R.S. read School Ho. and for Station Agent read Sergt. Fraser. ERRATUM IN BRITISH RAINFALL, 1887. Page [65]. Last line, for 206 read 2'06 BKITISH RAINFALL, 1887. THREE months since I believed that I should have the pleasure of issuing this volume a month earlier than last year. That expecta tion has been shattered by the time required to deal properly with the droughts of 1887 ; a year which, as will be seen in subsequent pages, appears to have had no equal for widespread deficiency of rainfall since 1788; a sort of centenary, in fact, which would have delighted Mr. Doxat, had he lived to know of it. This volume is somewhat largely devoted to the subject of droughts past, present, and I might add future, if the study of the past throws light thereupon ; but I desire also to call attention to the important additions to our knowledge of the rainfall of the Lake district, which have resulted, and will continue to result, from a grant of £42 7s. made by the Royal Society from its own funds in 1886. G. J. SYMONS. 62, CAMDEN SQUARE, N.W., July 6th, 1888. REPORT. Checking-, Verifying; and Entering- Returns.—This work i,s always regarded as the first and all-important duty of'myself and assistants. It is done as promptly and as thoroughly as possible, as upon it depends the whole value and efficiency of rainfall work. It would be neither useful nor easy to explain its nature, it varies so much. As far as mere arithmetic goes, I explained the nature of the work in British Rainfall, 1885, but I said nothing of the copying and entering and systematic classification of original records, and of all changes which occur from accidents, removals or deaths, which is absolutely indispensable, if the organization is to be kept, as it is, as near perfection as possible. I am glad to say that all this work is as forward as usual. Rules for Observers. —I often think that the relative (not abso lute, for it costs me a large sum,) cheapness of printing is an evil rather than a good. There is so much printed that few have time to read what they receive. Hence perhaps it is, that though I have constantly stated that I am delighted to send gratis and post free copies of the pamphlet, entitled Arrangements for the systematic observa tion and record of the Eainfall of the British Isles, I cannot induce all observers to ask for it, to read it, and to obey it. Rain Gauges overflowing.—It is almost absurd that there should have been a case of this offence in 1887, but there has. I know that there are still some old gauges at work, which Eules XIV. and XVI. condemn. I do not ask their owners to sacrifice them, least of all to do so without attending to Rule II., but I do press upon theii attention that if there is the slightest doubt as to the gauge holding all that falls, it must be emptied, the amount being of course care fully entered. Days with Rain.—These figures are still improving; the chief faultiness arises from observers using gauges which do not easily indicate O'Ol in., though they may be practically correct for the total fall, and from others not going to examine their gauges except when they " think there has been some rain." I could pick out most of these observers, as their records are always deficient in entries of O'Ol, 0-02 and 0'03; but the error does not affect the total fall, and I do not regard the column of days with rain as sufficiently important to justify me in stopping the volume while correspondence goes on respecting such a minor point. Inspection Of Rainfall Stations.—Entirely stopped for want of funds. Old Observations.—I am glad to say that, as regards the records of the 17th and 18th centuries, I hope to be able to report some progress next year. I applied to the Eoyal Society Committee, through whom the Government Grant of £4,000 is annually dis tributed, for .£100 to be expended on this work. They allotted only half, but £50 is very acceptable, and with it I have retained an assistant, who will, in the first place, endeavour to complete my own collection of data up to 1800. When the data are all collected, I shall proceed immediately with their discussion. The importance of this work is sufficiently indicated by stating that if the drought from 1738 to 1762 indicated by the observations already collected is real, and recurs, not only will every town in England which receives its water supply from a gathering ground be put on short supply, but the canals will have to be closed and agricultural operations will have to be modified. I hope, therefore, that when the work is sufficiently advanced for the Committee to see its nature and importance, they will make such a further grant as may enable me to embody in a single monograph all the observations made in the British Isles during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and to give a summary of what they prove. Self-recording* Rain Gauges,—I am still without a self-recording rain gauge at £10. The low-priced one submitted by MM. Eichard Freres failed, and at present I know of no other. Richard's twenty guinea ones (British Rainfall, 1884, p. 24), slightly improved since they were first brought out, work perfectly, and so does the one which I had many years since from Casella (British Rainfall, 1878, p. 42), but then they cannot be bought for £10, and we shall never have many of these instruments at work unless they can be bought for some such sum. Finance.—This is the only branch of the work which it is un pleasant to me to press upon the attention of observers, and which, for want thereof does not progress satisfactorily. It has been suggested that in the general tables some indication should be given