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25
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS—1950
1 ain indebted to the Astronomer Royal, Sir Harold Spencer
Jones, F.R.S., for the following meteorological data for the year
ended December, 1950.
Temperature: The highest temperature in the shade in the
Stevenson screen was 89.3° on Juno 7th, the same as the previous
year's maximum. Temperatures exceeding 80° were recorded on
11 days. During an unusually warm spell in early June, on 5
consecutive days from June 3rd to 7th inclusive, maximum temperatures
exceeding 80° were recorded. July had only one day with a
temperature over 80°. The lowest temperature was 22.5° on
January 26th. February, which had a temperature well above
average, had two consecutive days (17th and 18th) when the maximum
exceeded 60°, a rare occurrence.
Sunshine: Total recorded sunshine was 1,223.7 hours, 210.2
hours less than the average for the 50 years 1897—1946. 1937,
with 1,134.8 hours was the worst year, while 1940 had one hour less,
1,222.7 hours.
Every month except June was below average. The total during
December, 11.2 hours, was the lowest ever recorded at Greenwich.
The sunniest day was June 29th with 15.1 hours, 91% of the total
possible. There were 85 sunless days, 22 of these in December and
19 in January.
Rainfall: The year's total was 24.60 inches, 0.27 inches more
than the 100 years' mean 1841—1940.
October was the driest month with only 0.35 inches while
March had only 0.74 inches, almost the same as March 1948 and
March 1949, both 0.76 inches. February was wet, the total of
3.34 inches being more than twice average; measurable rain fell on
every day from January 30th to February 15th. From 9h. on the
20th to 9h. on the 21st February, 1.02 inches of rain was recorded,
but no measurable rainfall during the period February 27th to
March 11th inclusive.