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5
Meteorological.
The following note is extracted from a letter to The Times on Januarv
1st, 19:54, by Mr. F. Yates, of the Rothamsted Experimental Station,
Harpenden, Herts. Mr. Yates, commenting on the weather of 1 133, tailed
it a year of optimism, a natural concomitant of the natiomd mood. It
was a year of favourable and kindly weather, bountiful in sunshine but
too grudging in rainfall. Wheat crops were phenomenally good and
livestock flourished except where water supplies had become too scarce.
Only in March did rainfall exceed the average and in September did it
reach average. Only twice in the records of the station has the annual
rainfall been less, namely, in 1864 and 1921. August and December were
the two driest months. The last quarter of the year, with 3.49 inches,
the driest since 1879, foretold an unhappy augury for water supplies
in 1934. As regards sunshine, March was outstanding, 68.9 per cent,
above average, while the whole year had 15.1 per cent. more than
normal; no less than 50 days had more than 10 hours of sunshine.
The temperature throughout the year was above average, although
January and December were colder than usual. The mean temperature,
32.9° F. in December, provided a fortnight's skating—not a very
common feature at this time of year.
Births.
The births registered in Westminster during 1933 numbered 1,610,
but of these the homes of 962 were in other districts, 15 were cither
registered under the Legitimacy Act or were re-registrations, and have
therefore to be deducted from the total. There were, however, 466
children belonging to Westminster parents bom in institutions outside
the City, and these must be added. This gives a net total of 1,099, which
is 53 less than the similar figure for 1932. The Birth Rate of 8 7 is the
lowest ever recorded in the City of Westminster, where a pronounced
decline has been proceeding ever since 1921.
Women whose homes are outside the City continue, in increasing
numbers, to avail themselves of the facilities for confinement which the
large general hospitals in the City offer. The number in 1919—mostly
women whose home address was within easy reach of the hospital,
although in some neighbouring borough—was only 98. This figure has
risen to 962 in 1933, and includes not only women from the various
metropolitan boroughs but also from the counties around London. The
natural inference is that women dislike having their babies in their own
homes.
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