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16
hours, which is equivalent to nearly 80 per cent. of the maximum
possible. Entirely sunless days numbered 70—five fewer than usual.
The monthly durations of sunshine ranged from 272.9 hours in July
to 13.1 hours in December. This latter figure is barely more than
one-third of the average, and is 3.6 hours less than the previous lowest
record for any calendar month in the 25 years covered by the observations.
The sunniest day of 1934 was July 1st, with 14.6 hours.
The mean temperature of the year, 50.1 deg., exceeded the normal
by 1.1 deg., and was the highest since 1921. February and March
were both predominantly cold, while January and May were somewhat
colder than usual, but weather of more than the ordinary warmth
prevailed in all the remaining months. December was outstanding
in this regard; with a mean temperature of 46.1 deg., 6.1 deg. above
normal, it was by far the warmest winter month since records were
begun in 1910, slightly warmer than an average April, and nearly 13
deg. warmer than the notably severe December of 1933.
The three months, June to August, constituting the meteorological
summer, together gave 79.4 hours more than the ordinary allowance
of sunshine, only just over half of the average quantity of rain, and a
mean temperature 2 deg. higher than usual. It was, on the whole, a
fine and genial season, and though neither so bright nor so warm as
the summer of 1933, it was almost as dry. July was the hottest
month, with a mean temperature of 65.3 deg.—4 deg. above normal.
This was equalled in the previous July, but had not been surpassed
since 1923.
The extreme readings of the thermometers during 1934 were:—
Maximum in the screen, 84.7 deg., on June 17th.
Minimum in the screen, 23.0 deg., on January 24th.
Minimum on the grass, 11.3 deg., on January 24th.
Ground-frost was registered on 119 nights during 1934, only 37
of these being subsequent to the end of March. Except from February
26th to March 1st, there was very little snow during the year,
and at no time was the Heath covered to a depth of more than two
inches. Fog was frequent in February and November; during the
latter month it enveloped the district for varying periods on as many
as seventeen days, and was occasionally very dense."