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2
STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE AREA.
Meteorological.
The year 1929 deserves to be remembered as one of great rrr 'eorological abnormalities. The early months gave lis a period of intense
frost more severe than in any year since 1895. This was followed by
six months of pronounced drought of such a degree that many districts
in England and Wales were without water, and supplies had to be
borrowed from more fortunate districts where means of collection and
storage had been planned with the foresight necessary to meet such an
emergency. In this remarkable year it would seem that Nature repented of
her parsimony and gave us in the last three months a rainfall of unprecedented
abundance. November was the wettest month ever known.
During the last three months south and south-westerly gales were
abnormally violent and frequent.
While most rain fell in November—5.54 inches, December had most
rainy days, 24. March was the driest with only one wet day. As
regards sunshine, every day in July had periods of brightness, while its
aggregate number of hours of bright sunshine was highest—248.
February had fewest bright days (10) while January had the fewest hours
of sunshine.
As regards temperature the first three months showed a record well
below average. February was the coldest month, when the mean temperature
for the whole month was well below freezing point. This
prolonged period of intense cold had an undoubted influence in causing
an abnormal incidence of respiratory disease among the very old and
the very young, and its further consequences may be observed in the
remarkably high general death rate and the raised infantile mortality
rate for the year. September, with a mean temperature of 62° F., was
the warmest month, and also the warmest September ever recorded.
On 19 days the maximum shade temperature reached over 70° F., and
one day, the hottest of the year, September 4th, it reached 85.2° F.
Bright sunshine over the longest period occurred in July between 12th
and 25th when the daily average was 11.9 hours.
To add one final characteristic to this year of extraordinary weather
contrasts it should be recorded that it was remarkably free from fogs.
Population.
The estimated population of the City of Westminster for the year 1929
is given by the Registrar-General as 130,000 (the population as enumerated
at the 1921 Census was 141,578). The civilian population, which excludes
those belonging to the military forces in barracks and hospitals, numbered