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month. The deficiency was greatest in Chota Nagpur and Central Bengal.
This reduction of temperature was due to a succession of thunderstorms and
nor'westers. During the next month the rains set in slightly earlier than
usual. The effect of this, combined with the low temperature of the month
of May, was to diminish the temperature of June considerably below the
average. The deficiency averaged from 1° to 2°, and was great in Northern
Bihar and Bengal. During the next three months, July, August, and
September, the temperature variations were small, and dependent mainly
upon the distribution of rainfall, and are unimportant in character. It was in
defect in nearly all stations during each of these months, but the deficiency
never exceeded generally 1°. During October the temperature was slightly
above the normal mean, the excess averaging 1° in Bihar and Northern
Bengal, and slightly in Southern Bengal. The temperature of the two remain-
ing months was unusually low, more especially in November. The deficiency
in November ranged from 1/2° to 2°, and was greatest in Bihar, Chota Nagpur,
and Western Bengal. In Northern and Central Bengal it ranged from
1° to 21/2°.
The year on the whole was thus characterized by diminished temperature.
The month of January was warmer than usual, but was followed by an
unusually cool February. April, the month of maximum temperature, was
unusually hot. The atmospheric disturbances produced by the great heat of
April gave a succession of local storms, which cooled the atmosphere in May.
The rains were generally abundant, and lasted until the middle of October,
and were followed by two months of unusually cool weather."
Rainfall.-The rainfall of the month of January was unusually small.
Light showers fell during the first and last weeks of the month, and the
deficiency averaged about 1/2 inch in Bihar, Chota Nagpur, South-Western
Bengal, and Orissa. The rainfall was slightly in excess in Northern Bengal
and the Darjiling Hills. The first week of February was a dry one, local
showers occurred during the second week, general rain fell over the whole
province from the 15th to 18th, and occasional showers during the last week
of the month. The total rainfall of the month was considerably above the
average, the excess amounting nearly to 2 inches for the whole province.
March was almost a rainless month in Western Bengal, Bihar, Chota Nagpur,
and Orissa, light local showers occurring during the last week of the month.
The rainfall for the month over the whole of these districts was thus below the
average by amounts varying from 1/2 inch to 11/2 inches, and averaging about 3/4 of
an inch for this area. In Northern and Eastern Bengal abundant showers fell
during the third and fourth weeks, which caused an excess in the total rainfall
of the month as compared with the average. April was a hot and dry month.
It was almost rainless in Bihar and Chota Nagpur; showers fell in Orissa and
Western Bengal between the 15th and 18th; and Eastern and Northern Bengal
received local showers during the whole month. The total rainfall of the
month was thus in defect over the whole province, excepting in the Darjiling
and Kuch Bihar districts, where it was very slightly in excess. The defect
varied considerably, being greatest in Eastern Bengal, where the rainfall of
April is generally considerable, and smallest in Bihar, where it is small.
The defect in Bihar only averaged about 4 inches. May, unlike April, was a
month of frequent storms and showers. General rain fell over the whole
province on the 4th, 5th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 15th, 16th, 24th, and 25th. It fell
apparently in heavy local showers, and hence its distribution was very irre-
gular. The total rainfall in this month was in excess nearly all over the
province. The excess averaged one inch in Eastern and Northern Bengal,
2 inches in Western Bengal and Orissa, and 1/2 an inch in Bihar and Chota
Nagpur. The rains set in in the beginning of June, slightly before their normal
date of arrival, and general rain fell over the province from the 1st to 4th.
Thus rainfall was small in amount in Bihar only. Elsewhere it was general
and moderately heavy. General rainfall again occurred from the 13th to the
16th. A short break, well marked in Western Bengal, Orissa, and Bihar followed
until the 20th, after which rain fell at frequent intervals during the remainder of
the month. The main body of the rain at this time fell in Southern, Eastern,
and Northern Bengal, and in Orissa, over the whole of which area the total
rainfall of the month was in excess. In Bihar and Chota Nagpur it was slightly
Y 2