ROYAL OBSERVATORY
285
In each of the last three months of 1963, as in every other month in the year, the rainfall was sub-normal. Temperatures were persistently above average and in particular the mean tem- perature during November was the highest on record for that month. The strong monsoon signal, the black ball, was hoisted once on 8th December to warn strong easterly winds in the harbour.
The rainfall for the whole year at the Royal Observatory amounted to only 35.48 inches, which is by far the lowest figure ever recorded and represents less than 42 per cent of the normal 85.39 inches. For comparison, the next two driest years since records began in 1884 have been 1895 with 45.84 inches and 1954 with 53.82 inches. There was even less rain in some parts of the Colony and on Waglan Island only 16.93 inches of rain were recorded in the whole year.
The year was remarkable in several other ways as on-average it was the hottest, sunniest and least humid year since records began. Also the mean pressure for the year was the second highest ever recorded.