Real Climate Records

Perth. March 24. —

If no rain falls in Perth before the end of this month, it will have been the city’s driest March since 1886, and the three month period from January to March will have been the driest since 1911.

Statistics supplied by the Climatological Department of thePerth Weather Bureau show that

only 26 points of rain have fallen this year in contrast to the average for the three months of 119

points.

No rain has fallen this month and the average fall for March is 85 points. Since November last year to yesterday 166 points was received on 10 wet days.

No rain fell in December, 22 points fell in January and four points in February. From November to March in 1948-49, the rain recorded in Perth totalled 383 points, and in the same period of 1947 1948 the …total was 327 points.

Thursday, when the maximum temperature was 100.2 degrees was the ninth day in Perth since

These were followed by 104.5 degrees on January 9. 110.9 degrees on January 21, 105.3 degrees on February 10, 105.5 degrees on February 28, and 101.5 degrees on

March 1.

This represents the greatest number of centuries to be recorded in Perth between December and

March since 1939-1940, when, on 11 days, the city’s maximum was above 100 degrees. In the same period of 1920-1921 there were 12 centuries.

In contrast to Thursday’s high temperature the maximum reading in Perth to-day was 80.8,  08 degrees below the normal, at 11.30 a.m.

The minimum was 64.7, 3.4 degrees above normal, at 7.10 a.m.

An officer of the Perth Weather Bureau said to-night that although the temperatures were lower the relative humidities of the day were higher.

The weather in Perth to-morrow is expected to be fine with moderate temperatures. A ridge of high pressure advanced across the south-west coast to-day and brought a flow of southwesterly air to coastal places in the lower south-west. It was this flow which caused the temperature to drop.