1891 and 1897 there were about 47.24 in.; in 1868 and 1877 nearly
51.17, and in 1872 and 1882 no less than 94.8. There are no long
tracts of unbroken rainfall and no long periods of continuous drought.
The rainfall is heaviest in January, but it rains only for about
one-seventh of the time. Next in order come February, March and
December. August, the driest month, has from three to five days of
rain, though the amount is usually less than an inch and not more than
one and a half inches. The popular description of the rain falling not
in drops but streams was proved erroneous by J. Wiesner's careful
observations (see _Kais. Akad. d. Wiss. Math. Naturw. Cl._ Bd. xiv.,
Vienna, 1895), which have been confirmed by A. Woeikof
("Regensintensität und Regendauer in Batavia" in _Z. für Met._, 1907).
The greatest rainfall recorded in an hour (4.5 in.) is enormously
exceeded by records even in Europe. From observations taken for the
meteorological authorities at a very considerable number of stations,
J. H. Boeseken constructed a map in 1900 (_Tijdschr. v. h. Kon. Ned.
Aardr. Gen._, 1900; reproduced in Veth, _Java_, iii. 1903). Among the
outstanding facts are the following. The south coasts of both eastern
and middle Java have a much heavier rainfall than the north. Majalenka
has an annual fall of 175 in. In western Java the maximal district
consists of a great ring of mountains from Salak and Gedeh in the west
to Galung-gung in the east, while the enclosed plateau-region of
Chanjur Bandung and Garut are not much different from the seaboard.
The whole of middle Java, with the exception of the north coast, has a
heavy rainfall. At Chilachap the annual rainfall is 151.43 in., 87.8
in. of which is brought by the south-east monsoon. The great belt
which includes the Slamet and the Dieng, and the country on the south
coast between Chilachap and Parigi, are maximal. In comparison the
whole of eastern Java, with the exception of the mountains from Wilis
eastward to Ijen, has a low record which reaches its lowest along the
north coast.[7]
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