Page:VCH Worcestershire 1.djvu/116

 A HISTORY OF WORCESTERSHIRE rainfall is. In the case of Worcester the rainfall over a series of years would be from 2i-oo to 24-00 inches, and that would probably be the real rainfall of the lower Severn basin. In the five years under notice the actual Worcester rainfall was — 1895,22-94 1896,18-33 1897,24-14 1898,18-21 1899,23-36 {/)) Barometric Pressure The readings of the barometer give a mean for the county of 29-68 inches, Malvern showing 29-45 inches, Worcester 29-63 inches, and Birmingham 29-98 inches. The monthly means are as follows — Malvern Worcester Birmingham Malvern Worcester Birmingham January. 29-44 28-86 30-04 July. . 29-55 30-06 29-98 February 29-50 28-82 30-07 August. 29-51 30-10 29-94 March. 29-30 29-02 29-88 September 29-57 29-85 30-03 April. 29-40 29-82 29-95 October. 29-29 29-85 29-89 May. . 29-55 30-94 29-94 November 29-44 29-83 29-93 June. . 29-55 29-58 30-03 December 29-30 2973 29-95 These figures are not really properly comparable, for the Birmingham figures have been corrected to sea level, which neither the Malvern nor Worcester have been. The Birmingham figures are for the twelve years ending December 31, 1899, while the Malvern and Worcester are only for the five years, hence probably the variation in the figures. The Worcester figures are taken at an elevation of 180 feet above sea level, the Malvern at about 500 feet, the Birmingham at 541 feet, so that the figures at best are only indications of the real state of things. (c) Temperature The temperature is subject to considerable variations. In the low grounds near the rivers there is in the spring great liability to hoar frosts to such an extent that in planting fruit trees it becomes necessary to ascertain the line of the hoar frost. This limit is in many places well known and clearly defined ; above it fruit can be grown with compara- tive safety, below it the risk of the crop being destroyed by spring frosts is greatly increased. The mean of the annual temperature for the county is 47-9, that is the mean of the maximum and minimum readings. For Malvern it is 49-7, for Birmingham 46-1. The monthly figures are — Malvern Worcester Birmingham Malvern Worcester Birmingham at 9 a.m. at noon at 9 a.m. at 9 a.m. at noon at 9 a.m. January. 37-9 42-5 36-6 July. . 637 78-0 59-0 February 38-0 44-0 37*9 August. 65-5 66-2 58-8 March. 42-2 51-0 40-6 September 58-5 68-4 55-6 April 47-3 56-2 45-1 October. 47-8 56-2 47*4 May. . 537 65-2 51-3 November 44-2 48-1 42-9 June. . 61-5 73-2 57*9 December 40-2 43-5 38-4 78