47 



In " Symons' Monthly Meteorological Magazine," there is a map showing 

 the amounts which fell in different localities during this period. From this it 

 appears that the point of greatest fall was in South Shropshire, the amounts 

 gradually decreasing in all directions from this centre; thus in the ^orth of 

 England and in Scotland they had scarcely any rain, and in London only about 

 li inches, and in the mountain districts of North and South Wales, where there is 

 generally a heavy fall, it was not particularly remarkable. Mr. Symons remarks : 

 "Falls of upwards of 4 inches recorded in Monmouth, Hereford, Worcester, 

 Radnor, Shropshire, Denbigh, and Derbyshire." 



In the three days-May 11, 12. 13-the total fall at various localities was as 



under:- 



Burwarton, Shropshire ... .. i. 



Much Wenlock 



Church Stretton ... .. ■■ ■ - ^'^^ 



_. , , ., ., ... 5.62 



Bishops Castle 



«!. •• 5.09 



Abergavenny 



Orleton, near Tenbury ... • 



_ . . .. 4.53 



Leominster 



4 36 

 Hereford 



Chatsworth, Derbyshire .. . .4.3 



,T 1 4.05 



Malvern... 



„, , 3.54 



Chester ... 



Ross 



2 70 

 Gloucester 



Llandrindod 



„ , , ... 2.18 



Pembroke 



2 17 

 Weston-super-Mare ... ••• ■• 



r^ A A • 2.12 



Llandudno 



Oxford ... 



From May 10 to June 2 (24 days) there fell at The Graig, Ross, 6.71 inches- 



quite ^ur times the usual quantity-and at Church Stretton 10 inches. There is 



no other May (and the record goes back in Herefordshire to 1S18) which 



approaches this in amount. In 1782, however, it is recorded that 12 inches fell 



in the months of April and May, but the locality is not stated. In 1811, on May 



27, a most violent storm of thunder, hail, and rain occurred at Hereford, and 



extended eastwards to Worcester ; this storm is said to have caused a rise in the 



Severn at Worcester of 20 feet in 24 hours, which however seems scarcely 



credible. 



The floods which followed the excessive downpour of rain in May of this 

 year were very remarkable, especially because (as we have just stated) their 

 occurrence at this time of year is so rare, and in the region of the greatest rainfall 

 they far exceeded all previous experience. 



The bridges of the Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway over the Corve, near 

 Ludlow, and the Onny, at Onibury (both usually quite small streams), were 

 carried away, as was also the bridge of the high road over the Onny at the latter 



