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 — 



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 — 



78 



