THE CLIMATE OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 63 



The chief features of the rainfall of Nottinghamshire are therefore, its 

 comparatively slight amount, its tendency to occur largely during the 

 summer half-year, and its marked uniformity of distribution throughout 

 the county. With regard to the last it may be said that fully two-thirds 

 of the total area receive a mean annual amount varying between 22 and 

 25 inches. 



The occurrence of snow in Nottinghamshire is restricted as a rule to 

 a few days each year. The Book of Normals (Meteorological Office) 

 gives the average number of days upon which snow falls at Sheffield as 

 25 per annum, but at Nottingham the average is probably less, i.e. in the 

 neighbourhood of 18 or 20 days. These occur chiei!y in the first three 

 months of the year. Snow rarely stays long, though upon the high 

 ground near the western borders of the county it may linger for a longer 

 period than elsewhere. 



Sunshine 



The mean daily amount of sunshine received by the Midlands area as 

 defined for meteorological purposes is 3.82 hours. Nottingham, with an 

 average of 1,325 hours per annum, receives shghtly less, i.e. an average of 

 3.63 hours daily, an amount which, nevertheless, compares favourably 

 with Sheffield (3.61 hours) and Birrriingham (3.11 hours). Experience 

 suggests, however, that for much of the year the daily quantity of sun- 

 shine at Nottingham is slightly above the average for the region, for 

 during the late autumn it is undoubtedly reduced by the prolonged 

 periods of fog and mist which are unfortunately characteristic of that 

 season. Indeed, the figures for the six months April-September are con- 

 siderably above the average, but following September with its 4.20 hours 

 daily duration there is a rapid falling off in the amount of sunshine, the 

 October average being only 2.68 hours and that for December as low as 

 0.90 hours. There is rarely, however, a dense smoke pall over the city. 



At Hodsock the mean daily sunshine amounts to 3.43 hours which is 

 less than at Nottingham. There is the same liberal quantity during the 

 summer and a similar decrease in October due not only to the renewal of 

 stormy and cloudy conditions but also to the proximity of the mining and 

 industrial district extending from Worksop into south Yorkshire. These 

 figures, though comparatively poor when contrasted with those for the 

 sunnier districts of the south, compare favourably with those for the 

 adjoining uplands of Derbyshire and the more industrial parts of York- 

 shire. Belvoir Castle, however, despite its altitude (259 ft.), has the much 

 better daily figure of 4.21 hours and this may be regarded as representative 

 of much of the rural territory of south Nottinghamshire. 



May is generally the sunniest month throughout the county though 

 locally, as at Hodsock, the daily mean for June is slightly higher, whilst 

 often the figures for July and August are but a fraction lower. In 

 summer the Lincolnshire coast, with its promise of abundant sunshine, 

 draws large holiday crowds from this region, and Skegness, popularly 

 known as ' Nottingham-by-the-sea ' boasts of daily means of 7.0 hours 

 for June and more than 6 hours daily in May, July and August. 



