Distribution of Rainfall 21 



traversing a great extent of ocean. These winds, im- 

 pinging on the colder elevated land of tlie ^vest coasts, 

 are diverted upwards into colder strata of air, forming 

 dense mists and clouds and leading to considerable 

 rainfall on the western slopes and summits of the hills. 



Thus much of the west coast of Great Britain, most 

 of the Scottish Highlands and Southern 

 t^"b f ^f Uplands, and most of western Ireland receive 

 rainfaiL between 40 and 60 inches (c. 1000 to 1500mm.) 



of rain 'per annum, while there are large 

 areas in the western Highlands, in Wales, and in south- 

 west Ireland, and smaller ones in the Southern Uplands 

 and the Cumbrian mountains, which have a rainfall of 

 over 60 inches (c. 1500 mm.). Considerable areas in the 

 western Highlands, and smaller patches in most of the 

 other regions mentioned, receive more than 80 inches 

 (c. 2000 mm.), while the annual rainfall in particular 

 stations reaches very high figures. Thus Seathwaite in 

 Cumberland has 177 inches (c. 4500 mm.), the highest 

 record in Europe, while Ben Xevis in the western High- 

 lands has 151 inches (c. 3835 mm.). 



On the eastern side of the mountains the air descends 

 again to lower and warmer levels, and the annual rainfall 

 rapidly falls off. The central plain of England, much 

 of the south-east, a narrow strip of land running along 

 the north-east coast as far as the Firth of Tay, and other 

 strips bordering the Moray and Pentland Firths, have a 

 rainfall between 25 and 30 inches (c. 625 to c. 750 mm.). 

 Thus Brighton has 28"33 inches, Birmingham 26'54, 

 Newcastle 27'81 inches, St Andrews 28'45 inches. Finally 

 the Fenland extending inland from the estuary of the 

 Wash, as well as adjoining country to the north and 

 south, a strip of east Essex and south-east Suffolk north 

 of the Thames estuary, and various smaU strips ftirther 

 north along the eastern coast of Great Britain, have an 

 annual rainfall below 25 inches. The lowest recorded 



