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January 2010 Very cold and snowy
January
was again a cold month- but one of two halves. Though mean temperatures were 3C below average the first half saw them around
6C below whilst the second half was near average. N Scotland was only a degree below average though. This made it the coldest
month since January 1987. Rainfall was around 75% across England and Wales but as high as 100% across SE England and the Midlands
and only 55% across N Scotland. Sunshine was well above average overall at 124% and especially in the first half of the
month and in western UK where 130-150% was recorded. However it was quite dull in places in the second half, especially the
east, meaning Eastern Scotland saw just 88%.
The year started rather cold for most;
a little less so in the south as snow fell by the 3rd, mainly across E Scotland, NE England and W Wales. Braemar (Aberdeenshire) recorded
a minimum temperature of -17C on the 3rd. However the cold continued through the first week and by January 8th
the coldest temperature since 1995 was recorded at Altnaharra (Sutherland) of -22.3C (and the coldest this month)
with a rare snow cover across almost all of the UK. Many minor roads remained snow covered or icy. Some areas in the
south (especially around Reading, Berks) had seen 30cm of level snow fall. Salt & grit supplies were "stretched"
with thousands of schools remaining closed whilst rail and air travel were hit by cancellations and delays
with emergency services running. Motorway hard shoulders were no longer being gritted as priority for the salt was
given to the worst-affected regions. Milk deliveries were disrupted too as the tankers struggled
to reach dairy farms with farmers. The 12th saw more snow overnight for many in the south, along with the upland SW too, with
5-10cm quite widely. Temperatures across England and Wales were just -1.9°C, a full -6.1 degrees below average, possibly
one of the coldest starts to January ever recorded . By the 15th though the very cold spell was over as much milder weather
started to return to many areas and a slow thaw began. Given the amount of snow in many upland areas it took a considerable
time to thaw though. On the 16th a balmy 12.3C was recorded at Chivenor (Devon), the warmest temperature this month. By the 26th after a milder, somewhat uneventful spell for a week or so, somewhat colder weather returned as an arctic
northerly blast developed giving further snow in places mainly exposed east and west coasts. The month ended on a cold note
as well. Minimum temperatures fell to -8C in the south at Hurn (Dorset) (and Benson, Oxon) on the 30th/31st and -13.3C on
the grass at Hurn. The period around the 26th-28th saw unusually coloured sunsets in places also. Atmospheric expert Les Cowley
believed the bright pink and dusty orange colours seen could be a type of Polar Stratospheric Cloud (PSC) lit by dust
in the upper atmosphere. Soil temperatures were below average generally esp around East
Anglia & the SE & fell markedly by the middle of the month, esp in central, northern England &
much of northern, eastern and central Scotland- to well below average with frozen ground common here but rose generally after
then to generally somewhat below average. Sea temperatures remained near or rather above average around most parts
though but were below average around the western & SW approaches, east Anglia and Irish Sea by the month's
end.
February 2010 Rather chilly; rather dry, snowy in the north
February was a chilly month without being especially cold, although notably
for seeing quite a lot of snow in the north and some low temperatures in Highland Scotland. Though mean temperatures were
only 1.4C below average (exactly as forecast by us last month) the period after the 10th was rather colder generally though
more especially in the north. N Ireland was two degrees below average. Nevertheless, it was still the coldest February (lowest
CET) since 1996. Rainfall was around 110% across England and Wales but as high as 170% across SE England but only 60% across
NW England, the west was generally dry. Sunshine was around 90% overall but well above average overall at 125% in W Scotland
but it was rather dull in the SE with just 80%. The north and some central parts saw more frost & snow days than average,
the south saw little snow however, with the exception of the far SE around midmonth.
Initially after a mild start colder weather
developed in the north. Baltasound in the Orkney Isles saw -8C on the 4th compared to the south where Heathrow
saw a 'balmy' 12.1C on the 5th. February 11th/12th saw a lot of snowfall for a time in a cold NE'ly flow
as a shower train developed and clipped the SE for a time, giving about a foot of snow in parts of Kent in particular
but it also fell and lay as far west as Eastbourne causing transport disruption & some school closures. Colder weather
returned to Scotland after midmonth, where in places the January snow cover remained intact. A run of 8 consecutive cold nights here
from the 15th, especially at Braemar and Altnaharra. The 23rd saw temperatures fall as low as -19.2C at Braemar
on top of deep snow giving a UK range of 31.7C as this was the mildest day of the month at Jersey, where a maximum temperature of
12.5C was recorded. A lot of snow fell in Scotland though with all roads to the Highlands blocked at one stage, trains
cancelled & thousands of homes in Perthshire without electricity as 300 schools were closed. By the 27th Scotland saw
further snow and in the south there was some heavy rain too, with 60 flood watches issued across Scotland and England. A
woman died when her Land Rover was swept down a swollen river near Cropton, North Yorkshire. The last week saw some 80mm of
rain fall in parts of Kent, Sussex & Hampshire with the sodden ground causing local flooding problems, exacerbated
by a deep low, of around 968mb, named Xynthia, which ran across N France overnight into the 28th, giving gusts of 80-95mph
in exposed spots there and 70-75mph inland. February was notable for its lack of similar winter storms across the UK however,
all month
Soil temperatures were below average generally
more especially around central & eastern Scotland after mid month. Sea temperatures fell to below average
around most parts of the UK especially East Anglian coast and also the Irish Sea, where they were 2C below average, but remained
near average around the north west and northern coasts, by the month's end.
March 2010
Cold dry start then rather wet and windy
March was a contrasting month, which began cold, dry and sunny in the first ten days then became wetter and more
unsettled but milder, apart from the very end when it became notable for seeing quite a lot of snow in parts of the north.
Altogether, mean temperatures were near average but the period up to the 10th was very cold generally with a CET that was
2.9C below average and with it being more or less dry and very sunny everywhere. Rainfall was around 90% across England and Wales but as low as 40% across parts of E Scotland and N Ireland. Sunshine
was around 125% overall but well above average overall at 135% in many areas though N Scotland alone was nearer average. The
north and some central parts saw a few more frost days than average, the south saw little frost however after the first week.
Initially there were some very cold nights in Highland Scotland . On March 4th Braemar fell to -18.6C overnight , not far
off the all time daily record. By March 6th the colder weather sank further south; as high pressure dominated
to the north a bitter easterly wind developed on the east coast in exposed spots; however in the more sheltered spots where
the wind fell out overnight it was very cold; Santon Downham (Suffolk) fell to -9C. On the grass the temperature
fell to -14C as far south as Farnborough (Hants) and Charlwood (Surrey). By mid month there had still been virtually no rain
at all in many places with the average England & Wales rainfall just 9% of what it would normally be. By March
15th though St James Park (Central London) & east Malling (Kent) reached 14.1C and on March 18th
Weybourne (Norfolk) recorded a max of 18.0C and Northolt in NW London 17.9C, the warmest temperatures in the UK this month.Still
warm on March 25th with Coninsby and Leeming, (Yorks) reaching 16.4C. By March 31st though
there was a cold unsettled end to the month, as a deep low which peaked in depth at about 976mb over the central UK moved slowly
ENE with strong NEly winds to its north and strong WNW’ly winds on its southern and western flanks; Aberporth recorded
68mph, the Needles (Isle of Wight) 75mph, & Land End reached 67mph. Cold air ran down the northern and western
sides too with snow reported as far south as the SW Moors & some sleet & snow on high ground such
as Salisbury Plain. The north was by far the worse affected though, with parts of central & upland Wales, the Lake
District, N Ireland and Scotland seeing a lot of snow, which brought transport and power disruption to Northern Ireland overnight
with reports of 30cm or more in places above 200m ; 50,000 homes were left without power in the area; the situation was similar
in Highland Scotland with 30-50cm of snow here too and similar reports of power loss and transport disruption. Soil temperatures were near or a little below average generally,
more especially around Scotland. Sea temperatures remained below average around most parts of the UK especially
East Anglian coast and also the Irish Sea, where they were 2C below average, but remained near average around the north west
and northern coasts, by the month's end.
April 2010 Dry and sunny
April was a dry month with near average temperatures
but plenty of sunshine. Altogether, mean temperatures were slightly above average after a chilly start in the first week.
However after a wet start it became more or less dry and sunny everywhere away from northern & western Scotland.
Rainfall was around 40% across England and Wales but as low as 25% across parts of E Anglia though nearer average in N Scotland.
Sunshine was around 150% overall but as high as 180% in SE England though N Scotland alone was nearer average, as with March.
The north and some central parts saw rather more frost days than average. Initially the 2nd & 3rd saw a cold night in
places in the north, Braemar (Highlands) was -7.0C on the 2nd and Altnaharra (Sutherland) was -6.4C, the former reading being
lowest temperature this month. Easter was unsettled & cool for many with a lot of showery rain in the south overnight
on the 3rd/4th, 31mm at the Isle of Portland with flood watches issued for some southern catchment areas. By the
6th it was warming up ; Monks Wood (Cambridgeshire) reaching 17.5C but it stayed unsettled further north, in Scotland
Tulloch Bridge (Highlands) saw a 24 hour total of 40mm. Quite warm & dry weather continued then through much of April
with some large diurnal ranges as well in places, for example 19C at Benson (Oxon) and at Pershore (Gloucestershire)
on the 8th. By the 11th, Castlederg (Co Tyrone, N Ireland) reported 20.4C and a very warm 21.1C was reported at Cromdale (Highland).
Tulloch Bridge (Highland) also saw a daily range of 22.6C, after a frosty night on the 11th. From April 15th for a week or
so a volcanic dust cloud event from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland closed many of Europe's airports and
skies to air traffic, several places reporting volcanic ash falling with people commenting on seeing a thin yellow veil in
the sky in places, some possible ash deposition and a slightly sulphurous smell in the air. The dry weather continued through
to the last third of April for many; warm in places too with St James Park (central London) up to 19.6C on the 18th. Nights
were cold still inland, the 21st saw -6.1 at Katesbridge (Co Down) and the 22nd saw grass mins (the temperature at about 5cm
above the grass) as low as -9C at Eskdalemuir, in Southern Scotland and on the 23rd -7C at Shawbury (Salops). The humidity
was as low as 25% in places by day as well inland, making it feel quite chilly out of any sunshine. It was cold enough
or sleet & snow in the far north on the 23rd; Shetland reported some hail & sleet showers. April 24th saw St
James Park reach 21.3C. The 28th saw 22.0C reached at Leeming (Yorks), the warmest temperature so far this year.
As rain fell for many early on the 25th this was the last day of a drought that saw some places record up to 18 days without
rain in the south. Soil temperatures
were near or a little below average generally, below more especially around N & W Scotland. Sea
temperatures remained near or a little below average around most parts of the UK especially the Irish Sea, but only slightly
below average around the south west, north west and northern coasts, by the month's end and a degree or so above average
in the North Sea.
May 2010 Dry and quite sunny
May was a dry month with slightly below average temperatures
& eventually reasonably good sunshine amounts for most. Although mean temperatures were near average this masked
a cold period in early May and a very warm period in the third week, when maximum temperatures reached (or were very close
to) the England and Wales all time period record for a few days. However, after a wet start it became more
or less dry and sunny everywhere away from some spots like central southern England and the Channel Islands during the last
week. Rainfall was generally around 65% across England and Wales but as low as 35% across parts of northern England though
nearer 95% in N & E Scotland. Sunshine was around 108% overall but as high as 120% in central & N Scotland.
The north and some central parts saw rather more frost days than average. There was a cold start to the month, Carter Bar (Northumberland) fell to -4.1C
on the 4th with daytime maxes some 6-8C below average in places initially.In the south it was notably wet
too, 68mm fell at Hampstead London in 48 hours on the 1st/2nd. Further ash from the volcanic eruption
in Iceland again closed parts of the airspace around N Scotland and Ireland for 3-4 days at times from the 4th.
On the 7th snow fell in places in central Wales such as at Abergavenny, with temperatures staying well below
average. The 8th saw Braemar (Highlands) fall to -6.0C, probably the second coldest temperature ever
recorded on this date (the record was -7.8C). The cold nights continued into the second week across much of the UK with
Altnaharra (Sutherland) down to -6.0C on the 11th and Redesdale (Northumberland) -4.9C on the 12th,
perhaps the coldest period of nights in May in the UK since 1996. Grass minima were around -9C in places on both
days which caused damage to a range of unprotected tender crops very widely. From the 20th temperatures
however, were generally on the increase across the UK under a large area of high pressure, Brooms Barn (nr Bury St Edmunds,
Suffolk) reached 24.3C. May 21st saw a warm night for some, close to the all time May records
overall in fact; St Angelo in N Ireland didn’t fall below 16C and London Heathrow saw a low of 14C. Hereford (Worcs)
saw the highest temperature by the afternoon reaching 25.7C and the 22nd-24th was very sunny overall
with an average of 14 hours sunshine each day across England & Wales. On the 22nd Copley (Durham) reached
27.7C. The 23rd saw the England & Wales mean max reach 26C and Santon Downham (Norfolk) reach 28.4C and
on the 24th London Heathrow reached 28.8C. Much cooler weather moved south on the 25th though
and Tyndrum (Highlands) saw a minimum of -4.4C, close to the all time minima records for this time of year. The
26th was wet in the far south and north, Guernsey saw a 48 hour total of 39mm, as thundery rain moved north
from France, Kinloss (Morayshire) saw 26mm in 24 hours. Soil temperatures were near average generally, though initially rather below more especially in the north. Sea
temperatures remained near or by the month’s end a little above average around most parts of the UK though still below
in Irish Sea, & slightly below average around parts of the mid Channel coast.
June 2010
Dry sunny and warm
June was another dry month with well above average
temperatures & good sunshine amounts for most.
Mean temperatures were1.5C degrees above the CET overall, though
this masked a very warm start in the first week and a warm end in the SE too, when minimum temperatures reached near record
high values along with some hot days. There have only been five warmer Junes in the past half century. After a dry start
there was a wet period in the east and SE which meant that East Anglia saw near average rainfall despite the dryness of the
rest of the month. By week two it became more or less dry and rather sunny everywhere away from some spots in the far north
west during the last week. Rainfall was generally around 65% again across England and Wales but as low as 35% across much
of northwest England & Western & Northern Scotland. Sunshine was around 130% overall but as high as 150% in SW
England and parts of South Wales.
Not a great start for many though as June 1st was a chilly
wet day with low pressure moving across southern parts and many places didn't rise above 11C all day, eg Manston, Little
Rissington, Sennybridge etc. On the 3rd Santon Downham in Norfolk fell to 1.9C. Some very warm
weather saw Howden (Yorks) reach 28.5C on the 5th. However, as low pressure moved across the south, showers
and thunderstorms developed in places late on the 5th and through the 6th giving some heavy downpours.
In Scotland Threave (Kircudbright) reported 36mm in a 24 hour period and Marham (Norfolk) 29.0mm. Flash flooding was reported
in places in Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire but nothing too serious. On June 8th
there were further thundery downpours in places and Cardinham nr Bodmin (Cornwall) reported
52mm in a 36 hour period to 18Z with an unofficial report from an observer in the Brecon Beacons of 55mm in the
24 hours to 18Z, the 10th saw 44mm of rainfall at Manston (Kent), the 11th saw a slow moving thundery
front moving north across southern parts overnight and it brought some heavy rain into the far south coastal counties
of West & East Sussex. Generally 25-30mm fell in a 2 hour period from 0500-0700 but it seems locally that up
to twice that may have fallen; some unofficial readings suggest Seaford recorded 49mm, with Polegate & Portslade
about 42mm. Seaford Road in Newhaven was blocked after a mini bus got stuck in 3ft of water and flooding also caused
problems on parts of the A259 in Worthing, Bexhill, Storrington and Chichester. There was minor flash flooding
across much of the Brighton & Hove area. June 17th saw a chilly night . Benson (Oxon), Pershore (Gloucs), Marham
(Norfolk) and Church Lawford (Salops) all fell to -1C down on the grass. On the 20th the lowest temperature
of the month was reported of -0.1°C at Carter Bar (Roxburghshire). The last week though was very warm in many places.
June 22nd saw 28.4C at Howden (Yorks) and on June 27th Gravesend
reported the month’s highest figure of 30.9C. The dry weather was becoming an issue in parts of the NW in
particular, where reservoir levels were dwindling with a threat of hosepipe bans . On the 29th fronts moved
across the west and thunderstorms developed across parts of Wales overnight. 3,000 homes were without power
in north Wales in the Anglesey and Gwynedd areas. Lightning also caused gorse fires too; firefighters tackled a gorse fire
covering 2,000 sq metres near Llandudno. Further east the hottest spot was Heathrow Airport , with 28.6C reached later in
the day.
Soil temperatures were near average generally, though later rather above especially in the northwest. Sea
temperatures remained rather above average around most parts of the UK, though near average in the Irish Sea and around the
Northern Isles.
July 2010
A minor 'heat
wave' continued at first in the east with parts of Essex, Kent, Suffolk and Norfolk reaching 27-28C on the 2nd and Gravesend
(Kent) in particular reported a max of nearly 30C. However, in contrast to the dry hot weather here parts of the far
north & far south west were notably wet, Cardinham (Cornwall) reported 28mm in the 24 hours to 12Z and Lerwick in the
far north was very wet too, seeing 33mm in just 12 hours to 12Z. By the 4th, whilst the south was dry and warm, it was very wet and windy in the north west especially, as a deep low ran close to the W Isles of Scotland. For example, Tyndrum (Highlands) reported 54mm in the 24 hours to 21Z and gusts of up to 71mph were reported in the west of Ireland at Bellmullet and 61mph at Capel Curig ( N
Wales) with electricity restored to more than 10,000 homes across Northern Ireland after high winds brought
down power lines across Ballymena, Campsie, Downpatrick,
Dungannon and Enniskillen. Gravesend (Kent)
reported a max of 31.5C on the 9th the highest UK temperature in July and 30.9C on the 10th. Santon Downham in Norfolk was
close to this figure also on the 10th. However it was chilly in parts of the north, Inverbervie (Highlands) only reached 12.7C
on the 10th and 35mm of rain fell at Killowen (Co Down) in Northern Ireland as slow moving fronts moved ENE. July
12th saw an area of severe thunderstorms just graze SE Kent overnight, Manston saw 22m of rain fall in the 6
hours to 06Z on the 12th. It stayed very wet too in the far NW from Atlantic systems, Lusa on Skye saw 40mm in the 24 hours
to 18Z. July 14th-16th saw a very deep low for July produce some very unsettled weather across the UK. Initially on the
15th a strong SW'ly flow with low pressure over Ireland gave very high seas and strong winds overnight on the 14th/15th
in the south. A gust of 63kts (72mph) was reported at the Needles on the Isle of Wight and then during the 15th a secondary low ran up the SW approaches and through the Irish Sea deepening quite quickly
to be about 985mb near the Isle of Man about 23Z. This gave a lot of heavy rain in places especially west Wales and Northern
Ireland where St Angelo saw 50mm in the 24 hours to 21Z on the 15th. Strong winds occurred initially in Devon and Cornwall, Polruan CG lookout (nr Fowey) gusted to 58kt (67mph) and as the low moved away NE,
winds increased on its southern flank below the bent back occlusion and gusted to 84mph at Aberdaron (NW Wales); at Valley (Anglesey) it peaked at 62kts (71mph)
which is a record for the location in July. Some localised coastal flooding was reported in Jersey and other parts of
the south west & Wales with power losses too for a time in south & west Wales. Wayne Roberts, station manager
with Criccieth coastguard, said the high tide at Porthmadog harbour was the biggest he had seen in his 17 years' service
with near horizontal spray, causing boats
to capsize. Parts of Wales remained very wet too, July 18th
saw Capel Curig in NW Wales reporting
60mm in the 24 hrs to 21Z today as a slow moving front sat over the area running from Norway down to the Azores, separating the warm summery weather to the SE of it (Norwich
reached 26C) from the cooler weather in the western Atlantic . This theme remained for the
rest of the month really, the 20th saw warm and muggy weather in the east and SE with Cambridge Botanical Gardens reaching 29.7C but it was very wet in the west & north west as low pressure dominated and slow moving fronts
sat over the west. Hawarden (Clywd) saw 60mm of rain fall in the 24 hours to 21Z. There was localised flash flooding in parts
of NW England with Liverpool especially affected. However on the 22nd Santon
Downham (Norfolk)
also reported 31mm
in the 24 hour period to 21Z. The 23rd saw the chilliest night of July as Kinbrace (Sutherland) in the far north of Scotland fell to 0.1C overnight , but
by the 26th in contrast, it was very muggy overnight in the south. Lee on Solent (Hants) for example didn't fall
below 18.5C & hence likely to be one of the warmest nights this year
August 2010
August 4th saw thunderstorms develop widely across the south & SE in particular
as a cold front with triple point associated low pressure moved east across the area. There was some heavy rain with
flooding reported near Haywards Heath & Wivelsfield; Uckfield town centre was particularly badly affected with up
to 48mm said to have fallen in 1 hour unofficially. August 12th was very wet in the Manchester area too with
51mm of rain reported at Woodford in the 24 hours to 1800. Localised flash flooding was reported. The next day, August 13th
saw a slow moving occluded front moving south, as thunderstorms and localised flash floods caused disruption in parts
of Kent, with Deal the worst affected area. One resident said that at the peak of the flooding, the water was waist high
with 25mm estimated to have fallen in an hour in a few places. August 14th also saw low pressure
continuing to sit across England with an associated slow moving wraparound occlusion in place giving a very showery day
with plenty of thunderstorms about. The wettest place was Manston in Kent with 35mm in 24 hours to 18Z. The heavy rainfall
caused local flash flooding in eastern parts of Kent. Kent Fire and Rescue Service were called to the Westwood Cross
centre in Thanet after six inches (15cm) of water flooded the shopping area with many shops suffering water damage. There then followed a few days respite
before another very unsettled period from the 20th to the 26th. August 20th/21st was a very active period
across the country as a warm, very moist tropical airflow brought deep low pressure across the far north west close to NW
Scotland and slow moving waves ran across the country further south especially across Wales and central parts. In the strong
W-SW'ly gradient in the far NW close to the centre of the low pressure it was very windy with a gust of 70mph reported
at Altnaharra, Sutherland, around 0200 GMT on the 21st, the strongest of the month. The warm moist air gave copious amounts
of rain on upslopes too, Shap in the Lake District reported 51mm & Capel Curig (N Wales) reported 49mm in the 24
hour period to 18Z. However, the cloud broke in the east of England during the day allowing temperatures to lift and
Weybourne (Norfolk) reported 26.4C, somewhat remarkably the highest temperature of the month- below 80F. As the cloud
filled in again temperatures did not fall substantially in the moist tropical flow and many locations in the south and east
didn't fall below about 19C. Weybourne's minima was 19.5C. Earlier in the day a pulse of the heavy rain
across SW Wales became thundery due to its instability at medium levels and gave flash flooding in the Swansea area with
the fire brigade responding to at least thirty emergency calls. Up to 30mm is thought to have fallen in an hour in places.
On August 22nd/23rd the unsettled period continued as a developing low pressure area with some very warm
& moist tropical air wrapped into it swung up across the SW and then out into the southern North Sea by noon on the 23rd.
It gave substantial rainfall across parts of the south with around 40-50mm falling in parts of the Isle of Wight
& Hampshire overnight on the 22nd/23rd, Thorney Island (Hants) reported 41mm. It was quite breezy in places too with
Langdon Bay nr Dover (Kent) reporting a gust of 52mph. August 25th was another very
wet day in the south as low pressure stalled in the SW approaches and its warm front pushed very moist semi tropical based
air into the south and south west. Some parts of Cornwall saw as much as 40-50mm in places early in the day, Scilly reported
43mm in the 24 hours to 18Z and unofficially Carnkie near Wendron reported 60mm. In Devon fire crews were called to pump out
flooded homes in Dartmouth. South Wales was very wet too, the Mumbles (Swansea) saw 60mm fall and at Tyn y Waun at the
top of the Rhondda Valley, 63mm of rain fell in a 24 hour period with local flooding reported in Swansea. It
was a cold day in Wales too, Velindre (near Brecon) reported its coldest August day since 1972 with a maximum temperature
of only 13.5C. Further very heavy rain moved into the far south coastal counties in the late afternoon and was especially
heavy in parts of Hampshire with 20-30mm falling in a few hours with further incidents of local flooding in East Sussex
and Kent, where the fire service was called out to deal with floods at several locations in Herne Bay and Ramsgate. Colder
air pushed south though as the low pressure moved away into the North Sea and August 26th saw a cold night
in parts of Scotland with Altnaharra (Sutherland) falling to -1.3C, the lowest temperature officially recorded in the UK this
August. It was locally very wet in the east too with Wattisham (Suffolk) reporting 48mm in the 24 hours to 1800Z. As
the month closed it was a cool bank holiday for many and a few places even started frosty on the grass too with
Pershore (Gloucs) and Woodford (Cheshire) falling as low as -2C at 5cm. Tulloch Bridge (Highlands) fell to -3C on the grass
on the 31st.
September 2010
Looking now in more detail at September. The month started
fine, warm and sunny for most; Church Fenton reporting the joint highest temperature during September on the 1st
with 24.6C but it stayed warm in places for a few days. It was pretty cool at night though, Bournemouth (Dorset) fell to just
1C on the grass. As fronts became slow moving across Ireland and the south west of England on the 6th
a lot of rain fell in places. Though Ireland was the wettest area (Durrow (Co. Laois) in Ireland reported 119mm
in the 24 hours to 18Z on the 6th) in Northern Ireland Lough Fea recorded 84mm in the 24 hours until 00Z on the 7th, there
was localised flooding reported across Ireland as a result. Cardinham in Cornwall reported 37.8mm in the 24 hours to 18Z on
the 6th. Earlier on in the day five boats sunk in Newcastle harbour, (County Down, NI) as high tides and strong
winds caused coastal damage. By the 10th a series of wave depressions
pushed in from the SW and produced a lot of heavy rain in places, especially over high ground in west Wales; Sennybridge (Powys)
reported 61mm in the 24 hours to midnight GMT. It stayed wet as well; September 13th saw low
pressure swing across the far north of Scotland where it was very wet in places. Tyndrum (Highlands) reported 50mm in the
24 hours to 21Z and Lusa (on the island of Skye) 47mm in the 24 hours to 18Z. It was nevertheless surprisingly warm though
locally in the north west; Murlough (NI) reached 22.1C. The 14th saw a wet night over parts
of west Wales due to orographic enhancement again with the Conwy, Mawddach, Wnion, Vyrnwy, Dysinni and Dyfi
catchments on flood watch. It is estimated that about 50mm fell in places in the 12 hours to 09Z.By September 18th cooler air moved south giving some rather cold nights, in
particular Exeter fell to 0.1C, unusually cold for mid September in the south west but warm upper air soon moved back
and across the north west on the 19th it was again very wet due to orographic enhancement. Preston (Lancs)
saw 59mm in the 24 hours to 21Z today and Capel Curig in North Wales 55mm in the 24 hours to 18Z with Southport airshow
cancelled because of the heavy rain overnight. September 22nd was warm as a mild S-SW'ly flow lay over
the UK with plenty of hazy sunshine. Gravesend (Kent) reaching the months joint max with 24.6C. By the 23rd
however slow moving fronts again sat over the northern UK giving some very wet weather in places. Rosehearty (Aberdeenshire)
saw 57mm in the 24 hours to 21Z. and further south west in N Wales, Rhyl (Clwyd) reported 44mm with showery thunderstorms
around across central southern & eastern England during the afternoon as well. It was rather windy in places later too,
Warcop Range (Cumbria) reported the months highest gust of 60mph early on the 24th. The month ended cooler , especially
at night as high pressure settled over chilly air; Tyndrum (Highland) reported -4.4C early in the morning on the 26th
(and -7C on the grass) and Kinbrace (Sutherland) -4.4C around dawn on the 27th; the coldest September
nights in the UK recorded in 24 years.
October 2010
It started wet in the south with 36mm at Dunkeswell (Devon) and 31mm falling at Bournemouth (Dorset) in the
24 hours to 21Z on the 1st, due to a deep depression in the Atlantic pushing slow moving fronts east
. Newhaven CG (E Sussex) reported 63mph gusts with associated heavy rainfall. On October 3rd a low deepened
in the SW approaches with severe gales affecting the SW for a time. Berry Head (Devon) gusted to 67mph, surprisingly
this was the highest in the UK this October. It was wet too here with 34mm falling at Cardinham, (Cornwall) in the 24 hours
to 21Z. The heaviest rain ran up across Wales and Shropshire (Shawbury saw 34mm too) and extended into northern
England too. In Yorkshire there was up to three feet of water in places with roads turned into rivers and the North Yorkshire
fire crews attending 31 incidents and rescued 13 people in floods mainly around Kirkbymoorside, Danby and the North Yorkshire
Moors. Among those rescued was a group of five and a puppy trapped in a mini bus. However it was quite
warm in the far SE for a time and Manston (Kent) reached 19.9C. October 5th was windy in the far
NW, West Guerinish on South Uist reported a gust of 58kt, 64mph
October
8th-11th saw a short lived 'indian summer' feel to the weather for some at least, as a rather warm E'ly
flow became established across the south with high pressure further north. On the 8th 23.1C was recorded at Chivenor in Devon,
the highest temperature this October in the UK and 23C at St Helier, Jersey on the 9th. The 10th & 11th were warm
as well and saw 22.5C and 20.1C respectively reported at Lee on Solent in Hants.It was very windy too on the 9th in parts
of the SW on the edge of the high pressure, Culdrose (Cornwall) recorded a 53mph easterly gust. There was a cold
night on October 16th across England, as an area of high pressure covered the UK, though the east saw
more in the way of cloud overall. Benson (Oxon) fell to -4C. October 19th-20th saw a short
lived cold northerly plunge across most areas. Sleet & snow showers fell in northern & Highland Scotland on the 19th
and scattered thunderstorms were reported as the related cold front moved south by day. Tyndrum (Highland) fell to as low
as -5C early on the 20th with -9C on the grass at Loch Glascarnoch (Highland) with sleet and snow showers reported as far
south as the North Wales mountains and Yorkshire Moors early on the 20th. By day on the 20th temperatures only rose
to 5-7C in many areas; it was just 1C at Spadeadam (Cumbria) by midday. October 22nd saw Walney
Island (Cumbria) very wet –it reported 57mm in 24 hours. October 23rd-25th saw another
chilly spell as cool N-NW'ly winds dominated and an anticyclone then pushed east over the UK. On the morning of the 23rd
in Scotland, Altnaharra (Sutherland) fell to -5.2C. There were heavy showers on the 23rd too
with thunderstorms across the south & possible tornadoes reported near Hastings (East Sussex) & Ringwood (Dorset)
with a funnel cloud spotted in the East Channel near Dover. On the 25th Sennybridge (Powys) fell to -6.6C and Katesbridge
(Co Down) -6.2C, which is the second lowest temperature recorded in October in Northern Ireland since at least 1900. By
October 26th a milder SW'ly airflow moved in and it became very wet in places and windy too. Dundrennan
(Dumfries & Galloway) reported 46mm in the 24 hours to 18Z. Capel Curig in north Wales gusted to 60mph , as
a deep depression moved north east of north western Scotland. However it was milder, Murlough (Co Down) reached
a warm 18.1C. October 27th saw another wet day in places in the Western Isles
& Highlands again with Cluanie Inn near Glenmoriston (Highlands) reporting 55mm in the 24 hours to 21Z. On the 29th
it was also wet at Tyndrum in the Highlands where 44mm was recorded in the 24 hours to 21Z.
November 2010 Unsettled becoming cold & snowy
November
1st saw a cold start at Altnaharra (Sutherland) where -5.2C was recorded but by November 2nd it became wet
& windy in the west, a gust of 68mph was reported as Aberdaron and Capel Curig reported 40mm in the 6 hours to 18Z. It
was very mild though by November 4th and temperatures didnt fall below 15.4C at St James Park in
London and 15C in other areas, making it one of the mildest ever nights in November. By day it was also notably
warm with local foehn effects ongoing. St James Park reached 19.0C, making it one of the mildest, November days
in England for around forty years. It was windy as well , especially in west Wales and Aberdaron (Powys) recorded a
gust of 71mph at 19Z. It was also exceptionally wet in places across the north west of England in the mild moist flow and
orographic rain produced 160mm at Seathwaite in the Lake District during the day. November 7th-9th
saw a very stormy wet period. Initially it was very cold overnight on the morning of the 7th in the far north, Tyndrum
(Highlands) fell to -6.1C. However, by the afternoon an unusually deep low pressure area was working S-SE
across Ireland and the south west before filling over the near continent. It was below 960mb at one stage and parts of the
south and SW had their lowest pressure readings for around 20 years. Pressure was falling by about 14mb in 3 hours in
the north west at one stage. It brought very strong but not exceptional winds across the west, Tiree gusted to 74mph late
on the 7th and Altnaharra 77mph, early on the 8th in exposed NW Scotland. Later on the winds became E-SEly
in the north; St Bees Head (Cumbria) gusted to 73mph. It was very wet in places where a slow moving band of heavy rain
stalled across central parts. Leek (Staffs) reported 48mm in the 24 hours to 21Z and saw of max of just 3C by day. Snow fell
to in places in the north over high ground initially too, as the rain moved in over the colder air .
November 11th-12th saw another stormy period across the UK. An unusually deep low, even for November,
ran across central Scotland and into the North Sea; it was near 949mb when it was close to the Western Isles. Very strong
winds were experienced ahead of its fronts and it was wet too especially on western upslopes, Tyndrum (Highlands) reported
56mm in the 24 hours to 21Z on the 11th, with some more snow on Scottish hills. In the warm sector it was mild though, Wisley
(Surrey) reached 15.6C. Early on in the S-SW'ly winds gusts of 81mph were reported at Newhaven CG station (E Sussex)
and 79mph at the Needles on the Isle of Wight at 10Z. As the winds veered westerly later they increased in the far west and
then extended east. Knock airport in County Mayo, Ireland some 40 miles inland from the coast saw mean W'ly winds
of 53mph, gusting to 72mph at 13Z & Finner (Co Donegal) gusted to 81mph. 12 metre waves were reported off the coast
of NW Ireland. As the winds moved east Wales saw Capel Curig in Conwy reach 91mph with gusts also to 76mph at Perranporth
(Cornwall). There were a number of serious incidents as a result of the weather across the UK. A woman died as she was impaled
on a branch when a falling tree hit her car in Pontefract, West Yorkshire. Power lines were brought down and bridges
closed with 6,000 people in Northern Ireland left without power around Dungannon and Omagh in County Tyrone, and Enniskillen
in County Fermanagh. All ferry sailings across the Irish Sea to ports were cancelled. November 16th-17th
saw yet another wet and windy period in the west. A deep low brought severe gales to both the far SW and far NW of the UK.
Gusts of 73mph were recorded at South Uist and at the Sevenstones LV off the Isles of Scilly. Scilly itself recorded 62mph.
As the occluded front went through central Cornwall around 04-06Z a band of narrow but intense line convection gave some
torrential rain in the area around Lostwithiel, Mevagissey and St Austell but it was relatively localised. Cardinham
near Bodmin reported 51mm in the 24 hours to 18Z and Dunkeswell (Devon) 43mm. There were unofficial reports though of around
75mm falling in a few hours locally. One local resident noted that the rain became heavier than anything he had experienced
in his -70 year –life. Most of the places that flooded lay at the bottom of steep sided valleys, especially Lostwithiel
which the river Fowey runs through, with quite a large catchment area, and as it is only a few metres above sea level it
was also affected by the high tide. Cars were washed away as houses flooded and landslips of around 80 tons of earth
and rocks closed the main railway line for a time near Dobwalls.
As colder air moved in from the north
east by the 24th it set the scene for one of the coldest ever recorded periods in November across the UK.
At Wattisham (Suffolk) it was only 1.8C at midday. Sleet & snow showers moved west on the northeast coasts, giving
slight accumulations in places. By the 25th the NE'ly flow along with entrained troughs and polar lows
brought a lot of snow to places , giving some significant accumulations in places. The greatest amount s were lying across
northeastern parts of the UK with over 35 cm in parts of Northumberland and in excess of 40 cm in northern and eastern Scotland.
Snow also fell across parts of northern England, Wales and the SW yesterday with near 20cm in Truro (Cornwall) and the
east coast saw as much as 8cm at Bridlington Yorks). Travel and sport was disrupted . It was very cold on the
27th in Wales when Trawscoed and Sennybridge fell to -10C. Trawscoed reported -14C just above the snow cover itself.
However November 28th brought an exceptionally cold night in many places -in fact the coldest
November night since 1985 and second coldest since 1919. Llysdinam in Powys, Wales fell to -18.0C, the lowest November temperature
in Wales on record. Northern Ireland also saw -probably-its lowest on record for November, reaching -9.5C.More
snow fell across parts of East Scotland and NE England. A number of airports, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Derry, Newcastle
and Durham-Tees Valley and Jersey were closed for a time. Central Scotland Police said they
were experiencing "significant problems" with many major routes with the M80 and A9 seriously affected. Tayside
Police warned drivers not to travel, with the A9(s) and A93 both closed and other roads including the M90 seriously affected. Further
south thunder snow provided by all accounts a spectacular night in the Channel Isles with Alderney reporting a funnel
cloud in the afternoon during another thunderstorm with snow. On November 29th and 30th the cold weather
continued with Altnaharra (Sutherland) reporting a minimum of -16C overnight, by midday it was still just -11.6C, almost certainly
one of the lowest midday temperatures ever reported in November in the UK. Llysidnam (Powys) fell to -13C again as well.
Thunder storms with snow continued in places around the coasts, especially across western Cornwall where there was a lot of
traffic disruption. Twitterers in Penryn, (Cornwall) reported a 'ferocious hailstorm with
thunder and lightning. Further snow showers gave accumulations right down the east coasts of Scotland and England. The
night of the 29th saw temperatures again very low in places reaching -12C at Kinloss (Scotland) with more
significant snow across parts of the SE on the 30th. The mean England temperature in the period fell
to -4C which was below the all time records for the period which began in 1772 and the second coldest period in November
since then.
December 2010 Very cold & snowy
The exceptionally cold weather in November continued across the UK and much of northern Europe
as well in fact in early December. Further snow fell in many areas overnight on the 1st with traffic
and rail disruption most especially in the south east. Up to 20cm of level snow was reported on the North Downs, and at Altnaharra
(Sutherland) it fell to -21.1C, making it the coldest ever first night of winter. Further snow fell in many areas on the 2nd
with up to 35cm across the North & South Downs overnight, causing traffic disruption. Hurn (Dorset) reported
33mm of -mainly -rain. Gatwick Airport remained closed, only opening on the morning of the 3rd and many other
local airports were also closed at least for a time. Train services across the southern network region were suspended
and then a skeleton service was run on the 2nd & 3rd. It was extremely cold again both nights and temperatures
fell to -20.4C in Braemar (Highlands. Later on the 3rd as slightly milder air moved east across southern parts temperatures
rose from -7.4C to +3.6, that is up 11.0C in one hour by 21Z at Shoreham (West Sussex).December 6th saw another band of snow work south across southern
Scotland and Northern Ireland. Topcliffe (Yorks) fell to -18.0C at 08Z and only climbed to -10C by midday. This was the coldest
December temperature in England since 1981. With the Hadley CET at -1.9C for the period Dec 1st-7th it seems as
though the previous 2 weeks were the coldest in this period (in Nov/Dec) at least since records began in 1772. Strathallan
(Perthshire) fell to -17C overnight and only climbed to -11C by day. December 8th saw Tyndrum
(Highlands) fall to -18.3C beating the old daily minimum record for the 8th . Edinburgh reported 30cm of
level snow at 06Z.
By day on the 10th December, Drumadrochit in Scotland reached 10C and was the first British station
to reach this value since 23rd November, a run of 16 days with temperatures below 10C. Nevertheless Redesdale still had
14cm of level snow on the 11th. By December 17th though very cold arctic
air covered the whole country and in Scotland after snowing all night there were reports of nearly 20cm in some hilly
and prone spots, with 12cm in Northern Ireland and 5-15cm in parts of Wales by the early morning with more on higher
ground. In Northern Ireland conditions were said to be the worst in 25 years and police here and parts of Scotland warned
against non-essential travel. Several major roads, including a 50-mile stretch of the A9 in Scotland were blocked
by snow; some motorists had to be rescued from their cars after becoming stranded. Flights were suspended from many airports
in the areas.
During December 18th/19th further heavy snow fell across NW England and Wales overnight with 15-20cm
in some places, but the south & SE saw quite a bit as well as a low formed to the SW and moved east
close to the Isle of Wight then ENE with 10cm falling in places. This was followed by a record breaking night ;
Pershore (Worcs) broke a new site record for any month but also this date in December with -19.5C recorded. Freezing fog patches led
to exceptionally low maxima as well , it was still -16C at Shawbury by noon on the 19th with more snow across SE
Scotland, and low pressure in the Channel gave further snow in the very far south as well and in the Channel Isles. On
December 20th as low pressure pushed into the south west, heavy snow affected parts of East Cornwall,
Devon and Somerset with reports of 20-25cm falling in and around Exeter and up the M5 Corridor, (Dunkeswell saw
21cm) thus causing major transport disruption. Castlederg in N Ireland reported the lowest temperature
ever recorded in Northern Ireland since records began, of -18C. There were temperatures of -19.6C at Chesham (Bucks)
and Pershore reported -19C too, with Benson (Oxon) reporting a minimum of -18C. By midday it was still only at-15C at
Capel Curig in North Wales but Jersey was up to a balmy 7C. A man died in hospital after falling through ice on a lake
in Romford, Essex. By December 21st for the third day in a row the all time minimum temperature date record
was broken, this time Katesbridge (Co Down) in Northern Ireland recorded a low of -17.8C. More remarkably Crosby on the
northwest Merseyside coast fell to -17.6C as well. At noon Altnaharra (Sutherland) was still -15C. Further snow fell
overnight in places with travel disruption continuing- all mainline east coast train services were suspended as overhead power
wires snapped due to ice and many airports continued to run very reduced services leaving many thousands stranded in various
parts of the world, as well as at the UK airports themselves. December 22nd saw fresh snow fall
across parts of the Midlands,Salop & north & east with a further 5-10cm reported in places. Further north
it was another bitterly cold night with Altnaharra (Sutherland) falling to -20.2C. This broke the all time lowest daily temperature
record for the third day running
December 23rd saw
temperatures fall to a further new record Northern Ireland low of -18.7C at Castlederg, (Co Tyrone).
However the coldest spot was again in the far north of Scotland with Altnaharra (Sutherland) down to -20C overnight. This
once again beat the daily minimum record for the fourth night in a row Further snow fell on eastern coasts, the Durham area
saw another 5-10cm for instance of fresh snow. On December 24th: Castlederg's (Co Tyrone) min was -17.4C.
This set a new date record again for the 24th, beating the previous one of -16.0C set just last year making 6 consecutive
date records on the trot. There were further very cold nights on the 25th and 26th before
the milder weather started to work in from the west. Altnaharra (Sutherland) reported -18.2C on the 25th making it the coldest
Xmas since 1878 and the second coldest Xmas Day temperature reported since records began and in Northern Ireland Katesbridge
(Co Down) reported -16.9C on the 26th. Further snow fell across central and northern parts on the 27th
but a slow thaw was generally occurring just about everywhere as milder weather and fronts pushed in from the west. However,
there was still a lot of snow in places on the ground, Eskdalemuir reported 20cm at 06Z. Scilly (St Marys) reported 11.5C
on the 28th making it the mildest day of the month in the UK. By the 29th the milder
weather had brought a thaw of the lying snow to most areas, although Eskdalemuir (Dumfries & Galloway) reported 13cm still
at 06Z. There was widespread dense fog as the milder air sat above colder air on the still cold ground. 40,000 customers
in parts of Northern Ireland experienced problems as burst pipes caused water shortages
.
For 2011 summaries please see
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