UK Weather - Spring 2018

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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2018

Unread post by Simon Culling »

Some of the storms that developed in the late afternoon on Sunday 27th May became quite severe briefly in parts of Northamptonshire with golf ball sized (40mm) hail being seen in and around the town of Daventry. The video on this Facebook link was filmed at Daventry Reservoir and some of the stones here were approaching golf ball size and make quite a splash in the lake. Many cars suffered dents to their bodywork in a short swathe in a housing area just to the north of this lake.

https://www.facebook.com/18748160470924 ... 074141721/
Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2018

Unread post by Simon Culling »

The humid and showery weather has persisted over more southern parts with further heavy rain and flooding on Tuesday (29th May) in the SE (incl London). Rainfall totals of 50-60mm were reported in parts of Kent and SE London with most of it falling in 2-3 hours, hence more local flooding:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-44293941

Today (Thurs 31st May), further weather warnings have been issued for thunderstorms over southern parts which are expected to develop this afternoon. The Met Office are suggesting local falls of 60-80mm in a couple of hours over central southern and SW England with the possibility of large hail again.

Meanwhile, it has been very sunny and warm over Eire and Western Scotland with 25*C being reached or exceeded daily in the latter area since last Thursday (24th May). The mercury reached 27.5*C at Achnagart in the western Scottish Highlands on Tuesday.
Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2018

Unread post by Simon Culling »

A lot of storms did develop on both Thursday and Friday with the most severe being on the former date and particularly over central England where local flooding occurred. The village of Charlbury in Oxfordshire appears to have received the most rain with 65mm falling in 3 hours during the early evening of Thursday. On Friday the storms extended to the island of Ireland and to Scotland, ending their long dry spell.

Tomorrow (Sat 2nd June) will see further storms develop, particularly over more northern parts, but we will see an end to this thundery spell through the weekend as the high to our west and north west exerts more influence and enables a slightly cooler and fresher northerly flow to become established - as we now move into the meteorological summer.
Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2018

Unread post by Simon Culling »

May was a warm and sunny month over much of the UK with the Met Office reporting that the average maximum temperature of 17.0*C was the highest for May in the digitised temperature record that currently extends back to 1910. A provisional sunshine figure of 245.3 hours also makes it the sunniest May recorded in a record that currently extends back to 1929.

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/relea ... statistics

The highest individual sunshine figure I can find at the moment is 267.8 hours at Rostherne, which is a suburb of Manchester - dispelling the myth of this city being wet and dull! In response to a question regarding sunshine in Worthing (West Sussex), the closest station to this locale I can find with sunshine data is Herstmonceux (about 40km to the east and a little further inland) where 245.7 hours were recorded which equates to 114% of the 1981-2010 average.
RWood
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2018

Unread post by RWood »

Thanks for that Simon!
Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2018

Unread post by Simon Culling »

The final CET for May was 13.2*C (+2.1*C) which makes two months in a row with a 2*C positive anomaly. The final EWR for may was 51mm which is only 80% of the monthly average.

The Met Office Blog has an interesting article on temperature records etc. and why the UK records only appear to go back to 1910!

https://blog.metoffice.gov.uk/2018/06/0 ... y-go-back/
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