Spring has started where winter left off with more rain and showers for much of the UK and it is on the cool side as well, which means some of the precipitation is falling as sleet or snow, particularly up in t'north. There had been some hope of a decent build of pressure next week, but this seems to have disappeared from the model output in the last day or so and been replaced by a renewal of the jet streams vigour. It is not looking quite as wet as it has been which will be a relief to those still affected by flooding.
Today, Monday 2nd March, is not too bad here in Tiverton as the rain fell in the hours of darkness. We have seen a few showers this morning, but also plenty of sunshine which is beginning to feel quite warm now as the sun climbs ever higher. The days are much longer now which always adds to the feel good factor and much of the fauna is well advanced with daffodils and some of the smaller flowers already in bloom. My winter flowering clematis is well underway.
UK Weather - Spring 2020
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Simon Culling
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
The unsettled weather has continued into March and yesterday (Thurs 5th March) was a particularly cold and wet day over southern England. Some quite high rainfall totals were recorded for this region in the 24 hours to 18:00GMT, with 37.2mm at Herstmonceux and 36.8mm at Brede - both of these places are in East Sussex. It was cold and wet here in Tiverton with rain until early afternoon and a daytime maximum of just 6°C which is about as cold as it got all winter. Some of the stations in the hills around here were even colder with a maximum of just 3.2°C at Okement Farm, Okehampton (Dartmoor) and 4.0°C at Liscombe (on Exmoor).
The CET for March was 4.8°C (+0.1°C) up to the 5th and the EWR was 9mm up to the 4th, which is 12% of the monthly average of 74mm.
Looking forward, the unsettled weather looks like continuing, albeit with less intensity than February. It also looks to turn milder over the weekend and into next week, especially with regard to overnight temperatures. Overnight into this morning (Fri 6th) we had the first air frost here in Tiverton since mid-January and the winter as a whole recorded one of the lowest number of frosts across the UK in quite a while.
The CET for March was 4.8°C (+0.1°C) up to the 5th and the EWR was 9mm up to the 4th, which is 12% of the monthly average of 74mm.
Looking forward, the unsettled weather looks like continuing, albeit with less intensity than February. It also looks to turn milder over the weekend and into next week, especially with regard to overnight temperatures. Overnight into this morning (Fri 6th) we had the first air frost here in Tiverton since mid-January and the winter as a whole recorded one of the lowest number of frosts across the UK in quite a while.
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
The wet weather continues - I must be sounding like a broken record. Plenty of rain and/or showers for the last few days, although Sunday did bring some sunshine between the showers - and at least it has not be too cold. We had a heavy hail shower in the early hours (1am) of this morning (Mon 9th March) which gave a temporary slight cover on the ground - this makes the 17th day with hail falling at my house so far this year.
The model output is not looking very encouraging in the short term, but there are definite signs of high pressure near the UK from mid-month onwards and a reasonable chance for some dry weather, although we have seen this at 10-15 days a few times already this winter/spring and it has not come to pass. The polar vortex has remained very strong since the end of last autumn, but the increased radiation as spring progresses will eventually weaken the circulation and some sort of northern hemisphere blocking will result. The key will be where this blocking is.
A front is moving east across the UK this evening and yet another 'atmospheric river' will become established for about a day giving a lot of rain to Wales, SW + NW England - all places that could do without another 50-100mm of rain. It will also introduce very mild air and we could see 16-17°C on Tuesday afternoon in any sunshine in the east of England - this will make it the warmest day of the year so far if the cloud breaks.
The model output is not looking very encouraging in the short term, but there are definite signs of high pressure near the UK from mid-month onwards and a reasonable chance for some dry weather, although we have seen this at 10-15 days a few times already this winter/spring and it has not come to pass. The polar vortex has remained very strong since the end of last autumn, but the increased radiation as spring progresses will eventually weaken the circulation and some sort of northern hemisphere blocking will result. The key will be where this blocking is.
A front is moving east across the UK this evening and yet another 'atmospheric river' will become established for about a day giving a lot of rain to Wales, SW + NW England - all places that could do without another 50-100mm of rain. It will also introduce very mild air and we could see 16-17°C on Tuesday afternoon in any sunshine in the east of England - this will make it the warmest day of the year so far if the cloud breaks.
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
One of those annoying weather days today (Sat 14th March) here in Tiverton with plenty of cloud, but some brief sunny intervals and constant light rain or drizzle showers - the weather just cannot make its mind up today.
Thankfully, the rain last Mon/Tues was not as copious as predicted and the flooding situation has now begun to improve. We did have the warmest day of the year (so far) though on Tuesday (10th March), with 16.5°C recorded at both Monks Wood (Cambridgeshire) + Kew Gardens, London.
The change in weather type now seems to be definite with a switch to high pressure dominated synoptics this coming week and beyond, although we will have more rain up to about Tuesday before this occurs. However, there is a bit of a fly in the ointment as it looks like we will develop an easterly flow by the end of next week which will introduce possibly the coldest air of the winter. This will not help efforts to control the coronavirus outbreak as the evidence suggests it spreads better in lower temperatures. We could really do with some early spring warmth.
The CET for March was 6.4°C (+1.2°C) up to the 13th and the EWR was 39mm up to the 12th, which is 53% of the monthly average.
Thankfully, the rain last Mon/Tues was not as copious as predicted and the flooding situation has now begun to improve. We did have the warmest day of the year (so far) though on Tuesday (10th March), with 16.5°C recorded at both Monks Wood (Cambridgeshire) + Kew Gardens, London.
The change in weather type now seems to be definite with a switch to high pressure dominated synoptics this coming week and beyond, although we will have more rain up to about Tuesday before this occurs. However, there is a bit of a fly in the ointment as it looks like we will develop an easterly flow by the end of next week which will introduce possibly the coldest air of the winter. This will not help efforts to control the coronavirus outbreak as the evidence suggests it spreads better in lower temperatures. We could really do with some early spring warmth.
The CET for March was 6.4°C (+1.2°C) up to the 13th and the EWR was 39mm up to the 12th, which is 53% of the monthly average.
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
With all the problems of the virus and the beginnings of lockdown here in the UK, the weather is perhaps not that important, but we have to keep our spirits up somehow, and hopefully keeping our collective interest in this fascinating subject will help.
The change in the weather is slowly coming about with high pressure now building across the UK from the SW. We have a cold front over the centre of the country separating very mild air here in the south from much colder air in the north, and this colder air will sink south as the high builds across the UK and to our NE by Friday, introducing an easterly flow by tomorrow (Thurs 19th March). The high will very slowly sink south into central Europe next week maintaining the dry and settled weather for the south of the UK and bring progressively warmer air into the country from the SE. It could be rather springlike by the middle of next week here in the south and that will be much appreciated.
The change in the weather is slowly coming about with high pressure now building across the UK from the SW. We have a cold front over the centre of the country separating very mild air here in the south from much colder air in the north, and this colder air will sink south as the high builds across the UK and to our NE by Friday, introducing an easterly flow by tomorrow (Thurs 19th March). The high will very slowly sink south into central Europe next week maintaining the dry and settled weather for the south of the UK and bring progressively warmer air into the country from the SE. It could be rather springlike by the middle of next week here in the south and that will be much appreciated.
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
The much anticipated dry weather has duly arrived and we have enjoyed a couple of dry days with plenty of hazy sunshine, although the strong ENE wind here in the south has made it feel rather chilly. The air was very dry for a time here in southern England with some sites reporting a relative humidity of as low as 24% on Saturday afternoon - for example, at the Met Office site at Reading University at 13:00, the air temperature was 9.6°C and the dew point was -9.4°C, to give a relative humidity of just 25%.
Looking ahead, we will see the dry spell lasting up to next weekend here in the south, although fronts and some rain will flirt with the NW of the UK at times. It will warm up a bit, but no real springlike temperatures look to be on offer.
The CET for March was 6.8°C (+1.5°C) up to the 20th and the EWR was 57mm up to the 19th, which is 77% of the monthly average.
Looking ahead, we will see the dry spell lasting up to next weekend here in the south, although fronts and some rain will flirt with the NW of the UK at times. It will warm up a bit, but no real springlike temperatures look to be on offer.
The CET for March was 6.8°C (+1.5°C) up to the 20th and the EWR was 57mm up to the 19th, which is 77% of the monthly average.
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
We have been treated to two lovely sunny days (Sunday + Monday 22nd/23rd March) and this weather has continued into Tuesday for most of the UK. It is just the NW that is seeing more cloud and quite a bit of rain. The nights have been frosty (away from the far west) and the days have seen increasing warmth - the temperature rose to 15.7°C yesterday at Trawsgoed in the far west of Wales and we may well see 16/17°C today and tomorrow.
However, there will be quite a sting in the tail to the winter with the coldest air (and in depth) likely to affect the UK from this weekend, with snow showers into the east off a warm (relatively speaking) North Sea. An intense high pressure looks set to build to our west and north west (ridging north from the usual Azores high) reaching in excess of 1050mb by the weekend and this will allow a very cold feed of air from the NE (Scandinavia) which looks to stay with us for a while. The computerised forecasts are, in my opinion, not picking up on how cold it is going to get for late March and into early April. We could well do without this at what is a very difficult time for everyone.
The CET for March was 6.7°C (+1.3°C) up to the 23rd and the EWR was still 57mm up to the 22nd, which is 77% of the monthly average.
However, there will be quite a sting in the tail to the winter with the coldest air (and in depth) likely to affect the UK from this weekend, with snow showers into the east off a warm (relatively speaking) North Sea. An intense high pressure looks set to build to our west and north west (ridging north from the usual Azores high) reaching in excess of 1050mb by the weekend and this will allow a very cold feed of air from the NE (Scandinavia) which looks to stay with us for a while. The computerised forecasts are, in my opinion, not picking up on how cold it is going to get for late March and into early April. We could well do without this at what is a very difficult time for everyone.
The CET for March was 6.7°C (+1.3°C) up to the 23rd and the EWR was still 57mm up to the 22nd, which is 77% of the monthly average.
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
The glorious sunny weather continues over the bulk of the UK and the irony of having months of rain (and freedom) followed by abundant sunshine as soon as we are confined to quarters is not wasted on most of us! With a feed off the near continent (which is not that warm yet), the warmest weather has been in the west and northwest of the UK and on Tuesday (24th March), the mercury hit 19.4°C at Rhyl on the north coast of Wales. Yesterday (Weds) was nearly as warm with 18°C recorded at a number of sites in N Wales and NW England. These are the highest temperatures here in the UK since the 1st of October 2019.
Here in Tiverton we have had four sunny days in a row from Sunday to Wednesday and today (Thurs) will make it five. We have had a nip of frost at night, but the temperature has hit 15°C on both Tues + Weds and will get close to that again today. Looking forward, the weather should remain mostly dry, but as we reach the weekend, the source of the air will switch to the N or NE as a big high pressure (expected to be over 1050mb) develops to our NW over the north of the Atlantic so it will turn quite a bit colder. Thankfully, it looks like the axis of the really cold air will remain over our continental cousins. The longer term forecasts looks to maintain this blocking pattern which means it will remain on the cold side.
https://twitter.com/SimonLeeWx/status/1 ... 1057596416
Here in Tiverton we have had four sunny days in a row from Sunday to Wednesday and today (Thurs) will make it five. We have had a nip of frost at night, but the temperature has hit 15°C on both Tues + Weds and will get close to that again today. Looking forward, the weather should remain mostly dry, but as we reach the weekend, the source of the air will switch to the N or NE as a big high pressure (expected to be over 1050mb) develops to our NW over the north of the Atlantic so it will turn quite a bit colder. Thankfully, it looks like the axis of the really cold air will remain over our continental cousins. The longer term forecasts looks to maintain this blocking pattern which means it will remain on the cold side.
https://twitter.com/SimonLeeWx/status/1 ... 1057596416
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Orion
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
If you find yourself at a loose end, Simon:
All the best
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52040822The UK has rainfall records dating back 200 years or so, but the vast majority of these are in handwritten form and can't easily be used to analyse past periods of flooding and drought.
The Rainfall Rescue Project is seeking volunteers to transfer all the data into online spreadsheets. ...
All the best
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
Thanks for the link, Orion. A similar exercise for old temperature records has been in progress for a couple of years now, but it is great to see that these paper rainfall records will be digitised. I think the Met Office are undertaking the quality assurance tests on the data.
The lovely sunny weather continued through Thursday to Saturday here in the south, although it did cool down a little. Much more cloud today and we have seen the NE wind really pick up and there have been wintry showers over eastern England and including London. This flow is courtesy of a big high pressure to our W/NW which peaked at about 1055mb - see chart below for 06:00GMT today (Sun 29th March), which is courtesy of the Met Office. The UK pressure record for March has already been broken as some sites in NW Scotland have reported a value of 1051mb - the old record was around 1047mb.
The weather looks set to remain dry and on the cool side through the coming week, so no early spring warmth just yet.
The lovely sunny weather continued through Thursday to Saturday here in the south, although it did cool down a little. Much more cloud today and we have seen the NE wind really pick up and there have been wintry showers over eastern England and including London. This flow is courtesy of a big high pressure to our W/NW which peaked at about 1055mb - see chart below for 06:00GMT today (Sun 29th March), which is courtesy of the Met Office. The UK pressure record for March has already been broken as some sites in NW Scotland have reported a value of 1051mb - the old record was around 1047mb.
The weather looks set to remain dry and on the cool side through the coming week, so no early spring warmth just yet.
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
We did indeed set a new UK high pressure record for March - the highest hourly pressure reading was 1051.2mb at 09:00GMT on Sunday 29th March at South Uist Range in the NW of Scotland. A station in Eire, Malin Head, just pipped it with 1051.3mb.
With the high retreating a bit westwards, the supply of really cold air from the north has been cut-off, but it has remained mostly dry and on the cool side and we have had a touch of frost on some nights. This morning (Wednesday 1st April) was very frosty over southern England with a low of -5.2°C recorded at South Farnborough in Hampshire and -5.0°C at RAF Benson in Oxfordshire, and we had a nice white frost here in Tiverton.
There has been quite a change in the outlook with the weather set to warm up considerably over the weekend as the high declines but changes direction and moves SE into Europe to give us a southerly flow by Saturday. We could see the first 20°C on Sunday in the SE of England. After that it looks set to be generally dry here in the south and still on the warm side.
With the high retreating a bit westwards, the supply of really cold air from the north has been cut-off, but it has remained mostly dry and on the cool side and we have had a touch of frost on some nights. This morning (Wednesday 1st April) was very frosty over southern England with a low of -5.2°C recorded at South Farnborough in Hampshire and -5.0°C at RAF Benson in Oxfordshire, and we had a nice white frost here in Tiverton.
There has been quite a change in the outlook with the weather set to warm up considerably over the weekend as the high declines but changes direction and moves SE into Europe to give us a southerly flow by Saturday. We could see the first 20°C on Sunday in the SE of England. After that it looks set to be generally dry here in the south and still on the warm side.
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
Rather nondescript weather here in Tiverton at the moment with mostly cloudy skies and average temperatures. As has been the case in recent years, cold northerly outbreaks are occurring a little further east than I remember when I was a nipper and the main thrust of the cold air passes through Scandinavia into Europe and particularly seems to affect south eastern parts particularly badly. This has been the case this week with some very cold air just skirting Scotland and dropping into Europe - parts of the Balkans have seen record lows for April in the last few days. They have had to take preventative measures (i.e. light the burners) to protect their vines.
Cold air crossed Scotland yesterday and gave a dusting of snow this morning (Fri 3rd April) in places, and not just on the high ground. This cold air will not really reach the rest of us and by tomorrow we will be drawing more of a southerly flow off the continent. As a result, the weather will warm up considerably over the weekend and it looks like we will see the first 20°C temperature recorded this year on Sunday despite a stiff breeze. Beyond the weekend, it looks to stay mostly dry and on the warm side next week.
The final CET for March was 6.7°C (+1.0°C) which means the first three months of the year had an average temperature within 0.4°C of each other. The final EWR was 58mm, which is 78% of the monthly average with quite a contrast between a very wet first half and virtually dry second half. It is like someone turned the tap off!.
Cold air crossed Scotland yesterday and gave a dusting of snow this morning (Fri 3rd April) in places, and not just on the high ground. This cold air will not really reach the rest of us and by tomorrow we will be drawing more of a southerly flow off the continent. As a result, the weather will warm up considerably over the weekend and it looks like we will see the first 20°C temperature recorded this year on Sunday despite a stiff breeze. Beyond the weekend, it looks to stay mostly dry and on the warm side next week.
The final CET for March was 6.7°C (+1.0°C) which means the first three months of the year had an average temperature within 0.4°C of each other. The final EWR was 58mm, which is 78% of the monthly average with quite a contrast between a very wet first half and virtually dry second half. It is like someone turned the tap off!.
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
Sunday was indeed a warm and sunny day over England + Wales and the front approaching from the west did not arrive until the evening - this gave us our first worthwhile rain for about two weeks. The highest temperatures were in and around London and N Wales where the SE breeze gave fohn conditions to the west and north coasts:
22.2°C at Porthmadog (NW Wales)
22.1°C at Gogerddan (W Wales)
22.0°C at St James Park + High Beach (Essex)
21.7°C at London Heathrow + RAF Northolt
The forecast is good for the rest of the current week, with another sunny and warm spell for mid-week. After last nights rain, we have a few light showers today here in Tiverton, but some nice bright sunshine in-between.
An interesting development over the far north of the globe - the polar vortex has been very strong and long lasting over the winter and into early spring and as a result, we have a larger than usual ozone hole over the Arctic. Despite press scare stories, it is unlikely to present a health hazard for the northern hemisphere population.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00904-w
22.2°C at Porthmadog (NW Wales)
22.1°C at Gogerddan (W Wales)
22.0°C at St James Park + High Beach (Essex)
21.7°C at London Heathrow + RAF Northolt
The forecast is good for the rest of the current week, with another sunny and warm spell for mid-week. After last nights rain, we have a few light showers today here in Tiverton, but some nice bright sunshine in-between.
An interesting development over the far north of the globe - the polar vortex has been very strong and long lasting over the winter and into early spring and as a result, we have a larger than usual ozone hole over the Arctic. Despite press scare stories, it is unlikely to present a health hazard for the northern hemisphere population.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00904-w
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
The weather has been warm and sunny in most of England + Wales for the last couple of days, although it has not been as good further north. The temperature has hit 24°C on both Wednesday + Thursday in England and we should have another couple of similar (or slightly warmer) days going into the Easter weekend before it cools down considerably by Easter Monday. It was a glorious day in Tiverton today (Thurs 8th Apr) and it felt very summerlike on my one excursion outside to get some exercise. It was sunny and 22°C at 3pm - a lovely antidote to all the doom + gloom.
The CET for April was 10.0°C (+3.6°C) up to the 8th and the EWR was just 1mm up to the 7th, or only 2% of the monthly average of 62mm. The provisional annual CET anomaly up to the 8th of April is +2.16°C which is in record setting territory - the highest annual CET is 10.95°C (set in 2014) which is an anomaly of only +1.44°C. It has been a very warm start to the year.
One side effect of the curtailment of economic activity and the 'lockdown' has been a significant improvement in air quality in the UK as detailed in this BBC article. Ironically, with a feed off the continent in the last few days, we have been importing the stuff!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-52202974
The CET for April was 10.0°C (+3.6°C) up to the 8th and the EWR was just 1mm up to the 7th, or only 2% of the monthly average of 62mm. The provisional annual CET anomaly up to the 8th of April is +2.16°C which is in record setting territory - the highest annual CET is 10.95°C (set in 2014) which is an anomaly of only +1.44°C. It has been a very warm start to the year.
One side effect of the curtailment of economic activity and the 'lockdown' has been a significant improvement in air quality in the UK as detailed in this BBC article. Ironically, with a feed off the continent in the last few days, we have been importing the stuff!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-52202974
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
The sunny and warm weather continued over England + Wales through Easter Sunday with a maximum of 25.5°C in London on Saturday and 25.0°C on Sunday - both at St James Park. However, a change of air mass overnight into Easter Monday has given us a very different feeling day today, despite there still being plenty of sunshine around - it has been much colder and fresher with temperatures between 9°C and 14°C. We will see quite a widespread frost tonight.
We also had a crop of home grown thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon with quite a few popping up over eastern England as a result of local convergence and a developing surface trough across the centre of the UK, combined with plenty of surface heating enabling a weak cap to be broken. No reports of anything significant weather wise, but April 11th is very early for such widespread thunderstorms to develop in-situ.
Looking forward, the dry weather will generally be maintained, albeit with a rather cooler airmass in place. That said, it will still be warmer than average and there is the potential for another warm spell later in the week with some showers, although the models are not overly keen on this scenario.
The CET for April was 11.4°C (+4.7°C) up to the 12th and the EWR was still just 1mm up to the 11th - a mere 2% of the monthly average.
We also had a crop of home grown thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon with quite a few popping up over eastern England as a result of local convergence and a developing surface trough across the centre of the UK, combined with plenty of surface heating enabling a weak cap to be broken. No reports of anything significant weather wise, but April 11th is very early for such widespread thunderstorms to develop in-situ.
Looking forward, the dry weather will generally be maintained, albeit with a rather cooler airmass in place. That said, it will still be warmer than average and there is the potential for another warm spell later in the week with some showers, although the models are not overly keen on this scenario.
The CET for April was 11.4°C (+4.7°C) up to the 12th and the EWR was still just 1mm up to the 11th - a mere 2% of the monthly average.
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
After a dry week, we finally had some precipitation on Fri/Sat, with thundery rain moving north from France. Most of the thunder died out over the cold English Channel (La Manche if you are French!), but some places in southern England did get up to 40mm from this system. This is the first 'proper rain' for us in the south for nearly four weeks, and despite all my moaning about the winter rain, it was nice to see it again rather than days of wall to wall sunshine. The rain has certainly perked the vegetation up.
The weather has dried out today (Sunday 19th April) and the forecast is for another sunny week for much of the UK with the temperature recovering from the lower values we have seen in the last couple of days. With high pressure anchored to our NE, no rain is in the forecast until at least next weekend at the earliest.
The CET for April was 10.6°C (+3.3°C) up to the 18th and the EWR was 10mm up to the 17th, which is 16% of the monthly average. This does not include the rain on Saturday.
EDIT: Forgot to add this link to the rainfall of the first 15 days of April - issued by the Met Office. It shows how dry it was up until the rain of the past weekend.
https://blog.metoffice.gov.uk/2020/04/1 ... il-so-far/
The weather has dried out today (Sunday 19th April) and the forecast is for another sunny week for much of the UK with the temperature recovering from the lower values we have seen in the last couple of days. With high pressure anchored to our NE, no rain is in the forecast until at least next weekend at the earliest.
The CET for April was 10.6°C (+3.3°C) up to the 18th and the EWR was 10mm up to the 17th, which is 16% of the monthly average. This does not include the rain on Saturday.
EDIT: Forgot to add this link to the rainfall of the first 15 days of April - issued by the Met Office. It shows how dry it was up until the rain of the past weekend.
https://blog.metoffice.gov.uk/2020/04/1 ... il-so-far/
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
The fine and sunny weather has continued through the current week over most of the UK and it has gradually got warmer and warmer. Yesterday (Thurs 23rd April) was a stunning day of blue skies and warm temperatures with the highest in the SE:
24.3°C at Herstmonceux (East Sussex)
24.2°C at RAF Northolt
24.1°C at London Heathrow
24.0°C at Otterbourne (Hampshire) + RHS Wisley (Surrey)
Here in Tiverton it was sunny all day with just a few wisps of cirrus cloud and a max of 23°C. Sunny and warm again this morning after a cool and misty start.
There were also quite large diurnal ranges yesterday, especially in Scotland, where there had been an early frost. The Met Office site at Altnaharra had a daily range of 24.5°C (max 20.4°C, min -4.1°C) and at Aviemore it was 23.2°C (max 21.3°C, min -1.9°C).
The forecast has a change coming in the weather with the Atlantic finally regaining control. This will likely be a slow process and we will still be warm over the weekend, but there will be a few showers about. By the middle of next week a large depression will become slow moving near or over the UK which will mean rain for most of us followed by more showers. It will also turn much cooler.
24.3°C at Herstmonceux (East Sussex)
24.2°C at RAF Northolt
24.1°C at London Heathrow
24.0°C at Otterbourne (Hampshire) + RHS Wisley (Surrey)
Here in Tiverton it was sunny all day with just a few wisps of cirrus cloud and a max of 23°C. Sunny and warm again this morning after a cool and misty start.
There were also quite large diurnal ranges yesterday, especially in Scotland, where there had been an early frost. The Met Office site at Altnaharra had a daily range of 24.5°C (max 20.4°C, min -4.1°C) and at Aviemore it was 23.2°C (max 21.3°C, min -1.9°C).
The forecast has a change coming in the weather with the Atlantic finally regaining control. This will likely be a slow process and we will still be warm over the weekend, but there will be a few showers about. By the middle of next week a large depression will become slow moving near or over the UK which will mean rain for most of us followed by more showers. It will also turn much cooler.
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
The long run of fine weather is coming to an end and we have a wet and much cooler week to come - just as there is talk of a gradual easing of the lockdown. It was still fine over the weekend with plenty of warm sunshine over most of the UK, although a few showers did develop on Sunday afternoon. It is still dry today (Mon 27th April) but there is a lot more cloud about and the first bits and pieces of rain will arrive later. The rest of the coming week and weekend looks wet and cool on all the model runs, with upwards of 20-40mm expected in quite a few parts - this will be welcomed by the farmers and gardeners.
The CET for April was 11.0°C (+3.2°C) up to the 26th and the EWR was 11mm up to the 25th, which is just 18% of the monthly average. The former will fall and the latter rise in the last week of the month.
A couple of views from sunny Tiverton from April. The first shows a distant Cb over Dartmoor on Saturday 11th April - it was about 35km to my SW.
The CET for April was 11.0°C (+3.2°C) up to the 26th and the EWR was 11mm up to the 25th, which is just 18% of the monthly average. The former will fall and the latter rise in the last week of the month.
A couple of views from sunny Tiverton from April. The first shows a distant Cb over Dartmoor on Saturday 11th April - it was about 35km to my SW.
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
The weather has been much cooler and unsettled in the last few days with rain and showers for all, but despite that, the Met Office have confirmed that it was the sunniest April over the UK since sunshine records began in 1929.
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/p ... pril-stats
The last couple of days have seen plenty of showers over the UK with hail and thunder in more southern parts. The worst of them missed me here in Tiverton, but the south east of England saw a line of showers develop yesterday lunchtime (Fri 1st May) in a convergence zone that gave hail and thunder to many places. The attached tweet gives a very good explanation.
https://twitter.com/convectivewx/status ... 5167990785
The weather will be a little more settled looking forward into next week, but still on the cool side. The developing warm plume over Spain this weekend will not make in much further north and the UK will not see any benefit from it - blocking highs to the north look the order of the day for the next couple of weeks keeping us in the cooler air.
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/p ... pril-stats
The last couple of days have seen plenty of showers over the UK with hail and thunder in more southern parts. The worst of them missed me here in Tiverton, but the south east of England saw a line of showers develop yesterday lunchtime (Fri 1st May) in a convergence zone that gave hail and thunder to many places. The attached tweet gives a very good explanation.
https://twitter.com/convectivewx/status ... 5167990785
The weather will be a little more settled looking forward into next week, but still on the cool side. The developing warm plume over Spain this weekend will not make in much further north and the UK will not see any benefit from it - blocking highs to the north look the order of the day for the next couple of weeks keeping us in the cooler air.
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
Sunday was a disappointing day in that it drizzled all day here in Tiverton and finally cleared up as the sun went down (contrary to the forecast), but yesterday was brighter and a little warmer. Today (Tues 5th May) we have some heavy rain passing over those of us in the SW of England whilst the rest of the UK enjoys brighter and drier weather, but we will join them from tomorrow as we have a few days of warmer and sunnier weather to look forward to - we could see 25°C in the London area by Friday. However, we have a big change in the weather coming at the weekend as a very cold (for the time of year) airmass pushes south directly from the Arctic - 850mb temperatures are forecast to be below -10°C in northern Scotland and as low as -5°C over southern England by Monday (11th May) - see GFS forecast chart below for midday Monday (courtesy of WXcharts.com). There will be wintry showers over Scotland and possibly some damaging late frosts for much of the UK if the wind drops out.
The final CET for April was 10.4°C (+2.5°C) and the final EWR was 37mm, which is just 60% of the monthly average. The running average of the CET up to the end of April was 7.45°C which is +2.17°C above average.
The final CET for April was 10.4°C (+2.5°C) and the final EWR was 37mm, which is just 60% of the monthly average. The running average of the CET up to the end of April was 7.45°C which is +2.17°C above average.
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
It is a lovely day here in Tiverton today (Sat 9th May) with mostly clear skies (a few Cu + Cirrus) and abundant sunshine - it is already up to 21°C at noon. We could see the warmest day of the year so far in the UK today (26.0°C to beat) with the highest temperatures likely in and around London. However, it is not warm everywhere and currently it is only 7°C in the north of Scotland. The cold front is moving south and will clear the UK during tomorrow and we will then have a very cool few days to follow with wintry showers even to near sea level in Scotland. No snow for us in the south, but a late frost is a possibility for Mon/Tues. The main axis of the cold air will be over the north, and particularly Scotland, but it will certainly feel colder in the south compared to the last couple of days.
Yesterday, a few local showers developed in convergence zones and a couple of funnel clouds were observed - the attached link shows one filmed at Leintwardine, which is on the border between Shropshire + Herefordshire.
https://twitter.com/StormchaserUKEU/sta ... 9841995776
Yesterday, a few local showers developed in convergence zones and a couple of funnel clouds were observed - the attached link shows one filmed at Leintwardine, which is on the border between Shropshire + Herefordshire.
https://twitter.com/StormchaserUKEU/sta ... 9841995776
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
The cold front duly moved south across the UK yesterday (Sunday 10th May) and introduced a much cooler airmass to the whole nation. The worst of the cold air is confined to the north and east of the UK and has not reached the normally balmy SW where I am - it is just cool and dry here rather than the cold and hail/snow showers experienced in Scotland.
The attached chart (courtesy of MetDesk) gives a good representation of the state of affairs at midday on Sunday - the really cold air (850mb temps <-5°C) sheered away to the east and into Europe as has been the case with northerly outbreaks in recent years.
The CET for May was 11.8°C (+1.5°C) up to the 10th and the EWR was just 6mm up to the 9th, which is 9% of the monthly average of 65mm. Looks like being another warmer and drier month despite the current chill. That said, warm + dry is better than warm + wet.
The attached chart (courtesy of MetDesk) gives a good representation of the state of affairs at midday on Sunday - the really cold air (850mb temps <-5°C) sheered away to the east and into Europe as has been the case with northerly outbreaks in recent years.
The CET for May was 11.8°C (+1.5°C) up to the 10th and the EWR was just 6mm up to the 9th, which is 9% of the monthly average of 65mm. Looks like being another warmer and drier month despite the current chill. That said, warm + dry is better than warm + wet.
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
It has been a rather chilly week in the UK, but still mostly dry. There has been plenty of sunshine during the days, but the nights have been cold and frosty with some damaging frosts for farmers and growers. The attached map on the tweet by Dan Holley gives a good representation of how cold the nights have been at the UK synoptic stations with quite a few having their coldest May night for more than 20 years.
https://twitter.com/danholley_/status/1 ... 5704240133
The Met Office climate site at St Harmon in the middle of Wales had a minimum of -6.2°C on the morning of Thursday 14th May and if this passes the usual quality control checks, this will just beat the old record minimum for May for Wales which has stood for quite a few years. The old record was -6.1°C which was set at both St Harmon (in 1984) and Alwen (Conwy) in 1967.
Looking forward, the weather will be mostly dry for the next week and it will warm up, especially in the south. More northern areas will see some rain, but it will remain dry here in Tiverton until next weekend where there are some signs of a shift in the weather pattern. Long way off, though.
The CET for May was 10.4°C (-0.3°C) up to the 15th and the EWR was still just 6mm which is 9% of the monthly average.
https://twitter.com/danholley_/status/1 ... 5704240133
The Met Office climate site at St Harmon in the middle of Wales had a minimum of -6.2°C on the morning of Thursday 14th May and if this passes the usual quality control checks, this will just beat the old record minimum for May for Wales which has stood for quite a few years. The old record was -6.1°C which was set at both St Harmon (in 1984) and Alwen (Conwy) in 1967.
Looking forward, the weather will be mostly dry for the next week and it will warm up, especially in the south. More northern areas will see some rain, but it will remain dry here in Tiverton until next weekend where there are some signs of a shift in the weather pattern. Long way off, though.
The CET for May was 10.4°C (-0.3°C) up to the 15th and the EWR was still just 6mm which is 9% of the monthly average.
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
The frosts have now departed and it is warming up here in the UK. It was mostly sunny here in Tiverton today (Mon 18th May) with a maximum of 21°C and only a gentle westerly breeze. It will continue to warm during this week and we should see 27-28°C in and around London by Weds/Thurs - but a few degrees cooler here in Devon. There is the chance of a few showers or thunderstorms on Thursday, but after that, the synoptics might be complicated by the remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur as it moves across the Atlantic. We will definitely see an area of low pressure approach the UK, but its track is by no means certain at the moment and the hoped for 'breakthrough' of Atlantic weather systems may not happen. The high pressure areas are proving difficult to budge this spring.
Despite all the rain in the past winter and early spring, the last two months have been very dry over England + Wales and there are growing concerns for the water resource later in the year. Evidently, we are using more water at home during the lockdown than would have been used at work - another difficult to prove or disprove statistic!
Despite all the rain in the past winter and early spring, the last two months have been very dry over England + Wales and there are growing concerns for the water resource later in the year. Evidently, we are using more water at home during the lockdown than would have been used at work - another difficult to prove or disprove statistic!
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Simon Culling
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Re: UK Weather - Spring 2020
Wednesday + Thursday were warm and sunny over much of the UK with the temperature reaching 28°C in and around London on both days, the highest so far this year. The low pressure to which I referred in my last post developed as expected and deepened to around 968mb this morning as it curved northward to the west of Eire. This has brought a change in the feel of the weather - it is much cooler - but not much rain to the bulk of the UK. Scotland has seen a fair drop, but most of England + Wales has seen very little and there is not much in the seven day forecast. After some showers tomorrow, we will see a return of high pressure and dry, sunny and increasingly warm conditions again. The low pressure has brought some very windy conditions for the time of year, with winds of up to 75mph in the west and north west.
Here in Tiverton it has been mostly dry and warm, with plenty of sunshine for the last few days. In the early hours of Thursday a weak cold front crossed the area and we had an hour or so of distant lightning (to my W + NW) but no thunder was heard, and the front only managed a brief moderate rain shower which was just enough to wet the ground.
The CET for May was 11.5°C (+0.7°C) up to the 21st and the EWR was 7mm which is just 11% of the monthly average.
Here in Tiverton it has been mostly dry and warm, with plenty of sunshine for the last few days. In the early hours of Thursday a weak cold front crossed the area and we had an hour or so of distant lightning (to my W + NW) but no thunder was heard, and the front only managed a brief moderate rain shower which was just enough to wet the ground.
The CET for May was 11.5°C (+0.7°C) up to the 21st and the EWR was 7mm which is just 11% of the monthly average.