2000-2009

1999/2000 (Winter):
1. [ December+January+February ] - Averaged over England & Wales, the SUNSHINE hours for December=65 (134%), January=63 (124%) and February=97 (133%) (averages relate to the 1961-90 period); For the winter season as a whole, this means that this was the SUNNIEST winter (as defined) in the entire record (which started in 1907). Many places, especially in eastern & central Scotland, eastern & southern England and the Midlands recorded record sunshine. For London (Heathrow), there has been a total of some 257hr; There have been very few occasions in London with sunshine totals above 200hr. According to Philip Eden (Telegraph), since the record began in 1876, the events were: 1948/49=206hr; 1951/52=208hr; 1979/80=207hr; 1983/84=229hr; 1987/88=209hr; 1997/98=226hr and of course, 1999/2000=257hr. [ NB: record not made up from the same station.]
2000 (April & May):
1. A notably WET pair of months. Using the EWP series, April 2000 plus May 2000 was the second wettest such combination (wettest=1782 !). This was not surprising, as the April (2000) was the WETTEST April in the EWP series (beating the 1782 figure). The words 'FLOODING' cropped up quite a bit in these two months - for April, the rainfall was fairly uniformly spread about England, Wales & NE Scotland, with 200 to 300% of average. In May though, the excessive rainfall was much more regionalized - over 200% southeast of a line Whitby/Bournemouth, with some spots in SE lowland England circa 300%. [ see also 1983 & 1782 ]. Some spectacular THUNDERSTORMS in May - including one at Bracknell, the home (until late summer 2003) of the UK Meteorological Office!
2000 (Autumn):
1. For the England & Wales series, it was the WETTEST autumn since that series began in 1766. The final total was 503 mm, which is 196 % of the 1961-90 average. SIGNIFICANT FLOODING occurred over England & Wales, and also more locally over Northern Ireland, south and east Scotland. For Northern Ireland, it was the WETTEST autumn since at least 1900 and in the Belfast area, perhaps the wettest autumn since 1814.
>> The Environment Agency (who look after England & Wales only) suggests that up to the end of November, the flooding was the worst since 1947 (though note carefully that the meteorology & hydrology of the '47 floods was different. However, in York, it is thought that the FLOODS were unprecedented in the past 400 years. (Also worth noting that historically it was probably wetter about a thousand years ago!)
> September: most areas well above average .. 175 to 200% much of England and SE Wales, also areas of E. Scotland. Locally Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, >200%.
> October: the WETTEST October (England & Wales) since 1903 with 188mm, and the second wettest October in that series. It was also exceptionally wet in eastern counties of N. Ireland & across some parts of SW Scotland.
> November: 182 mm in the EWP series, the WETTEST November since 1940 & the fifth wettest November in the EWP record.
2. Manchester (Ringway) airport recorded NO FROST in the three months September, October and November this year (2000). This was unprecedented in their record which began in 1942.
2000 (Annual):
1. The WETTEST (calendar) year in the EWP record since 1872, and the third wettest in that series. Total=1233 mm/135% of 1961-1990 average. It included the WETTEST September to December period on record, the wettest Autumn (q.v.), the wettest April (q.v.), the second wettest October, the 6th wettest November and the second wettest April & May pairing (q.v.). [ see also 1768, 1852, 1872 & 1960 ]
> Many central southern & southeastern counties (south of London) of England exceeded 1000mm of RAIN, with upwards of 1300mm in parts of Sussex. The DRIEST area this year was around the Wash/eastern Fens & east coastal East Anglia where some places recorded just under 700mm of rain.
2001
2000 (Oct)/2001 (Feb):(5 months):
1. Above average SUNSHINE in the Northern Isles. For Lerwick (Shetland) & Kirkwall (Orkney), the accumulated values for these months are easily the highest in the respective records for these autumn/winter months.
2000/2001 (6 & 12 month periods):
1. According to Philip Eden (RMetSoc/Weather Log): " the six-month period September 2000 to February 2001 was unprecedentedly WET over England & Wales. At Herstmonceux (East Sussex) 1154mm fell in this period compared with a mean of 426mm." This represents some 270% of the average, and indicates how the highly notable wet weather has been concentrated across southern UK.
2. The 12 months from April 2000 to March 2001 in the EWP series is the WETTEST such 12 month period in that record (starts 1766) with a total=1355 mm; this is not far short of 1.5 times the 1961-1990 average. For parts of SE England, the anomaly is probably well in excess of 200% - and current thinking is that this may be an event that has not occurred for many centuries!
1999-2001 (24 months to end March):
1. The 24 month period ending March 2001 was the WETTEST in the EWP series.
2001 (February):
1. PROLONGED/HEAVY SNOWFALL affected eastern Scotland & NE England 3rd to 5th. Shetland, Fife, Tayside & Aberdeenshire amongst worst affected. A train (15 pax & crew) was trapped by SNOWDRIFTS in the north of Scotland (en-route to Wick), electricity was cut-off to roughly 11000 households after SNOW/HIGH WINDS brought down power lines, many roads closed and an Inverness to Edinburgh train was de-railed (nr. Killiekrankie) after it hit a tree brought down by GALES. Many schools closed.
> A depression moved slowly south-eastwards across the British Isles during the 26th & 27th & SNOW fell heavily across Scotland & N. Ireland, DRIFTING in the strong wind. Once again, reports indicated that transport was severely disrupted. Large accumulations south of the border were confined to Northumberland, Durham & North Wales.
2001 (October):
1. Record WARMTH by the CET record, also for eastern Scotland. The (provisional) CET value=13.3degC (+2.7 on 1961-90 climatology), easily beating the previous October CET record of 13.0 set in 1969. The difference was most notable in the mean overnight MINIMUM TEMPERATURE, and there were no AIR FROSTS recorded. For individual stations (using the 1961-90 average), Dyce (Aberdeen), Eskdalemuir (Dumfries & Galloway), Cambridge and Hurn (Bournemouth) all had mean MINIMA 4degC or more above, with the anomaly at Cambridge +4.6degC. The night average at Heathrow (11.3degC) was some +3.3 above average, and was the highest (for October) in that station's record which began in 1946. In many parts of the UK, the month was warmer than September 2001. (Also WET by the EWP series: ~ 160%)
2001 (November & December):
1. In November, 2001, anticyclones dominated the weather, with PRESSURE anomaly +10 mbar or greater over Wales and the West Country. Specifically, a large anticyclone settled over the British Isles from the 14th to the 20th November, PRESSURE peaking at 1044 mbar at midday on the 16th - not too far from the known 'highest' for November. December also experienced anomalously high PRESSURE. A 'mean' high was centred over the Channel Islands (central value ~ 1025mbar), with an anomaly centre south of Iceland in excess of +16, and anomalies across mainland UK ranging from +9 in southern England to +14 in the far NW of Scotland. Philip Eden (Weather Log/R.Met.Soc) says that with the mslp exceeding 1040 mbar somewhere in the UK daily between 8th & 19th, this may be unique in the instrumental record.
2001 (December):
1. SUNNIEST December on record over large parts of UK (& specifically by the composite England & Wales record which began in 1909**). Several sites >=200% of LTA., e.g. Heathrow (London) 93hr/203% & Aldergrove (Belfast) 78hr/200%. ** [ The England & Wales sunshine figure=2.6hr/day (183%).](see also 1999/2000 winter)
2001 (Annual):
1. Another WARM year. The GLOBAL average surface TEMPERATURE roughly 0.4degC above the 1961-90 average, in the 'top-5' WARMEST years in record which started in 1860. (Warmest 1998: q.v.) Nine of the 10 warmest years had occurred since 1990. (reflected in the CET record, with a provisional anomaly of +0.5degC of the 1961-90 LTA .. probably less for the 1971-2000 base-line though ~ +0.2degC, and a long way short of being in the 'top-ten' of warm years by the CET.)
2002 (March/April):
1. Notable DRY spell in southern Britain.
2002 (September):
1. DRIEST September Aberdeen (Dyce) & Plymouth (Mountbatten) since 1959.
2002 (October & November):
1. A notably WET (& MILD) pair of months: by the EWP (CET) series, though not 'record-breaking' as such. Some local all-time records set, e.g. Aberdeen, St. Mawgan (nr. Newquay, Cornwall) and Aldergrove (nr. Belfast). Eastern Scotland had it's second WETTEST (areal average) October on record. Also, using areal-averages, the south & SW of England probably had one of their WETTEST Novembers in at least 150 years, perhaps longer (some sources say THE wettest - though I have my doubts about this). Northern Ireland also had a notably wet November.
2002 (into early 2003) (October - December, into early January 2003):
1. The three months October to December 2002, using the EWP series, were the third WETTEST in that record. With depressions taking a more than usual southerly route across the British Isles, exceptional autumn and early-winter rainfall was the result across southern areas. The concentration / frequency of high-rainfall events was not quite of the order of 2000 (q.v.), but FLOODING did result, with the Thames Valley particularly affected - the events spilling-over into January 2003.
2002 (Annual):
1. Another WARM year. (CET=10.60degC/+1.1degC [ on 1961-90 means or +0.9degC on 1971-2000 means ] (fifth WARMEST .. behind 1949, 1990, 1999 & 2006). Mainly due to January to April 2002 being extremely MILD, with MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES in February the second HIGHEST on record; night-time TEMPERATURES also noteworthy for being well above average in several months - implying increase in humidity values over the year as a whole; the average annual MINIMUM CET placed it second-warmest (after 2004) in that series. According to the Hadley Centre (at the time), five of the six warmest years in the full CET record have occurred since 1990, the one 'outlier' being 1949.
2. Global surface TEMPERATURE (Land & Sea) was apparently the second highest in the appropriate series since 1860: +0.70degC anomaly - nine of the 10 warmest years in that series have occurred since 1990, including 2000 & 2001 - only 1998 was warmer than 2002. By Land-series only, it was the WARMEST in the record. 3. Notably WET in some parts of the UK. By the EWP series, the total=1118mm (121%), placed it at number 10 in the series 'top-10', but looking at the past 100 years, the total was only exceeded four times (1903, 1927, 1960 & 2000). For Aldergrove (Belfast airport) specifically, the year saw a total of 1095, the WETTEST year in that station's record (started 1927), the previous highest being in 1966. No individual monthly records broken, but the 3 months October to December were the third WETTEST on record. In northern England, rainfall in February beat the previous (areal-average) value by 2mm. FLOODING was again a feature of the news, though not the widespread/intense events of 2000.
1998-2002 (5 year period):
1. According to COL the period 1998 to 2002 inclusive was the WETTEST five-year period in the EWP series (which starts in 1766); the total = 5419 mm. The others are: 1875-1879 = 5205, 1876-1880 = 5197, 1997-2001 = 5145 & 1878-1882 = 5107mm.
2003 (January): HIGH (LOCAL RECORD) UK TEMPERATURES
1. On the 26th, a MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE of 18.3degC at Aboyne, Aberdeenshire. This equals the previous record for January in the UK, set at Aber, North Wales on the 10th January 1971 & 27th January 1958.
2. In England, 17.4degC was recorded on the 26th at East Malling (Kent) and is apparently the highest January regional value for the SE of England: previous highest 16.3degC at Gravesend-Broadness (Kent), on 6th January 1999 - though there are considerable doubts about this station's readings / exposure etc. (based on 'Weather'/RMetSoc & MetO press releases)
2003 (April): HIGH TEMPERATURES - NEAR RECORD APRIL UK/RECORD SCOTTISH
1. Very high TEMPERATURES mid-month (with heath/moorland FIRES breaking out - mainly started deliberately). On the 16th, Wolverhampton MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE  = 27.3degC, the HIGHEST April temperature in the UK since 16th April, 1949 (Met Office). Individual station records (varying record-length) broken in many places, and on the 17th, the afternoon MAXIMUM of 26.9degC at Lochcarron (Western Highlands) set a new April temperature record for Scotland, beating the previous record of 26.7degC (?80degF converted?) at Dollar (Clackmannanshire) in April 1870.
2003 (January - April): NOTABLY SUNNY - LOCAL RECORDS BROKEN IN MARCH
1. For the period January to April (inclusive), the total SUNSHINE across the UK was remarkable. Philip Eden (WeatherOnline) states: " The first four months of 2003 have provided .. the SUNNIEST start to the year since 1893". The averages (from Met Office site) over England & Wales=149% (Feb: 152%, Mar: 166%); Scotland=138% (Mar: 166%); N. Ireland=139% (Mar: 169%). [ anomalies wrt 1961-90 averages ]. Inspecting the graphical output, it appears that Northern England has benefited most with an overall anomaly for these four months=153%.
> Feb: sunniest since 1988, with anomalies at least 140% and locally over 160%; Northern Home Counties, East Midlands, East Anglia and areas around the Solway Firth particularly blessed.
> Mar: Regarded as SUNNIEST March across England & Wales 'on-record' (probably since early 1900's for a few individual stations). Also 'record-breaking' for Scotland (& possibly N.Ireland). SUNNIEST March at Prestwick, Kinloss and Aberdeen since at least 1951. At Eskdalemuir sunniest since 1929 and at Paisley Observatory since 1894 (Met Office). (Also a DRY month).
> Apr: Also well-above average SUNSHINE values across the UK, though no individual records broken.
2. The abundance of SUNSHINE coincided with a lack of RAINFALL during the months of February to April: averaged over the whole UK something like 65% of "expectations" for these three months. The strong sunshine and dry (or drying soils), undoubtedly helped along the way to the events in the following summer (q.v.); as it was, TEMPERATURE anomalies in March and April were around +2degC across large areas of the UK, with Scotland particularly favoured.
2003 (June-August/summer): EXCEPTIONAL WARMTH ACROSS UK - RECORDS TUMBLE
1. On the 10th August, 2003, the 'all-time' UK highest TEMPERATURE was set at Kew (Royal Botanic Gardens) with 38.1degC. ( This beat the previous highest of 37.1 at Cheltenham on 3rd August, 1990 ). On this day, many stations in the Greater London/suburban south-east of England reached around 38degC, but some of the highest values have been questioned: for example, Faversham (Brogdale) reached 38.5degC, but this is now not used due to problems with over-sheltering of the site. Gravesend also reached 38.1 (as above), but it too is suspect: amongst others (accepted) are: Aldenham School & Heathrow/37.9, Wisley/37.8, Northolt/37.7, St. James's Park & London Weather Centre/37.6 and Greenwich Observatory 37.5degC. This day's WARMTH extended into the East Midlands/Lincolnshire to the north and down across Wessex/Central southern England.
2. The period 3rd to 12th August was notably WARM, with many records broken. MAXIMA achieved or exceeded 30degC somewhere or other for all 10 days, and on 6th, 9th and 10th, 35degC was reached/exceeded. On the 9th August, Greycrook (Scottish Borders) achieved 32.9degC, a new "all-time" Scottish record for any month [ which beat 32.8degC at Dumfries 2nd July, 1908: this may have been a degF value converted ]. On the Channel Islands, the day maximum TEMPERATURE at St.Louis/St.Helier observatory was 36.0degC: this was a new record for the site, AND for the Channel Islands as a group (in a record since 1894). In addition, many high NIGHT-TIME MINIMA were recorded. Guernsey airport had a minimum of 23.7degC and St. Mawgan 23.1degC both overnight 4th/5th August, and both long-term local records.
3. Looking at the SUMMER overall, and only at CET values, the overall anomaly was +1.6deg (on 1971-2000 values), and is regarded (at the time) as the fourth-WARMEST in that record. June was the WARMEST since 1976, and August specifically was in the 'top-5' of all-time warm so-named months, and in the top-dozen or so 'all-month' warm ones. Not necessarily DRY, with near-average or above-average rainfall June and July, but August again was notably DRY: the EWP anomaly was around 27% and again was in the 'top-5' of dry so-named months. Turning to Scotland, June and July was one of the WARMEST such pairings in the past 100 years (warmest since 1961), and as August anomaly was +2.0degC, I am sure that the summer overall north of the border was close to record-breaking.
4. By the end of August, 2003, the overall year-so-far anomaly was running at around +1.5degC (depending upon which base-set you use). Also, it was announced in 2004 that the period March to August, 2003 was the WARMEST such period in the CET record (starts 1659) [RMetS/'Weather'/MetO-Hadley].
5. According to a 'news item' in the April issue of 'Weather' (RMetS), the University of Berne stated that summer 2003 was "very likely" to be the HOTTEST since 1500 over Europe as a whole - probably by a 'wide margin'; major increase in rate of recession of Swiss glaciers.
2003 (August/September):
1. Using the EWP series, the total precipitation for these two months was 56mm, the second-lowest in the series which began in 1766. (The driest such period was in 1959 with 46mm).
2003 (10th August): CARLTON-IN-CLEVELAND INTENSE STORM
1. On the 10th August (Sunday), when the 'all-time' UK highest temperature was being set (see elsewhere), a very INTENSE RAIN-STORM occurred at Carlton-in-Cleveland (North Yorkshire) when 47mm fell in 12 minutes (46mm in 10min) starting at 0935GMT. The storm was accompanied by a SEVERE SQUALL, HAIL up to 2 cm diameter and a 9degC drop in TEMPERATURE. There was major DISRUPTION across the North Yorkshire/NE England region, with many roads FLOODED, buildings DAMAGED/FLOODED and some trees blown over. The usual crop of power cuts and a lot of DAMAGE to buildings and cars due to the HAIL. Many vessels offshore Teesmouth were caught in the SQUALLS, with 2 fishermen being found dead after the storm had passed. This storm rates as one of the most intense DOWNPOURS ever to be recorded (and accepted) in the British Isles. (source = Royal Met.Soc/'Weather')
2003 (November):
1. The daytime MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE of 20.2degC on the 7th November, 2003 at Lochcarron (Wester Ross) was the highest in Scotland since 1946. According to Eden (RMetS/WxLog) 'Before this year [2003], November maxima of 20degC or more in the UK had occurred only in 1906, 1938, 1946 & 1997'.
2003 (Autumn):
1. The three-month total (September, October and November) SUNSHINE total at Heathrow airport (to the west of London) was 456hr. This easily exceeded the total of 423hr set in 1997 (q.v.) and this autumn was probably the SUNNIEST such across London and the Home Counties for at least 50yr.
2003 (Annual): WARM/SUNNY & DRY - AS MET OFFICE LEAVES BRACKNELL!
1. TEMPERATURES: well above average, particularly using DAY-TIME MAXIMA. According to the Met Office, it was the WARMEST year in Scotland since at least 1961, with an average TEMPERATURE of 8.3degC. The highest UK (known) daytime MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE was recorded in August (q.v.).
> Using the Central England Temperature record, with a value of 10.5degC, it was in the 'top-10' WARMEST years, with an anomaly (re: 1971-2000 dataset) of +0.8degC. [for the whole earth, the THIRD WARMEST year (in series from 1861).]
2. SUNSHINE: abundant SUNSHINE was a feature across the British Isles (c.f. 1959, the year the Meteorological Office began it's HQ building in Bracknell). In the composite record since 1961 (for England), with 1777hr, it was easily the SUNNIEST over the past 40-odd years. Similarly in Scotland, the composite sunshine record placed 2003 as the SUNNIEST for that nation over a similar period. Several sites with long-running records (though of the Cambell-Stokes variety), recorded their SUNNIEST year on record. Notable amongst these are Weymouth (2113h/start 1895), Malvern (1776h/start 1929) & Nairn (1552h/start 1931). More than 2000h of SUNSHINE was recorded from Dorset to Suffolk as well as in the Channel Islands. According to the 'News' section of 'Weather' for March, 2003 .. "the fact that 2000 hours appears to have been reached in several inland areas of south-east England does appear to be unprecedented ..". (RMetS/'Weather')
3. PRECIPITATION: Using the England & Wales (EWP) precipitation series, the February to October 2003 total was the second-lowest, after 1959, since 1921 (R.Met.Soc/'Weather'). Water resources were apparently reasonable due to the high rainfall winter 2002/2003. However, river-flow was well down by late autumn 2003. (A WET end to November helped the situation):
> In the Kew Observatory series (begins 1697, ends 1980 - extended using local sources), this period (February to October) was the second DRIEST, beaten only by 1921.
> For the YEAR, the EWP ended up 761mm (83% 1961-90 LTA), and this total was only beaten by 7 other years since 1900 (specifically, 2003 was the DRIEST year since 1975). However, for the entire series (since 1766) 2003 doesn't even appear in the 'top-10' of DRY years.
2004 (February):
1. Notably WARM at the beginning of the month; Using the CET daily series, both the night 3rd/4th & the day 4th produced the highest CET (areal mean) February values for the respective data-sets (minimum since 1878, maximum since 1772). The MINIMUM value in particular beat the previous value (10.3degC) handsomely. On the 4th, the HIGHEST MAXIMUM recorded was 17.9degC at Gravesend (Kent), with many values 16 or 17 across the Midlands, East Anglia & SE of England. However note that these values are NOT records for either February, or the first-third of that month, (but the Gravesend value is a record - at this time - for the first week of February). According to Philip Eden (RMetS/'Weather Log':.. " as measured by the CET, the first half of the month was the warmest, alongside 2002, since before 1869 ..."
2. Exceptionally SUNNY in Northern Ireland & the Isle of Man. Although using different types of recorder, it may have been the SUNNIEST February in these areas for over 50 years, and in the case of Belfast, perhaps since 1906.
3. The last two days of January and the first four of February 2004 was an exceptionally WET period across Snowdonia. At Capel Curig, 417mm was recorded over these six days. This led to severe FLOODING in parts of Wales, most especially in the north. Andrew Sibley ('Weather'/RMetS: Feb. 2005) reports that in the 24hr period from 1900GMT on 2nd February until 1900GMT on 3rd February, 169.2mm of rainfall was recorded at Capel Curig. As a result of the high RAINFALL, the banks of the River Conwy broke, and the adjacent railway line carrying services between Llandudno (North Wales coast) and Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd was severely DAMAGED and put out of action for many months.
2004 (August): THE BOSCASTLE STORM
1. On the 16th, TORRENTIAL RAINFALL fell on the headwaters of the two rivers that drain (in combination as the R. Valency) through Boscastle (N.Cornwall). The highest (24hr) rainfall for this event is 200.4mm at Otterham (nr. Boscastle), which fell in under 5 hours. At Lesnewth (also nr. Boscastle), 85.7mm fell in just one hour at the height of the storm (actually a series of heavy rain-producing cells). An estimate (radar and other evidence) has been made that at least 250mm fell from the storm-complex over Hendraburnick Down, from where many local rivers flow. Much DAMAGE was done in the town to buildings, bridges & vehicles - many of the latter being swept out into the harbour. All boats in the harbour were destroyed (or otherwise lost to the sea). No-one was killed. FLOODING also occurred in other parts of N.Cornwall, e.g. Crackington Haven (where structural damage also evident) and Camelford. [for more on this see S Burt, 'Weather' / RMetS, August 2005.]
2. For August 2004, in the EWP series (since 1766), it was the fifth WETTEST so-named month. The total was 157mm, or approx. 220% of LTA. Some areas were even wetter (see above & below), and Leuchars (Fife) recorded 212mm of RAIN, representing over 340% of LTA. However, it was drier in parts of the southeast of England & the north of Scotland.
2004 (Summer):
1. With the JET-STREAM often a long way south (for a NE Atlantic summer), it was very unsettled & often WET across the British Isles. It was particularly WET across the English Midlands, northern & eastern England & parts of Scotland - some places had well over double August RAINFALL, for example the anomaly for Lowestoft was 294% and for Leuchars (Fife), the total of 212mm represented ~340% of LTA. Earlier, during June, a notably DEEP DEPRESSION (for June) moved across the middle of these islands (from west to east), bringing STRONG WINDS and a central PRESSURE of 982mbar - this equals the lowest value for England and Wales for June in at least 100 years.
2004 (Annual): ANOTHER WARM YEAR
1. The Central England Temperature (CET) was: 10.5degC. This places it inside the 'top-10' of warmest years in the all-time list. By the mean annual MINIMUM TEMPERATURE (CET), this was the warmest by that measure in the series. In the period 1990 to 2004, 8 of the warmest years in the entire series (since 1659) have occurred in that 15 year span. (For the globe, with a mean anomaly of +0.4degC, it was amongst the five WARMEST years since 1861: it is worth noting that there was NO El Nino event to enhance the warmth).
2. A notably THUNDERY year across lowland England. At Heathrow airport (west London), a total of 23 days with THUNDER recorded, the highest such annual figure in their record which began in 1947. Within the SE region of England, particularly just to the south of London & across Norfolk, some places recorded up to 30 days with 'thunder heard'.
2005 (January): CARLISLE & WELSH FLOODS
1. Very UNSETTLED first two weeks: although monthly RAINFALL overall was below average (notably DRY east, south & Midland England), locally in Wales and NW England, high-intensity RAINFALL over the period 7th - 10th contributed to SEVERE FLOODING, most notably in North Wales and Carlisle, Cumbria. Over a two day period covering 7th/8th January, Capel Curig (N.Wales) recorded 184mm and Keswick (Cumbria) 118mm.
2. Later, on the 11th/12th of the month, a vigorous, very deep DEPRESSION moved to the NW of Scotland, with HEAVY RAIN/SEVERE GALES (low-level GUSTS up to 90+knots) affecting N. Ireland & W/NW Scotland; there was extensive DAMAGE, with some people KILLED.
2005 (May):
1. A COLD May. On the night of the 17th / 18th, the TEMPERATURE fell to -6.3degC at Tulloch Bridge [Lochaber]; according to Philip Eden (usw), this was the lowest May temperature in the UK since 1982, and possibly the lowest minimum that late in the year since 1956.
2005 (June):
1. As a DROUGHT continued to affect SE England, Hawnby, on the North York Moors experienced something like a month's rainfall (~50mm) in around half-an-hour on the 19th, and 70mm in three hours. Parts of Helmsley and Hawnby (and other local villages) were severely affected by sudden FLOODING: helicopters had to be used to rescue people from cars etc., as streams became swollen torrents. No deaths were recorded, but there were widespread power cuts & property DAMAGE.
> In the SW of England, near Padstow (Cornwall), another high-intensity, high-yield RAIN-STORM occurred on the 29th: over a period of about 4 hours, at St. Merryn, an estimated 75-100mm of RAIN fell in this short period (Crugmeer, near Padstow recorded 51mm, most of which fell within 75mins); roads became impassable with motorists trapped in cars. (Eden / RMetS "Weather Log" & "Weather Eye")
2. Notably CHILLY nights during the first 10 days of the month, with some stations breaking records during the period for low NIGHT MINIMA. Overall though, it was a WARM month, at least for England & Wales - for some the second warmest June since 1976. Across some parts of the lower Thames Valley (including London), the TEMPERATURE anomaly was around +2degC on the 1971-2000 LTA.
2004/2005 (November - June):
1. A lengthy DRY SPELL for many parts of England & Wales, though concentrated in its severity across southern England, from south Cornwall & far south Devon in the west to much of Hampshire, Surrey, Berkshire, West Sussex and the London area in the east. In these aforementioned regions, PRECIPITATION anomalies (wrt 1961-1990 averages) were below 60%. [ By contrast, NW Scotland had anomalies in excess of 140%, largely due to an excessively WET winter.] (MetOffice / RMetS / 'Weather').
2005 (July): BIRMINGHAM TORNADO
1. On the 28th, a destructive TORNADO moved across southwestern parts of Birmingham, leading to a score of injuries (but no deaths) & extensive DAMAGE to buildings, vehicles, trees etc. (See also: 1931 - June)
2005 (September, October & Autumn):
1. Using the CET series, September 2005 had an anomaly (on 1971-2000 dataset) of +1.5C, and this placed it just outside the 'top-10' warmest Septembers in that record (since the 17th century); it was one of four or five warmest such-named months over the previous 100 years. October was remarkably WARM (particularly by night - see **below), with an anomaly of +2.7C using the CET value, and thus within the 'top-5' of warmest such-named months (in date order: 1921, 1969, 1995, 2001 & 2005) in the entire record (2nd WARMEST after 2001 using the Hadley figures). (** for a cluster of stations from the NW Midlands down to the south coast, the overall anomaly for mean minima was well in excess of +3C). October was however distinctly disappointing as regards SUNSHINE.
> Combining September & October in the CET record, it was amongst the WARMEST such pairing in that series: depending who you take, it could have been the warmest (vying with 1949 for that honour).
2. Autumn (September, October & November), was by a whisker the WARMEST such-named season since 1978. The mean CET was 11.5degC (+1.2C anomaly), rendering it one of the 5 or 6 WARMEST Autumns in the past two centuries, and if it was not for the very cold second half of November, it might have been the 'all-time' warmest autumn over England & Wales.
2005 (November & December):
1. According to Philip Eden, "it was the SUNNIEST November, averaged over England & Wales, since before 1881, and new station records were posted at more than 20 sites in eastern, central & southern England". In particular, an excess over long-term mean values of 150% or more occurred widely across the north Midlands & N. England, with pockets similarly favoured across SE England. Waddington, near Lincoln (Lincolnshire) had 111 hr, which represented 164% of the LTA. The excess of SUNSHINE continued through much of December 2005, with anomalies locally well in excess of 170%. For England and Wales, it is thought to have been the fourth SUNNIEST December since the late 19th century: Philip Eden writes that it was the SUNNIEST November & December since modern records began.
2005 (December): BUNCEFIELD OIL-DEPOT FIRE
1. Just after 0600 GMT on Sunday, 11th December, a series of large explosions occurred at an oil-storage depot (Buncefield) on the outskirts of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. The resultant fire was regarded as the most intense / largest in western Europe since the end of the Second World War. The plume of smoke from the fire affected some areas well away from the source, reducing solar radiation significantly, until the fire was extinguished late the following day. Dispersion of the smoke plume was slow, as the dominant pressure pattern was anticyclonic.
2005 (Annual):
1. According to WMO members, 2005 was the second WARMEST year on record, and is likely to be amongst the four or five WARMEST years since 1861. (1998 is the warmest q.v.). However, according to the US Climate Data Center, 2005 may have been the (equal) WARMEST, with 1998. The fact that this was a 'near-record' year for warmth is doubly interesting, as there was NO strong El Nino event, as there was in 1998.
> By the CET record, the anomaly was around +0.7C (wrt 1971-2000 series, or +0.9C wrt 1961-1990 standard), and placed 2005 within the 'top-10' of warmest years. Of the 10 years 1996-2005, 8 had all-year anomalies of greater than +0.5C. The consistent WARMTH of the past decade is also reflected in series covering Scotland & Northern Ireland. Whichever way you look at it, it was an exceptionally warm year, following a continuing upward curve in national TEMPERATURES.
2004-2006 (November 2004-January 2006):
1. According to the Met Office (as reported in 'Weather', March 2006), the DRY spell over SE & Central Southern England over this period represented the DRIEST November-January period since 1920-22. However, this anomaly is focussed in a rather narrow strip from Hampshire to Kent.
2006 (June/July):
1. June & July 2006, taken together, were notably WARM & very SUNNY. There was also a lack of RAINFALL, at least over large parts of England & Wales. Much of Britain was exceptionally DRY until the last week of June, 2006. By the EWP series (MetOffice / Hadley Centre), the value of 21 mm represented ~31% of the long-term average, and provisionally it was the 10th DRIEST June in that series. Only 3mm of rain fell at St. Catherine's Point (IoW) & 4mm at Benson (Oxfordshire) [Philip Eden]. According to COL (bulletin), a large area of the Midlands, north & west Home Counties & parts of East Anglia had <25% of average, with a small area around Bedfordshire / north Buckinghamshire ~10%.
2. TEMPERATURE: Using the Central England Temperature (MetO/Hadley) series, these two months together were in the 'top-3' for WARMTH in that series (begins 1659), alongside 1826 & 1976. By mean MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE, it was arguably the warmest such pairing for over a century. Specifically, June 2006 was probably the WARMEST June across a large part of the British Isles since 1976 (a memorable summer), with anomalies typically +2C across much of England & Wales. Looking only at mean MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES, then anomalies exceeding +3C were reported from central southern & southeast England. July was also a very WARM month: the provisional CET value of 19.7degC places it as the WARMEST July (and WARMEST any-named month) in this long established record. There were two HOT spells; one at the beginning of the month, and one from 16th - 19th, and on this latter date, the all-time (known/accepted) July British Isles TEMPERATURE record fell; 36.5degC was reported from Wisley, Surrey, beating the previous (accepted) highest of 35.9degC at Cheltenham in 1976.
3. Following a very SUNNY June across much of Wales, central & southern England, July saw many long-standing SUNSHINE records broken across a wide swathe of Britain, from south & southeast England to the central lowlands of Scotland. According to Philip Eden, this was (for England & Wales) 'easily the SUNNIEST July since records began in 1881 .. and probably also the SUNNIEST calendar month of any name on record.' Specifically for southeastern England, with total SUNSHINE in the range 300-350 hours, it was probably on a par with the very sunny month of July 1911 in this region, though comparison is difficult due to changes in instrumentation used.
2006 (Summer):
1. Although PRECIPITATION averaged over the country was below average (for the England & Wales series ~76% of 1961-1990 average & for Scotland ~82%), the summer was notable for two dramatic STORMS:
> On the 26th June, showers / THUNDERSTORMS readily formed, and at Penzance (Cornwall), aided by sea-breeze convergence, 82.1mm of RAIN was recorded in the 24hr from 0600GMT on the 26th (mostly in the evening & early part of the night), leading to much FLOODING in the area.('Weather', August 2006 & others)
> On the 13th August, THUNDERY RAIN developed along a marked line of convergence which stretched from East Anglia to Hampshire. By the late afternoon / early evening of the 13th, some places within this zone had at least 80mm of rain (within roughly 6 hours), with isolated instances of over 100mm of RAIN: NE Hampshire & NW Surrey were particularly badly affected, with the local railway line closed for four days, properties FLOODED & much disruption to road transport.
> In addition, East Anglia had a particularly WET August, with a range of %ages of 170% across Norfolk & 250% for Suffolk.
2. According to the Met Office, the three-month summer of June, July & August was one of the WARMEST on record for the UK, with an anomaly of roughly +1.5degC on the long-term mean. For the CET domain specifically, with a (provisional) value of 17.2 (+1.6C on 71-00 mean), it was ranked fifth in the whole series. It was also SUNNY and DRY (see 1. above). [ The WARMTH was a feature for a wide area of continental Europe, with anomalies generally +1 to +2degC, and in parts of northern Europe, the anomaly was up to +4degC.]
2006 (Autumn): RECORD-BREAKING WARMTH
1. This was, both by the CET and UK-wide record, easily the WARMEST Autumn in their respective series (for the CET since 1659) - the WARMTH was spread out across all three autumn months with September setting a new record (see below); for the CET, the value was 12.6degC. From COL records, the warmth was most evident (within the British Isles) across SE and Central Southern England & East Anglia, with an anomaly (wrt 1971-2000 means) of +2.6C. (Previous warmest Autumns in the CET series were 1730 & 1731; the figure recorded for 2006 outstripped those for these 'ancient' years by a considerable amount - around 0.8C!).
[ The exceptional warmth was a feature of virtually the whole of Europe - only Greece, the southern Balkans & Turkey-in-Europe missing out. A broad swathe of anomalies >+3C stretched from SW France, across all of Germany & the Low Countries to the Czech Republic & the Baltic States. ]
2. September 2006, was the WARMEST September in the CET record: The (provisional) figure of 16.8degC, is 3.1C above the 1971-2000 LTA, beating the previous 'record-breaker' in 1729. Using a wider measure covering the whole of the British Isles, it was the WARMEST September for at least 100 years. (Met O / COL). (Also worthy of note was that owing to the fact that August 2006 was 'around average' as regards temperature, September was considerably warmer (& also SUNNIER) than this nominally summer month, by as much as 1C in some eastern areas of England. According to Bob Prichard / letters COL / taking sunshine AND warmth together, this September was unparalleled in the modern record.)
3. October 2006: an EXCEPTIONALLY WARM month (again!): The CET (provisional) value was 13.0degC, representing an anomaly (wrt 1971-2000) of +2.6C, with anomalies locally across southern England of +3.5degC. The WARMTH was again (as for September) experienced across the greater part of the UK, though October 2005 was technically warmer for England & Wales. This October lies in the 'top-5' of warm such-named months in the series which began in 1659.
4. For the extended period April - October, 2006, it was the WARMEST thus-defined period in the CET record.
5. It was also a WET Autumn in central-southern England, the south, west & northern Home Counties & parts of East Anglia, together with many populated parts of Scotland - in the former case, this was important as it offset a DROUGHT that had triggered water supply restrictions across parts of SE Britain; in the latter case it 'set the scene' for some serious FLOODING during the subsequent winter season.
2006 (December):
1. The north-west London district of Kensal Rise experienced a damaging TORNADO (T4 at least, perhaps T5) on the 7th December, 2006. A small but intense line of THUNDERY downpours moved quickly east across southern England, reaching London around 11GMT. It produced gusty winds, heavy RAIN, HAIL & notable 'day-darkness'. ('Weather' Jan 2007 & TORRO).
2006 (Annual): WARMEST-EVER YEAR IN THE CET RECORD
1. 2006 is the WARMEST year in the CET record (began 1659), with a value of 10.8degC. This represents an anomaly of ~ +1.3C. The previous warmest years were 1999 & 1990. Using a wider measure covering the whole of the UK confirms that this was the WARMEST year over that domain since at least 1914 (previous warmest across the whole-UK was 2003).
2006/2007 (Winter):
1. Exceptionally MILD. Using the CET record, for the three months DJF=6.4degC [anomaly +1.9C on 1971-2000 means], the WARMEST winter by this measure since 1989 (6.5degC). In the entire series (since 1659), this was the fourth warmest winter by this measure. Much of lowland England had an anomaly on MEAN TEMPERATURE greatly exceeding +2.5C.
2. January was a particularly WARM month. By the CET record, with a value of 7.0degC (+2.8C), this January was the fifth WARMEST such-named month in the series (began 1659); it came behind: 1796, 1834, 1916 & 1921. According to Philip Eden (Weather Log/RMetS) " rarely for January, there was not a single instance of a sub-zero maximum at a low-level site in the UK ".
3. Two points of note: the Glasgow area apparently had it WETTEST December 'on record' (Bishopton 295mm/222%), whilst at Aberdeen, the SUNSHINE total of 88hr greatly exceeded the previous December record in 1951. (Philip Eden/Weather Log/R Met Soc). Across the winter as a whole, according to the Met Office, large areas of central, west & NW Scotland had PRECIPITATION anomalies exceeding 150%, with small pockets (including some high population-density areas in the 'Central Belt'), exceeding 175% of the long-term average.
4. SEVERE GALES caused widespread DISRUPTION and loss of life on the 18th January, 2007 as a depression tracked eastwards across Scotland & headed for northern Europe. Like the STORMS of the 3rd January, 1976 and the 25th January, 1990, it was notable for high GUSTS in central and eastern England (67 knots Heathrow & Northolt) as well on western coasts. In places, it was the severest GALE since the 'Burn's Day storm' of 1990 or the storm of the 30th October, 2000. 13 people were known to have been killed on the day in the UK. ('Weather', Feb2007)
2007 (April):
[ According to Philip Eden in 'Weather Log'/R MetS: this was the eleventh most anticyclonic April in 134 years of records.]
1. Exceptionally WARM, and many areas of the British Isles set new records for both April maxima and mean TEMPERATURES. Maximum temperature anomalies were at least 5C above the long-term average over many parts of southern England, with a local +6C anomaly 'hot-spot' in SE Hampshire / West Sussex. By the CET value ( 11.2°C/+3.1C c.c. 1971-2000 series), it was the WARMEST April since at least 1659. The previous warmest April was that of 1865, with a value of 10.6degC, so rather than the new record being a few tenths of a degree above the previous 'record', this year the record was 'smashed' by 0.6C.
2. It was also very DRY, with near-DROUGHT conditions over southeast England, East Anglia, the East Midlands, Wessex & Lincolnshire: many places here recorded much less than 5 mm of RAINFALL, with a few spots (i.e Norfolk/Suffolk, lower Thames Valley & either side Thames Estuary) no more than 1 mm. From the Royal Met.Soc 'WxLog' data, Lowestoft (Suffolk) & Hastings (Sussex) did not return measurable rainfall for this month, whilst Cambridge recorded just 1 mm (2%).
> With an EWP value of 9.5 mm (representing just 15% of the LTA 1971-2000), it was the 4th DRIEST such-named month in the series (starts 1766): more impressively, for the south-east of Britain (using the Hadley dataset / definition), it was probably the equal DRIEST April (with 1912) since at least 1873, with just 2.0 mm of PRECIPITATION.
3. It was also very SUNNY: exceptionally so for the southern half of Britain, where some stations had their sunniest April on record. According to Philip Eden (WxLog/RMetSoc), it was the second-SUNNIEST April (after 1893) in a record that starts in 1881.
2007 (Spring):
1. Spring was the WARMEST in an areal series back to 1914 for the UK & England and Wales, joint-warmest for Scotland and second-warmest for Northern Ireland. It was also SUNNY, with anomalies exceeding 125% over most of the UK, and around 140% in a zone extending from the Isle-of-Wight, through Hampshire and east Dorset to much of Berkshire & south Oxfordshire. [Previous warmest 1945.] (Met Office/NCIC as reported in 'Weather', July 2007)
2007 (May, June & July): MAJOR FLOODING EVENTS OVER ENGLAND
1. This period was exceptionally WET, both as regards the individual months, and when aggregated. This is the wettest sequence of such months in the EWP series (see also 1789**), with a total EWP value of 415 mm, (approx. 224% 1971-2000 LTA). May, with 121.0 mm (198%) entered the 'top-10' of such-named months in the series, and June, with 154.7 mm (227%), only narrowly missed out rising to the top of the list: June 1860 was slightly wetter with a value of 157 mm. July was the WETTEST such-named month since 1888 (but 1988 ran it close and statistically there was not much to choose between 2007 & 1988). From the COL (Climatological Observers' Link) analysis, the wettest areas taking these three months together (anomaly >250%) were: South & East Yorkshire, most of Lincolnshire [ ~300% in the east of this latter county ], the western half of the Midlands and the Severn & upper Thames valleys. In these latter two catchment areas, the anomaly was around or greater than 300%. There was a small area encompassing the Isle of Wight and the immediate Solent region of 250-300% anomaly. [**Previous wettest MJJ by the EWP dataset occurred in 1789, with a value of 349 mm q.v.]
2. As a result of the heavy & often prolonged RAINFALL across these three months, there were many stories of disruption and DAMAGE during this late spring / early-to-mid summer period: major events, such as Wimbledon, Glastonbury etc., were affected, as well as many smaller events around the country. FLOODING attained 'major' proportions for South & East Yorkshire, the north & west Midlands & along the Severn & upper Thames valleys. In a government-sponsored report after the event, it was stated that the disruption arising from the flooding was the "largest peacetime emergency since World War II" (Pitt review/2008); the deaths of 13 people were attributed directly to the various events noted, and nearly 50 000 dwellings flooded to some degree - often involving total loss of possessions & usable habitation.
In June, two major rainfall events between the 13th and the 15th & then again around the 24th/25th led to major FLOODS affecting communities from the Midlands to South & East Yorkshire; there was also significant flooding for some counties in Northern Ireland. The flooding in Yorkshire, particularly near Doncaster & around Hull & Sheffield, generated headlines in the national & international press - infrastructure items such as pumping stations were seriously affected, and many people were unable to return to their homes - estimates suggest at least a year for full recovery.
In July, short-lived flooding affected southern England, particularly in parts of London, but the major event of this month occurred across the lower Severn and upper Thames valleys around & in the days after the 20th: intense RAINFALL produced well in excess of 100 mm over the two days 19th & 20th. (Sudeley Lodge, ~10 km NE of Cheltenham / Gloucestershire 163.1 mm and Pershore / Worcestershire 157 mm across the two rain-days), and hundreds of thousands of people were without fresh water for several days, electricity supply was interrupted & many were flooded out of their homes. Comparison was made with the March 1947 flooding in the same area - similar in effect, but completely different in type.
[ NB: the Foot & Mouth outbreak (early August) in Surrey may have been linked to faulty drainage pipes, and so the abundance of surface water, possibly contaminated with the virus, could also be linked to this poor spell of weather.]
2007 (Autumn):
1. Very WARM & notably DRY across Northern Ireland, with an overall TEMPERATURE anomaly around +2C & many areas experiencing 60% or less of the long-term (1961-1990) average. In particular, the Province had its second-WARMEST November in a Met Office series that started in 1914. It was also a very DRY autumn in south & west Wales and the far SW of England. (Met Office, COL & RMetS/Weather log)
2007 (Annual):
1. According to the annual summary on the Met Éireann web site, it was the WARMEST year in the respective records at Valentia Observatory (1892) and Malin Head (1885). For Ireland as a whole, the TEMPERATURE anomaly was just over +1C; for Northern Ireland, the Met Office(UK) note that in a series starting in 1914, it was the WARMEST year. By the longer-period CET series, provisionally 2007 was equal tenth (with 2004 & 1959) in that long series [started 1659].
2008 (January):
1. Another EXCEPTIONALLY WARM January / winter month. With a CET of 6.6degC (+2.4C on 71-00 LTA), it was only 0.4C cooler than the previous January [ which was 5th warmest such-named month q.v. ], and places it (provisionally) at equal 9th warmest January in that series. The WARMTH was most evident across Wales & England, with large areas of +3C anomaly across central & eastern England. It is interesting to note that the mean low-level flow (isobaric) was W or WSW, and thus not bringing air from the 'deep', sub-tropical south, but from the mid-latitudes of the North Atlantic.
2. RAINFALL was well above average across most of the country (UK) with pockets of >=200% on LTA scattered about from 'Wessex', across much of the north of England & around the Forth & Tay estuaries (COL). According to Eden (RMetS/WxLog), 'new records were set in the Edinburgh, Glasgow & Belfast districts'. Using the EWP series, this January was within the 'top-10' WETTEST such-named months. FLOODING in parts of northern England (amongst others).
2008 (February):
1. SUNSHINE was remarkably high averaged over the month, especially across England, Wales, the Channel Islands, much of Northern Ireland & east and northeast Scotland. Large areas of lowland central & SE England had over 200% of LTA, and according to the Met Office, many parts of England & Wales had their SUNNIEST February since at least 1929 (start of consistent series). According to Philip Eden (WxLog/RMetS), it was 'substantially SUNNIER than previous sunny Februarys in 1891, 1949, 1970 & 1988'. It was also a WARM month, mainly due to mean MAXIMA being some 2 to 3C above the LTA.
2008 (May):
1. May was dominated by an easterly flow; according to Philip Eden, "it was the most easterly May in 136 years of record". It was the WARMEST & DRIEST May on record in many parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and NW England and it was also the SUNNIEST locally in northern Scotland. The warmth was also experienced further south, and it was the warmest May at some spots for over 150 yr. However, using the CET series, the month fell just outside the 'top-10' of warmest such-named months.
2. It was a WET month across much of southern England & SE Wales, with anomalies around or in excess of 200% across Wessex and along the Channel coastline from Plymouth to Dover and round into the Thames estuary. Indeed, in the extreme east of Kent, the anomaly was circa 400% of the 1971-2000 average. The excessive RAINFALL that fell during the month meant this was the third successive wet May across southern & central UK, though it was very DRY across northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
During the latter afternoon & evening of the 29th, THUNDERSTORMS occurred across the West Country, with short-lived, SEVERE FLOODING for some in Somerset.
2008 (August):
1. This month was very WET and exceptionally DULL across much of the British Isles: large areas (except far N Scotland & North Isles), including most major population centres, had <70% of the long-term average sunshine, with significant pockets below 60%, and a few spots lower than 50%, e.g. Eskdalemuir 41.4 h / 36% and Durham 64 h / 48% (WxLog/RMetSoc & COL maps). According to Philip Eden, "SUNSHINE duration was the lowest in almost 130 years of records, with the sole exception of August 1912". [Remember that most modern records are now based on electronic sensors so there is a certain amount of 'fudging' to compare with the older records.]
2. As to RAIN, anomalies (w.r.t. 1971-2000) were widely 150% or higher, with large areas of Ireland, central Scotland & Fife well above 200%: in the Edinburgh area, the anomaly was at least 300%, perhaps as high as 340%. FLOODING was reported frequently from these areas due to short-period, high-yield events. An outstanding 'wet' spot proved to be Fair Isle, where in contrast to the rest of the Northern Isles, the station here collected a 24h total of 101.2 mm of rain from 0900GMT on the 10th to 0900GMT on the 11th. This easily beat the previous 24h maximum total of 46.2mm recorded in November 1996. The total for the month here was 162.2 mm / 265%, easily the WETTEST August on Fair Isle for over 35 years. [COL, inter alios]
2008 (Summer):
1. RAINFALL:- another wet summer (c.f. 2007); the %ages w.r.t. 1971-2000 data series for June, July & August were: 100%, 181% & 153%, so nothing like 2007, but the consistency of 'wet' since March shows up in the figures for March (138%), April (124%) & May (123%): it was probably the persistent wetness that led to the FLOODING problems experienced in August this year, coupled to some exceptionally high point RAINFALL amounts. From the Met. Office summary (NCIC/'Weather'), the wettest areas were distributed across south & central Scotland, much of northern England (particularly the NE), S & W Wales, the West Country & much of Northern Ireland.
2008 (October):
1. On the 25th, due to a combination of HEAVY RAIN & HIGH, GUSTY WINDS, the Lake District marathon was abandoned for the first time in its 41-year history. Many competitors had to be rescued, and even experienced Fell walkers found the conditions 'extreme'. Indicative of just how much RAINFALL fell in this general area, at Eskdalemuir (other side of the English / Scottish border), 334 mm (~204% 1961-1990 average) of rainfall was recorded for this month - possibly a record for that month.
2. The 28th and 29th were particularly COLD & WINTRY for the time of year (especially for the early 21st century!), with showery areas of RAIN, HAIL, SLEET & SNOW moving from the north-west (associated with a shallow low pressure) during the 28th: there were slight accumulations of SNOW in the southeast during the evening of the 28th, with 2 to 5 cm reported from the hillier parts of the Midlands and southern England (7 cm Whipsnade, Bedfordshire / Philip Eden) and SNOW settled in the London area for the first time in October since 1934 [possibly applies to a wider area around London & across the lower elevations of the Home Counties]. Looking at lowland Britain as a whole, Philip Eden states that this was "quite possibly the heaviest and most widespread snowfall event . . . in October since 1880".
3. Early hours of the 30th, in the same ex-Arctic airmass that led to the remarkable snow (see above), a notable HAILSTORM/THUNDERSTORM affected the Ottery St. Mary area of East Devon. It is estimated that at well over 160 mm of RAIN/HAIL fell (i.e. melted equivalent) in just three hours (00-03 GMT), with radar-assisted analysis suggesting 'over 200mm' as a possibility: the large amount of low-density/small diameter HAIL blocking drains/culverts etc., plus the amount of torrential rain, led to major FLOODING in the area with severe impacts on the local community: no lives were lost, but much DAMAGE & disruption resulted (Ref: 'Weather'/Oct09/Grahame et.al).
2009 (February):
1. The first half of February 2009 was cold & often WINTRY (as part of the COLDEST winter across the UK for at least 12 years), and some significant SNOWFALL was experienced, causing traffic disruption, even within central London. During the night of the 1st/2nd, many eastern, Midland & southern counties of England experienced SNOW (instability), with heavy/persistent SNOWFALL affecting London, west Kent, Surrey, West Sussex & Hampshire. Up to 15 cm lay in central London (road transport dislocated, particularly London Buses & Ambulance/Fire emergency), and between 20 & 40 cm elsewhere: at Wisley (Surrey), 41 cm (level) was recorded. Further SNOW fell in various parts of the country up to the 9th, with another significant event affecting the southwest peninsula (Devon/Cornwall) overnight 5th/6th: 55 cm of level snow was reported from Okehampton (Devon). Severe trunk road disruption occurred, particularly south of Exeter.
2009 (March):
1. Very SUNNY across many parts of the British Isles - one of the four or so SUNNIEST Marches in the modern instrumental record (~130yr).
2009 (April):
[ according to Philip Eden in the Weather Log (Royal Met.Soc), the southerly component of the mean surface flow this month was exceeded only seven times in 137 years of records. ]
1. A very WARM month. Although falling outside the 'top-10' of WARMEST Aprils in the entire CET record, the overall anomaly (w.r.t. 1971-2000) was +1.9C and there were only five Aprils warmer in the past 100 years.
2. HEAVY RAIN occurred overnight 24th/25th in south Cornwall, with particularly intense RAINFALL falling around the St.Ives/Zennor area. Estimates using radar integration suggest that the area west of St. Ives had about 170 mm (within a 24hr period) with a maximum of 193 mm just to the SW of the town. There was extensive FLOODING in the town where several shops and properties were severely DAMAGED - other damage was reported along the coast to the west with much erosion and damage to bridges. Two men and one woman were swept away as they crossed a swollen, fast-moving stream near Zennor.
2009 (July):
1. This summer month was notably cyclonic, and as a result, RAINFALL was well above average in almost all areas. It was particularly WET in a broad swathe from SW England, across Wales, the English Midlands & the North Country into south-eastern Scotland. Devon, Cornwall, much of southern Wales & most of northern England had anomalies >300%, locally >400%. New records for July monthly RAINFALL were set at several points within these latter regions. According to the Met Office, for the UK as a whole, it was WETTER than both 2007 & 2008 (two notably WET Julys) & the WETTEST July across the UK in a homogeneous series that began in 1914, but there was an absence of widespread flooding as the precursor months were not excessively damp. Using the narrower EWP measure (England & Wales / starts 1766) this July had a similar value to that of 2007, and ranked outside the 'top-10' of wet Julys. [MetO/NCIC/Eden]
2009 (November): RAINFALL RECORDS TUMBLE - CUMBRIA FLOODS
1. November 2009 was a notably CYCLONIC, and exceptionally WET month. Using the England & Wales Precipitation series (Met Office/EWP), it ranked fourth (PROVISIONALLY) for November, being the WETTEST November since 1940. Of more note, looking at all months, it was (again provisionally) fifth wettest any-named month in a series that began in 1766. With the exception of NW Scotland, the west and north Isles, RAINFALL %ages everywhere were >150%, with >250% around the Solway Firth, northern Pennines/Lake District (>300% latter) & much of London/SE England. Many long-standing records were broken, of which the monthly total of 432 mm (~257% of the 1971-2000 LTA) at Eskdalemuir [Dumfries & Galloway, border Scotland] stands out, as that station has 100 years of homogeneous records.
2. Deserving a separate entry, new records for all periods ranging from 24hour (but NOT the standard 09GMT-09GMT rain-day), to 4 days were set at Seathwaite Farm, Borrowdale, Cumbria during a prolonged, intense RAINFALL event that began 18/2000 UTC and finally ceased some 34hr later, at 20/0600 UTC. Of note, in the 24hr commencing 19/0000 UTC, Seathwaite Farm collected 316.4 mm of RAIN, and this now stands as the highest total for ANY 24hr period in the modern instrumental record (~150 years). [ However, the 24hr 'rainfall day' record held by Martinstown in July 1955/q.v., still stands ]. This Cumbrian rainfall was, by any standards exceptional, and although widespread & significant FLOODING resulted (Cockermouth particularly badly hit), & there was widespread DAMAGE to property, infrastructure etc., loss of life was limited to one on-duty policeman directing traffic. [EWP/Eden/Burt .. in particular, see 'Weather'/RMetS/Jan2010]
3. Provisionally, with a value of 8.7degC, it was equal (=1939) 8th WARMEST November over England & Wales using the CET series; according to the Met Office, in their series (since 1914) it was third WARMEST across the whole of England & Wales.
2000-2009 (Decade): WETTEST DECADE IN THE EWP SERIES
1. Using the EWP series maintained by the Met Office, the 'whole' decade 2000-2009 was the WETTEST in that series (began 1766): the 10-year mean was 988 mm, and this figure is comfortably above the previous highest set in the 1870s (978 mm). The ten years included the third wettest (2000/1233mm/133%) and tenth wettest (2002/1118mm/121%), and it was the inclusion of the former very wet year that helped these 10 years stand out. However note that using a 10-year rolling mean, then the period 1874-1883 is the wettest such period (q.v). [EWP]