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graphs      CLIMATE-UK.COM'S  REVIEW  OF  THE  BRITISH  METEOROLOGICAL  SCENE
     MONTHLY  SUMMARY
     No. 587 For   NOVEMBER  2004
                         ANTICYCLONIC;  MOSTLY MILD, DRY AND DULL
Text Box: High pressure lay over or just to the west or southwest of the British Isles for most of the month, although there were brief northerly outbreaks around the 12th, 19th and 28th. Mean sea-level pressure was 5-10mbar above normal over the UK making it the most anticyclonic November, 2001 apart, in the last 50 years. High pressure over the UK on the 1st moved away east to be replaced by a sluggish southerly flow for a few days, but another anticyclone became anchored just southwest of Ireland from the 5th-12th with a moist west to northwesterly airflow covering the country. Most of this period was overcast and mild - especially so at night with minima typically between 8 and 12ºC - although the 4th was an isolated sunny day. Light rain fell frequently, and there were some heavier falls in northwest Scotland with Barra (Western Isles) collecting 32mm on the 5th; drizzle and hill fog were very persistent during the weekend of 6th/7th in many parts of the country. An active cold front introduced a northerly flow on the 12th/13th bringing much colder but much sunnier weather. The sun shone for 8.5 hours at Portland and Weymouth (both Dorset), on the 13th, and Benson (Oxon) recorded -5.6ºC overnight 13th/14th. However, westerlies soon returned, and it again became cloudy and mild until the 17th with highs of 13-16ºC. There was heavy rain at times in western Scotland and northwest England with 40mm at Stonyhurst (Lancs) and 39mm at Dalmally (Argyll) on the 16th. Another cold frontal zone moved southwards during the 17th/18th, stalling for a time over Wales and central England as a shallow wave ran eastward. A broad area of rain affected much of the country on the 18th with many parts of Wales, the Midlands and East Anglia collecting upwards of 25mm (32mm at Luton), and the rain turned to snow before dying out as Arctic air penetrated southwards. Up to 5cm of snow accumulated in the east Midlands and 9cm at Moel-y-Crio (Flintshire) as temperature falls of 8-9 degC in less than an hour were reported. After a sunny day on the 19th, further
Text Box: mostly light snow fell in southern England and south Wales on the 20th (although Cornwall and south Devon remained mild), while Scotland stayed fine but extremely cold. The day’s maximum at Loch Glascarnoch (Sutherland) was -3.8ºC and the minimum overnight 19th/20th at Kinbrace (also Sutherland) was -13.2ºC; both of these were the lowest in the UK in November since 1993. Other low minima included -11.5ºC at Loch Glascarnoch and -9.9ºC at Aviemore, while the lowest in England was -7.4ºC at Redesdale (Northumberland). Returning south-westerlies brought the cold spell to a rapid end on the 21st, but not before freezing rain had affected much of Scotland and northern England for several hours resulting in scores of road accidents. It became very wet in western Scotland, and the day’s rainfall totals included 50mm at Dalmally (Argyll) and 70mm at Cassley (Sutherland). A very mild but changeable spell followed until the 27th although high pressure was never far away and rainfall amounts were generally small. It turned colder on the 28th as the flow veered northerly and rain fell widely, but the last two days were mostly dry except in the northwest, with patchy frost and fog night and morning. Eskdalemuir dipped to -4.7ºC early on the 29th. Mean maxima were generally 0.0 to 1.0 degC above normal, while mean minima were 1.0-2.0 degC above. Overall, it was less mild than the last two Novembers, but it ranked 20th warmest in the last 100 years as measured by the CET. Rain fell frequently in small amounts, but rainfall totals were well below the long-term mean in most places and the England-and-Wales total of 51.8mm was just 52 per cent of the norm, and the lowest since 1988. Less than 20mm fell locally in northeast England and it was Durham’s driest November since 1958. Sunshine totals were below average except in eastern Scotland; a new monthly low was established at Valley (Anglesey) where sunshine recording began in 1946 and it was probably the dullest November in the Holyhead district since before 1913. It was also the dullest November in parts of Northern Ireland since 1962.
                                                                                                                                           
                       TEMPERATURE                                SUNSHINE                             RAINFALL                                                       
                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                   
                                          Highest and lowest totals                     Highest and lowest totals        
                                              on record for month    
Maximum fall in 24 hrs (beginning 09 h)
                    on record for month    
Days with snow or sleet
 
Days with fog (Vis <220 yards at 09 h)
 
                                                                                         
     
Difference from average
   
Difference from average
 
Highest maximum
   
Lowest minimum
   
No. of days with grass minimum below 0ºC
   
Days of no sunshine
 
Maximum duration
       
First year of record
         
Days of no rainfall (0.1 mm or less)
         
First year of record
         
Days with thunder
     
       PLACE  
Mean Maximum
   
Mean minimum
             
No. of air frosts
       
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Total for month
                   
                               
% of average
                   
% of average
                 
                                                                     
                                   
Highest
   
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