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graphs      CLIMATE-UK.COM'S  REVIEW  OF  THE  BRITISH  METEOROLOGICAL  SCENE
     MONTHLY  SUMMARY
     No. 602 For   FEBRUARY  2006
    COLD EARLY AND LATE, RATHER MILD MID-MONTH; GENERALLY BELOW AVERAGE RAINFALL
Text Box: High pressure lay over or near the British Isles until the 11th, but a much more disturbed spell - westerly at first then cyclonic - followed between the 12th and 20th. During the rest of the month a large blocking anticyclone lay to the northwest of Britain with a rather cold north-easterly flow covering the country. Mean monthly sea-level pressure was almost uniform over the UK, while anomalies ranged from zero in southeast England to +5mbar in northwest Scotland. A large, flat area of high pressure covered the UK for the first five days. Most areas were dry but dull and very cold at first. Although the temperature remained below zero for upwards of 48 hours in many places the absence of frozen ground was widely remarked upon; this was a rare example of heat flux from below being the dominant factor in the energy balance at the surface of the ground during a period of thick cloud and no wind. Lowest maxima included -2.3°C at Thorncliffe (Staffs) on the 1st, -2.7°C at Little Rissington (Glos) on the 2nd, and -2.9°C at Dunkeswell (Devon) on the 3rd. Cloud-breaks in northeast Scotland allowed the temperature to drop to -11.5°C at Braemar (Aberdeenshire) early on the 1st, and -11.3°C at the same site the following morning. It became less cold from the 4th to the 7th with occasional sunny breaks, although fog formed widely early on the 5th. A cold front swept south-eastwards across the UK on the 7th bringing some rain to all areas, and Kinlochewe (Wester Ross) recorded 59mm in the 48hrs ending 21GMT on the 7th. At Northolt (London) this was the first significant rain for 22 days. During the next few days scattered snow showers fell in northern and eastern districts, but nearly all areas enjoyed long sunny periods with Weymouth (Dorset) logging 9.3hr sunshine on the 10th. There were sharp night frosts and Benson (Oxon) recorded -8.2°C overnight 9th/10th.
Text Box: A southwesterly flow developed later on the 10th lifting temperatures above the seasonal norm, but Atlantic fronts brought outbreaks of rain from time to time. The system which crossed the country late on the 14th delivered several hours of moderate to heavy rain to all parts of the UK (Capel Curig in Snowdonia collected 56mm in 36hr), followed by squally showers accompanied by hail and thunder over the next three days. A developing depression brought almost 24hrs of steady rain to the southeastern corner of England during the 19th and 20th, and Hastings (Sussex) recorded 40mm. A cold north-easterly wind blew across the British Isles almost without a break from the 20th until the end of the month. There were frequent wintry showers in eastern and central districts at first, and a larger area of rain and snow travelled south-westwards across England and Wales on the 23rd and 24th; snow on the ground melted quickly at low levels, but 5-10cm fell over land above 200m. A southward moving cold front brought a spell of rain and sleet on the 27th, and the month ended with strong northerly winds, frequent heavy snow showers in northern Scotland and on exposed coasts elsewhere (up to 20cm in northeast Scotland and on the eastern flank of the North York Moors), but other regions had long sunny spells. Mean maximum temperature was 1 degC above normal in the north and west of Scotland, but 1 degC below in some southern counties of England. Mean minimum temperature ranged from 1.5 degC above in northern Scotland to 0.5 degC below in southwest England. It was a generally rather dry month with rainfall totals typically between 60 and 100% of the normal and less than 40% at Wick (Caithness), but there was a 60% excess in both Hastings and Herstmonceux in East Sussex. Sunshine totals ranged from 91 hours at Ronaldsway (Isle of Man) to 39 hours at Boulmer (Northumberland) where it was the dullest February since 1980.
                                                                                                                                         
                       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