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graphs      CLIMATE-UK.COM'S  REVIEW  OF  THE  BRITISH  METEOROLOGICAL  SCENE
     MONTHLY  SUMMARY
     No. 614 For   FEBRUARY  2007
    WINTRY SPELL 4TH-10TH, OTHERWISE VERY UNSETTLED AND GENERALLY MILD WITH FREQUENT RAIN
Text Box: The first week was mainly anticyclonic, but from the 8th onwards a very disturbed cyclonic/southerly type held sway with only one or two brief interruptions. Mean monthly sea-level pressure was below normal over practically the whole of Europe and the Atlantic Ocean south of latitude 65°N, and over the British Isles pressure anomaly ranged from -7mbar in Shetland to -11mbar in western Ireland. The anomalous flow over the UK was SW-ly in the south and SE-ly in the north. High pressure lay over or close to the UK until the 4th when it retreated to Iceland, allowing a cold Arctic airflow to affect the country for the next three days. Much of Britain was dry with long sunny periods throughout the first week; at first it was very mild, the temperature climbing to 12-14°C on each of the first four days, peaking at 14.7°C at Dyce (Aberdeenshire) on the afternoon of the 1st, but nights became frosty from the 2nd/3rd onwards, and by the 5th it turned much colder by day too. Altnaharra (Sutherland) recorded a maximum of -3.0°C on the 7th and the following night Sennybridge (Breconshire) had a minimum of -9.7°C. The sun shone for 8.8 hours on the 4th at Wittering (Cambs), while Waddington (Lincs) recorded 49 hours of sunshine between the 1st and 7th. From the 8th-10th low pressure lay southwestward of the UK and a series of fronts made slow and erratic progress northwards across the British Isles. Snow fell heavily in southern and central parts of England and Wales on the 8th although it melted quickly in southernmost counties; elsewhere it lay 10cm or more deep, with 15cm at Whipsnade (Beds). That night the temperature fell to -10.7°C at Altnaharra. Further heavy snow hit Wales, parts of the Midlands and northern England on the 9th with 27cm reported from Boltshope Park (Durham), and over
Text Box: Scotland on the 10th, but by now a rapid thaw was.spreading northwards across the country, heavy rain was falling in southern districts, and Culdrose (Cornwall) collected 63mm of rain during the 8th/9th. Deep depressions and active troughs crossed the UK at frequent intervals between the 10th and 16th, delivering substantial amounts of rain to most parts of the country each day. Some 50mm fell at Rackwick (Orkney) in 48h on the 11th/12th, and also at Inveruglas (Dunbartonshire) on the 15th. Also on the 15th a gust of 66kn was registered at South Uist (Western Isles) - the highest of the month. It was generally very mild, however, and highs of 14°C were logged locally on both the 15th and 17th. There was a brief respite as a ridge of high pressure drifted eastwards across the country during the 17th and 18th, but Atlantic fronts crossed the country daily from the 19th onwards bringing further lengthy periods of rain, although there were good sunny spells on the 21st, 26th and 28th. The temperature approached or exceeded 14°C locally on the 26th and 27th with 14.6°C on the latter date at Newry (Co.Down), but prolonged orographic rain deposited 99mm on the 27th alone at Kinlochewe (Wester Ross). Much of the country had strong winds and squally showers on the 28th, with thunder and hail reported locally in southern districts. In spite of the wintry episode early on, mean monthly temperature was 1.5-2.0 degC above the long-term average, and it was generally the mildest February since 2002. Rainfall was above normally practically nationwide, and much of southern England had 2 to 2.5 times the normal amount of rain. After the exceptionally sunny opening week, sunshine was in very short supply, and monthly totals were close to or rather below the long-term average in most regions.
                                                                                                                                         
                       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
       
Total for month
                   
Total for month
                   
                               
% of average
                   
% of average
                 
                                                                     
                                   
Highest
   
Lowest
 
Year
             
Highest
   
Lowest
 
Year
       
             
Date
   
Date
         
Date
         
Year
         
Date
         
Year
           
                                                                     
      ºC       ºC       ºC       ºC             Hrs       Hrs         Hrs       Hrs       mm       mm         mm     mm          
                                                                                                                                         
  *Hampstead   09.3   +2.4   03.8   +2.7   14.1   01   -03.7   07   10   05   05   07.7   03   077   113   1910   111   1988   020   1912   08   18.0   13   103   260   1910   124   1951   03   1959   00   01   00  
  Thorney Island   10.0   +2.0   04.9   +2.8   12.5   02   -03.8   07   08   03   06   08.7   03   093   098   1956   141   1988   034   1976   08   20.6   13   103   194   1941   147   1951   01   1959   01   00   00  
  *Wattisham   08.3   +1.9   02.9   +1.5   12.1   01   -07.1   07   14   08   07   08.3   03   057   079   1968   127   1988   041   1993   05   10.4   12   074   197   1960   091   2001   04   1998   00   02   00  
  *Wittering   08.8   +2.6   02.8   +1.5   12.4   01   -07.1   07   11   07   05   08.8   04   075   102   1950   130   1988   032   1972   08   10.0   09   051   114   1948   117   1977   02   1959   00   02   00  
                                                                     
  Lyneham   08.7   +2.1   03.3   +1.8   11.4   22   -05.2   07   09   07   08   08.2   03   059   075   1952   116   1988   037   1982   10   15.8   23   098   200   1946   140   1977   03   1965   00   02   00  
  Ross-on-Wye   09.1   +1.9   03.1   +1.1   13.0   27   -06.0   07   00   07   07   07.2   26   061   085   1915   119   1934   018   1940   10   10.7   22   079   148   1859   170   1923   01   1891   00   02   00  
  *St Athan   09.2   +2.2   04.4   +2.0   12.9   22   -03.9   07   08   03   07   07.9   03   066   086   1954   128   1988   036   1958   07   14.0   10   100   156   1954   141   2002   01   1986   00   02   00  
  St Mawgan   10.0   +1.9   06.1   +2.4   12.8   22   01.5   05   02   00   08   08.3   04   070   077   1944   143   1996   038   1958   03   16.2   07   163   190   1945   195   1950   04   1986   00   00   00  
                                                                     
  *Edgbaston   08.3   +1.7   03.8   +2.3   11.3   27   -03.6   07   08   06   05   07.2   04   076   121   1887   109   1949   009   1917   08   18.4   09   098   200   1887   149   1923   01   1891   00   02   00  
  *Valley   08.9   +1.1   04.7   +1.4   11.1   15   -03.8   07   10   05   05   08.1   02   074   081   1946   144   1986   039   1980   10   08.0   26   039   060   1941   161   1977   07   1986   00   00   00  
  *Woodford   08.7   +2.4   03.0   +1.9   12.2   27   -07.6   07   12   07   08   08.2   04   076   108   1945   104   2004   034   1980   05   08.2   16   060   110   1942   161   1977   04   1986   00   02   00  
  *Watnall   08.6   +2.4   03.3   +2.0   14.0   01   -03.7   07   13   07   09   08.2   03   073   100   1948   113   1988   025   1965   09   15.0   09   096   214   1942   198   1977   05   1959   00   03   00  
                                                                     
  *Leeming   08.7   +2.2   02.0   +0.9   12.9   01   -05.6   08   15   08   07   07.8   03   079   108   1945   116   1970   026   1980   08   11.8   10   051   108   1945   107   1966   03   1985   00   03   00  
  *Boulmer   08.4   +2.3   03.1   +2.3   14.1   01   -01.0   09   11   04   07   07.8   18   069   104   1945   121   1997   038   1980   07   17.0   10   074   145   1945   144   1978   05   1946   00   02   00  
  *Eskdalemuir   06.9   +2.2   01.1   +2.0   10.4   17   -08.6   06   15   09   12   07.4   18   061   087   1911   118   1970   018   1966   11   24.6   27   116   115   1911   402   1997   05   1932   00   05   01  
  *Bishopton   08.1   +1.5   03.0   +2.2   11.0   25   -04.6   07   15   05   10   08.0   07   077   113   1921   118   1970   015   1959   06   28.2   27   114   184   1921   249   2002   01   1932   00   02   00  
                                                                     
  *Leuchars   08.3   +1.9   02.3   +1.5   11.5   17   -03.4   06   20   09   08   07.3   03   076   089   1922   134   1999   033   1923   09   12.4   10   068   143   1922   142   1977   02   1932   00   05   00  
  *Dyce   07.6   +1.7   02.6   +2.5   14.7   01   -02.7   04   16   08   09   07.3   17   062   077   1941   131   1989   034   1994   07   18.8   11   112   180   1941   146   1994   07   1959   00   06   00  
  *Stornoway   07.9   +1.2   04.2   +2.2   11.0   01   -01.6   06   07   02   09   05.6   08   051   065   1880   106   1975   022   1943   02   17.8   27   100   129   1943   277   1997   10   1963   00   00   00  
  *Aldergrove   07.9   +1.1   03.0   +1.6   13.0   27   -07.0   07   13   06   07   07.6   26   070   097   1927   108   2004   030   1993   05   10.0   11   070   132   1927   132   1990   03   1932   00   01   00  
                                                                     
                                                                                                                                         
  Stations marked with an asterisk record sunshine electronically; comparisons      
  with earlier records are therefore somewhat speculative. Thorney Island's      
  sunshine figures are from a nearby site.