A question for those in the know

[Snowly does it]

Couple questions, see if anyone can produce the goodies for me?!

When was the last time -15 850 air was over the south of the UK? (Jan 87??)

and

Whats the lowest 850 air recorded over the mainland UK since 1945 say?

[Essan]

Couple questions, see if anyone can produce the goodies for me?!

When was the last time -15 850 air was over the south of the UK? (Jan 87??)

and

Whats the lowest 850 air recorded over the mainland UK since 1945 say?

Well, this was the situation on 12th January 1987 with -18c temps at 850hPa over the SE & East Anglia.

Unfortunately Wetterzentrale's archives don't go back further than 1948 so I don't know how that compares with 1947.

[Blackie]

I remember the 1987 winter being exceptionally cold here, but how would the winter of 1962/63 compare with that, Essan? I can't remember the dates but I think it was February some time. It was so frigid the Thames froze close to the beach at Southend. I remember it vividly, as my dad was a news cameraman and he got me and my brothers to clamber over the ice mounds and play in the snow drifts on the beach.

Ahhh, those were the days... :lol:

[Essan]

I remember the 1987 winter being exceptionally cold here, but how would the winter of 1962/63 compare with that, Essan? I can't remember the dates but I think it was February some time. It was so frigid the Thames froze close to the beach at Southend. I remember it vividly, as my dad was a news cameraman and he got me and my brothers to clamber over the ice mounds and play in the snow drifts on the beach.

Ahhh, those were the days... :lol:

With '63 it was more the duration rather than intensity of the cold - so far as I can see 850hPa temps never fell much below -10c

There were also -16c temps in East Anglia on 1st Jan 1979

[Yeti]

Believe it or not there was a more recent event than '87 which saw bitter 850s. 7th February 1991 saw 850 temps of -16 very widespread. I think this is probably the most recent, although not definitely... I'm sure Mr Data can help here. :lol:

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00219910207.gif

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119910207.gif

Quite impressive and often forgotten.

[Snowly does it]

Thanks very much for the replies guys!

I'll check out 47, see if it challenged the 87 figures...

[Summer of 95]

On 7th of Feb 1991 the whole of Britain south of a line from the Mersey to Humber was under sub -15C 850 air, except for the extreme SW which was very close.

Seems to have got very near -15 in mid Feb 1994, late Jan 1996 and around New Year 1997, I expect it was locally reached in these cases.

[Snowly does it]

thanks summer of 95, I'll check out those charts.