The remarkable September of 1898

[Weather-history]

The period 1st-17th Septemper 1898 was unusually hot and dry with record breaking maxima. The CET up to the 17th of September was a remarkable 17.8

Record maxima for these dates

7th: 33.4C (92F) Norwood

9th: 32.2C (90F) Geldeston

17th: 31.9C (89.5F) Cambridge

Some reports

Tenterden: There were 9 days with max. temp above 80F; sunshine: 234hrs

Kensington: An extraordinary month of heat.

Haslemere: Mean max temp of seven consecutive days with 81F. Min temp on 6th was 61F

Cranleigh Common: Max temp of 81F on 7th and 8th. 70F an above on 13 days

Hartley Wintney: Mean temp: 75.6F Mean min: 55.5F 89.0F on the 8th

Addington: 7 consecutive days with temp of 80F and above (3rd to 9th); 4 consecutive days with 80F and above (14th-17th)

Bournemouth: 70F an above on 16 days

Oxford: Max above 80F on 6 days

Hodsock Priory: 85.8F on 17th

Manchester: 85.0F on the 5th and 7th

Edinburgh: 63.3F was the mean temp for period 2nd to 17th. 82.8F on the 5th, 62.0F on the 3rd as min

September 1898 was very active solar wise with a large sunspot and this produced a magnificent aurora on the evening of the 9th.

Here's a summary by James Wood of Ilfracombe

8.25pm: Strong patches of white light noticed due north

8.30pm: The patches widened out and formed an arc.

8.35pm: Streames began to shoot upwards.

8.40pm: The streamers became slightly pink

8.55pm: A brilliant pink and broad streamer from the extreme west of the arc assumedand retained for several minutes the form of a fluted spiral column.

9.15pm: Two strong flickers of light like sheet lightning were succeeded by the fading out of all streamers and a diminution of the arc light, but the aurora did not entirely disappear for some hours. At 10 o'clock it looked like luminous haze or cloud over the water.

From Henry Southall of Ross-on-Wye

"It was preceded by a magnificent sunset, the sky carmine to the zenith and fine masses of clouds to the eastward being illuminated with a pink light similiar to that of snowy Alpine peaks, changing later to a deep copper shade.

At 9pm, a large arch was seen spanning the northern horizon, a little to the west of north and at an altitude of 20 degrees. The centre was dark and apparent transparent. Streamers were continually shooting upwards for fully 60 degrees in height.

The light given out was equal to that of a full moon and was generally white although with a tint of red occasionally. After midnight the exhibition gradually died away."

[LetItSnow!]

Despite a warm first-half this year, it has been down to warm minima a lot of the time. Certainly some of those maxima make this September feel rather tame in comparison. 33C in September would be quite a lot nowadays, let alone in a pre-warmed and pre-UHI world back in 1898.

[Earthshine]

3 minutes ago, LetItSnow! said:

Despite a warm first-half this year, it has been down to warm minima a lot of the time. Certainly some of those maxima make this September feel rather tame in comparison. 33C in September would be quite a lot nowadays, let alone in a pre-warmed and pre-UHI world back in 1898.

Don't think this is right.  Maximum CET this year is for the highest on record.

[reef]

It's actually pretty even. The mean max is currently +3.0C and mean min +2.8C above normal. There haven't been any exceptionally hot days but it has been continuously warm.

Just now, Earthshine said:

Don't think this is right.  Maximum CET this year is for the highest on record.

I think he meant the first half of September rather than the year, but that is indeed correct. The mean maximum this year has been ridiculous!

[Earthshine]

1 minute ago, reef said:

It's actually pretty even. The mean max is currently +3.0C and mean min +2.8C above normal. There haven't been any exceptionally hot days but it has been continuously warm.

I think he meant the first half of September rather than the year, but that is indeed correct. The mean maximum this year has been ridiculous!

Even so, the current September maximum CET anomaly is +3.0°C.  really an exceptional year for high temperatures 

[LetItSnow!]

8 minutes ago, Earthshine said:

Even so, the current September maximum CET anomaly is +3.0°C.  really an exceptional year for high temperatures 

I didn't mean the average maximum, I mean the fact that as far as I'm aware there have not been 30-34C degree temperatures this month, just generally well above normal. As stated ^^

[Earthshine]

14 minutes ago, LetItSnow! said:

I didn't mean the average maximum, I mean the fact that as far as I'm aware there have not been 30-34C degree temperatures this month, just generally well above normal. As stated ^^

Sorry, misread your post.  Yep this September has been consistently warm without anything exceptional.

[Weather-history]