Some Seathwaite Rainfall Records (1845-1894)

[Weather-history]

Here are some rainfall records from Seathwaite for the first 50 years of recording at that station in Cumbria. (1845-1894)

Monthly rainfall averages based on 50 years of records.

Jan: 16.07"

Feb: 12.60"

Mar: 10.25"

Apr: 6.71"

May: 7.12"

Jun: 7.76"

Jul: 9.68"

Aug: 11.41"

Sep: 11.99"

Oct: 14.34"

Nov: 13.90"

Dec: 15.48"

Driest

Jan: 1.26" 1881

Feb: 1.29" 1855

Mar: 0.74" 1852

Apr: 0.89" 1852

May: 0.89" 1853

Jun: 1.11" 1889

Jul: 1.75" 1870

Aug: 2.68" 1870

Sep: 0.59" 1894

Oct: 3.30" 1880

Nov: 2.55" 1867

Dec: 1.21" 1890

Wettest

Jan: 32.14" 1872

Feb: 30.55" 1848

Mar: 27.24" 1868

Apr: 17.62" 1862

May: 17.30" 1884

Jun: 16.38" 1881

Jul: 21.04" 1882

Aug: 26.99" 1891

Sep: 25.62" 1892

Oct: 32.13" 1862

Nov: 35.41" 1861

Dec: 32.83" 1852

Annual rainfall totals

1845: 151.87"

1846: 143.51"

1847: 129.24"

1848: 160.89"

1849: 125.47"

1850: 143.96"

1851: 139.60"

1852: 143.96"

1853: 113.69"

1854: 143.48"

1855: 88.31"

1856: 105.52"

1857: 116.60"

1858: 114.61"

1859: 147.29"

1860: 142.40"

1861: 182.58"

1862: 170.03"

1863: 173.84"

1864: 134.67"

1865: 117.49"

1866: 179.12"

1867: 133.31"

1868: 157.11"

1869: 150.11"

1870: 121.20"

1871: 115.15"

1872: 182.05"

1873: 146.53"

1874: 148.79"

1875: 118.80"

1876: 114.03"

1877: 180.48"

1878: 111.88"

1879: 110.70"

1880: 120.12"

1881: 130.58"

1882: 149.69"

1883: 147.68"

1884: 136.43"

1885: 144.01"

1886: 133.84"

1887: 101.57"

1888: 119.89"

1889: 106.24"

1890: 141.80"

1891: 147.19"

1892: 129.50"

1893: 140.66"

1894: 145.52"

1895: 99.73"

26th November 1861: 7.52" fell in that 24hr period.

[Osbourne One-Nil]

It's never rained when I've been there!

[Weather-history]

1895 map of the Seathwaite area.

[Terminal Moraine]

To think that the total fall in 1855, their driest year, is twice the 30 year average here.

I don't suppose you have access to more recent data for Seathwaite Mr D.

[johnholmes]

looking at the map really shows up the topography Seathwaite is actually in a rather sheltered spot compared that is to some of the SW facing fells-imagine what rainfall they must get?

[Weather-history]

To think that the total fall in 1855, their driest year, is twice the 30 year average here.

I don't suppose you have access to more recent data for Seathwaite Mr D.

I'm afraid not.

Even in the dry year of 1921, Seathwaite still recorded above average rainfall with 137.92 inches.

8.03 inches fell from 9am on the 12th to 9am on the 12th of November 1897, which at the time was the greatest 24hr rainfall total recorded at Seathwaite.

[Terminal Moraine]

I've got every copy of 'British Rainfall' from 1877 to 1960, I'll have a look through them and compile a list to follow on from yours. Post 1960 would be interesting too, there may be something online.

[trickydicky]

According to the Guiness Book of Records I have somewhere from about 1995, the wettest place in the UK is Sprinkling Tarn (just south of Seathwaite Fell on the map) which one year (in the 1950's I think) got 6000mm+ and averages 4000mm+ per year.

[Terminal Moraine]

I had some difficulty compiling this list as, for many years, there were up to 6 gauges around Seathwaite often only yards from each other but with differing exposures and with the gauge rim heights varying from 6" above the ground to 18".

For instance the rainfall total in 1921 of 137.92" was recorded on a gauge with the rim only 6" above ground level, another gauge nearby with the rim at the standard height of 12" recorded 115.86 ". In view of the intensity of the rainfall at Seathwaite I feel sure that a gauge with a rim height of 6" would be subject to insplash during heavy rainfall so I decided to use data from the gauge at the standard height.

For some reason in the later years of the list the rainfall was measured only to the nearest half inch.

1896...123.72

1897...145.96

1898...154.48

1899...128.40

1900...129.54

1901...110.69

1902... 94.11

1903...166.09

1904...128.81

1905...116.92

1906...130.66

1907...128.81

1908...127.38

1909...128.62

1910...134.24

1911...148.14

1912...143.45

1913...124.07

1914...128.60

1915...103.50

1916...141.75

1917...124.86

1918...149.15

1919...104.69

1920...128.08

1921...115.86

1922...101.25

1923...155.58

1924...125.67

1925...108.15

1926...135.37

1927...150.00

1928...182.15

1929...136.52

1930...133.76

1934...137.75

1935...141.25

1936...128.10

1937...109.00

1938...163.50

1939...126.00

1940...112.10

1941....91.75

1942...120.35

1943...134.00

1944...123.50

1945...107.25

1946...144.75

1947...106.50

1948...137.75

1949...126.45

1950...143.50

1951...139.00

1952...107.75

1953...124.25

1954...165.25

1955....90.50

1956...106.75

1957...131.90

1958...117.00

1959...114.70

1960...124.00

[trickydicky]

I had some difficulty compiling this list as, for many years, there were up to 6 gauges around Seathwaite often only yards from each other but with differing exposures and with the gauge rim heights varying from 6" above the ground to 18".

For instance the rainfall total in 1921 of 137.92" was recorded on a gauge with the rim only 6" above ground level, another gauge nearby with the rim at the standard height of 12" recorded 115.86 ". In view of the intensity of the rainfall at Seathwaite I feel sure that a gauge with a rim height of 6" would be subject to insplash during heavy rainfall so I decided to use data from the gauge at the standard height.

For some reason in the later years of the list the rainfall was measured only to the nearest half inch.

Do your magazines have any information for Sprinkling Tarn? There must have been a rain guage there at some point for it to hold records?

[Terminal Moraine]

Do your magazines have any information for Sprinkling Tarn? There must have been a rain guage there at some point for it to hold records?

Just had a quick look; the first record at Sprinkling Tarn is in 1878 and it looks as though it was continuous from then on. I'll do a Sprinkling Tarn list for comparison when I get time.

[damianslaw]

Yes Seathwaite is a notorious wet spot. In terms of wettest part of the Lake District the accolade I'm sure would go to somewhere on the Scafell massif which is exposed to westerlies and south westerlies greatly, Sprinkling Tarn wouldn't be a bad guess.

I'd be interested if anyone has any stats for wettest towns in England, I think the accolade goes to Ambleside, with Windermere and Keswick not far behind.

[Terminal Moraine]

When I looked at the Cumbrian rainfall records the wettest place always seemed to be Stye Head, at least until 1929, after that it was Sprinkling Tarn. Presumably the difference is due to a relocation of gauges at one or other of the sites but I haven't had chance to look through all the preamble where this might be explained.

Anyway here's a list of annual totals for both sites.

........SPRINKLING TARN.................STYE HEAD

1878.........88.37........................149.04

1879........102.53........................148.55

1880........109.39........................161.00

1881........106.81........................172.56

1882........150.31........................202.50

1883........111.88........................190.28

1884........114.06........................184.75

1885.........XXXX.........................197.92

1886........107.40........................169.38

1887.........71.41........................130.90

1888........147.15........................175.40

1889........116.08........................152.85

1890........157.00........................202.05

1891........136.60........................166.40

1892........141.18........................172.20

1893........119.32........................166.55

1894........141.89........................166.22

1895........104.30........................127.65

1896........119.32........................159.31

1897........137.25........................197.25

1898........147.30........................207.20

1899........113.05........................164.53

1900........128.40........................172.00

1901........113.85........................162.18

1902.........98.80........................124.78

1903........189.30........................223.40

1904........140.55........................175.56

1905........143.70........................170.20

1906........142.70........................177.70

1907.........XXXX.........................178.63

1908.........XXXX.........................177.25

1909........100.10........................169.00

1910........116.10........................187.50

1911........145.18........................198.10

1912........XXXXX.........................196.43

1913........129.32........................165.44

1914........146.67........................184.30

1915........116.14........................133.48

1916........170.82........................198.35

1917........129.70........................171.80

1918........116.10........................211.50

1919........118.20........................136.90

1920........170.80........................203.20

1921........131.70........................184.65

1922........131.52........................172.80

1923........170.00........................247.30

1924........162.75........................201.50

1925........132.80........................167.00

1926........142.20........................178.91

1927.........XXXX..........................XXXX

1928.........XXXX..........................XXXX

1929.........XXXX.........................181.33

1930........154.42........................167.89

1931........166.06........................164.00

1932........184.45........................179.60

1933........105.25........................100.25

1934........181.00........................164.05

1935........171.25........................156.95

1936........150.50........................146.25

1937........129.80........................124.75

1938........194.15........................193.00

1939........149.05........................148.00

1940........134.80........................129.95

1941........123.00........................110.25

1942........165.25........................148.30

1943........180.00........................XXXXX

1944........181.75........................XXXXX

1945........143.50........................XXXXX

1946........186.35........................165.75

1947........141.50........................124.10

1948........208.75........................206.25

1949........199.75........................171.50

1950........XXXXX.........................203.75

1951........218.00........................199.25

1952........XXXXX.........................XXXXX

1953........XXXXX.........................175.00

1954........257.00........................215.90

1955........134.60........................133.65

1956........153.00........................146.15

1957........171.30........................165.00

1958........XXXXX.........................133.85

1959........141.80........................150.20

1960........XXXX..........................153.75.

[trickydicky]

When I looked at the Cumbrian rainfall records the wettest place always seemed to be Stye Head, at least until 1929, after that it was Sprinkling Tarn. Presumably the difference is due to a relocation of gauges at one or other of the sites but I haven't had chance to look through all the preamble where this might be explained.

Anyway here's a list of annual totals for both sites.

........SPRINKLING TARN.................STYE HEAD

1954........257.00........................215.90

257 inches is 6527.8mm. That's a lot of rain. Does anyone have any stats for that year, was it a steadily wet year or was there one or two catastrophically wet spells?

[Terminal Moraine]

257 inches is 6527.8mm. That's a lot of rain. Does anyone have any stats for that year, was it a steadily wet year or was there one or two catastrophically wet spells?

Generally speaking a dryish start to the year, particularly March and April, but very wet from July onwards.

The monthly data for Ambleside in 1954 are;

Jan'...6.54

Feb'...6.43

Mar'...5.85

Apr'...2.68

May....4.39

June...7.61

July...6.54

Aug'...7.82

Sept'..14.65

Oct'...18.41

Nov'...15.59

Dec'...11.54