Summer 2011

[Anti Boring Weather]

As a whole season recent Springs have delivered more in the way of fine settled weather than recent summers, the last four springs have been very decent in terms of lengthy dry sunny plesantly warm periods - yes there have been exceptions such as the early cold in April 2008 and some notably wet spells such as late March 09 and parts of May 07, and 08 and cold weather in May 10, but on the whole drier settled spells have outlived the shorter more unsettled colder spells.

However, most of our springs between 98 and 06 were far more changeable and summers during that period on the whole delivered longer lasting dry settled weather - notably summer 01, 05 and 06. Of all the months April with Sept in recent years has failed to deliver any significantly colder than average weather and has been a very good month for warmth - don't know why things seems to outfavour a cold April anymore.

good i dont want cold aprils as all it does is harm my plants and is not good enough for proper long lasting snow anyway

[Alex]

I believe we beat a daily record yesterday, Santon Downham recorded 23.9c? Anyone confirm this. Chrs.

[Thundery wintry showers]

Yes, from the Met Office website:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/uk_latest_weather.html

Not much of a surprise, since 23C was authentically reached at Norwich Airport (Norwich Airport was recently upgraded into an official Met Office site for temperature as well as rainfall/sunshine) and Santon Downham often reaches about a degree higher than Norwich on hot days. I wondered if the date record would go today, as it really has been phenomenally warm for the time of year in East Anglia.

According to TORRO the previous record for the 6th April was 23.3C:

http://www.torro.org.uk/site/hightempsyear.php

so we've set a new record.

[Weather-history]

5 22.8 1892

6 23.3 1892

7 22.0 1974

8 24.4 1894

9 23.9 1969

10 23.3 1909

23.9C for the 6th, at the moment.

Seems a while since we broke a daily maximum record. Infact I think it was the 10th of May 2008, when it got to 27.3C

One point of note, where a date record was broken in the first half of April only 1 year was followed by a half decent summer.

Edited April 7, 2011 by Mr_Data

[Lewis]

Good Morning,

Despite a front moving South Eastwards with some colder air/upper associated with it, the weather here is not too bad, theres some cloud about, but also some sunny spells in between, it feels a little fresher but it's hard to say what the day will be like until around mid-day.

The GFS looks settled and dry throughout the coming 5 or 6 days, but possibly turning cooler/average and more unsettled as we head into next week.

I think the arguments well, not arguments but disagreements on here about certain aspects or conditions of the current weather patterns are a little over the top.

At the end of the day, our weather patterns have become more significant, and more varied, for example;

A extremely cold and well below average (coldest in 100 years) period during November into December, with extremely low minimums, during the day and night, not failing to mention the disruptive snowfall on repetitive occasions throughout the cold snap.

We then into the New Year, had a more zonal pattern, with Atlantic systems bringing heavy rain, particularly to NW Scotland, Wales, and the South West of England, and with it came gales, and severe gales where gusts topped around 95mph. The AO and NAO went positive, and all teleconnections was in favor of no blocking to the N/NE, and pressure remaining low.

Then we headed into March, at first it was unsettled, cloudy, before High Pressure started to build, fair enough it was not a favorable position, as SE parts, and Eastern Coastal counties was plagued by cloud and mist/fog during day, and during the night.

Later into March we had some LP systems push through, before High Pressure came in charge once again. We ended up hitting 20c during March, which is very good with values of 18-19c quite widely throughout many parts, whilst Scotland, parts of NW England, and Ireland was plagued by cloud.

Now here we are in April, High Pressure is in control and looks to be so for a good few days now, until later next week where the models are hinting at a more unsettled and fresher picture.

Yesterday, many places had seen very high temperatures for this time of the year. I left for night fishing from Hull at 1:40 PM and the temperature was recording 21.8c, at 4-5pm at Brandsburton, I was recording 22.8c with a max of 23.1c.

That in it's self is quite significant.

Another thing that is significant in it's self is that many areas, eastern/se and central areas in particular are very dry and have seen very little in the way of rainfall.

I think, and hope my post makes sense, and you understand what I'm trying to say

And as for writing off Summer 2011, let's just see what happens, it may possibly be another extreme?

I thought I would share these pictures I took at fishing when the sun was setting last night, it concludes the post

Regards,

Lewis

Edited April 7, 2011 by Warmer Weather

[summer blizzard]

http://www.xcweather.co.uk/

Stations south of London at 20C/21C, so a good chance of todays date record going.

When was the last time that we took two on consequtive days?

I am still not convinced as to the link between poor summers and records going in Spring, although given that the statosphere is now above average, it is unlikely that we will see another warm spell this month after this one.

[summer blizzard]

mei + qbo

1962

1976

1997

1999

2000

2002

http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/people/klaus.wolter/MEI/table.html

http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/data/correlation/qbo.data

Interesting that there are two very warm summers on that list, with 1976 remaining. 1962 also remains, so lets hope that lasts until winter.

[conor123]

Can anyone explain the reason why sin recent times, setups that previously gave sunshine we suddenly nearly always give overcast skies, especially in the spring and summer.

Somehow in South Westerly winds West Wales gets more sunshine than here while the cloud plagues this region, yesterday is an example in that the cloud never moved along north eastwards like the rest of the cloud over the UK but instead stayed in the same place until 3pm.

We used to always get a Fohn Effect in South Westerlys, you would often see 24/25c popping up in Hawarden, Shawbury etc in the summer whilst the rest of the UK was cloudier whilst nowadays its the opposite in the same setups?

Ironically we have to rely on low pressure and unsettled atlantic driven weather in Spring and Summer to get decent sunshine totals up here nowadays as South Westerlies bring low cloud, easterlies still manage to somehow drag all their low cloud this far and often it burns away further east before here in an easterly just like how yesterday the cloud burnt off the West Coast of Wales 4 hours before it did here.

I don't even have to bring up last July again as it speaks for itself, but having Seasonal Affective Disorder it has been very gloomy recently.

And well the coming spell of weather speaks for itself, low cloud sticking around till around 4-5pm im guessing today as usual, and then in the high pressure spell this weekend because of south westerly winds hazy high cloud and then low cloud to by Sunday will seal another poor weekend whilst places as near as Birmingham and Stafford have a gorgeous weekend.

Edited April 7, 2011 by conor123

[AderynCoch]

Not expecting anything great here either. Yesterday only got to 18C (which is still decent I know) and the sun came out after 3pm - too little too late.

Oh well, at least it's only April and not flippin' July.

Edited April 7, 2011 by AderynCoch

[Anti Boring Weather]

that is the trouble with this country too many things need to go right for a perfect spell of weather it is very hard to get a glourious week of sunshine nationwide whilst places like spain and italy it can be wall to wall sunshine for weeks then a lovely big storm come by, but even they see dull cloudy days because i saw that for myself last year on holiday.

[SP1986]

I too am feeling pretty short changed, apart from one or two days it's been really quite cool and cloudy.. usually in these setups as Conor says, here usually shares the best of the warm weather but that is certainly not the case the last few years, it's been exceptionally disappointing. No one is going to convince me the summer will be any better than the last three, as I genuinely think it will be awful here.

Based on experience this has been poor for a 'warm spell', given the setup, in this location.

I can only put it down to excessive moisture in a specific level in the atmosphere, causing much more cloud.

[Thundery wintry showers]

I think it's more to do with the positioning of the high pressure- too far south, resulting in too strong a SW flow, and too much moisture being picked up off the Atlantic. The moisture also brings that associated problem of convective clouds forming at 7-9am to the lee of high ground, encountering a strong cap and spreading out into stratocumulus resulting in a dull day.

Even here in Norwich, it started off dull yesterday and only brightened up by midday- certainly not the "wall to wall sunshine" setup that occurred in East Anglia and the SE during the likes of 13th February 1998.

[Coast]

Sorry guys, 21.9 DgC and wall to wall sunshine in Sussex away from the coast, you just couldn't ask for a better April day!

[Stormyking]

Sorry guys, 21.9 DgC and wall to wall sunshine in Sussex away from the coast, you just couldn't ask for a better April day!

We managed to hit 23c in central IOW today coast, I agree with you it just does not get better than this in April, I would like to ask April one more but maybe too much to ask, but a big juicy fat Thunderstorm

[Alex]

Its been pure sunshine for last couple of days I'n Essex!

[Supercell 89]

Cracking glorious day today here in Torbay, finally hit the magic 20c today with temps around the 20/1c mark. 22c in Exeter today as well, stunning for early April and still being able to sit outside in shorts at 7pm is pretty good going as well. This has to be the earliest i've witnessed 20c in the UK and the 4th time in April. Shame i had to witness the day inside a stuffy office in Newton .

Looks to be abit cooler tommorow but still on the warm side with 16-18c and again through the weekend.

[Lewis]

Morning,

Yesterday was suppose to be cooler here, it was slightly in temps, as it only hit 19.6c,

but due to little or no wind in the afternoon it felt red hot, its a lovely start here this morning to, so fingers X it's very nice today too.

I think the NMM/models are under doing the temperatures by a couple of ºc.

Lewis

[reef]

Morning,

Yesterday was suppose to be cooler here, it was slightly in temps, as it only hit 19.6c,

but due to little or no wind in the afternoon it felt red hot, its a lovely start here this morning to, so fingers X it's very nice today too.

I think the NMM/models are under doing the temperatures by a couple of ºc.

Lewis

The highest official temperature in our region was 17.5C yesterday. The max here was 17.3C.

Are you sure your sensor is properly shielded? I remember you mentioning the other day it was reading high?

[MP-R]

I'm wondering if my thermometer has a slightly cold bias compared to so many readings in the south west haha. Nevertheless, a very respectable 19.7C on Wednesday, 20.3C yesterday, and it's current 16.2C, higher than this point yesterday so here's hoping an even higher reading this afternoon. Clear blue skies and no wind with a lovely feeling sun!

[Alex]

Stormyking sorry to squash the parade, but it's unlikely It got to 25c I'n Newport. I think from Memory you guys I'n Wales achieved a max of 21c somewhere I'n last couple of days, of course locally it could of been a touch warmer but 25 I think is unlikely. Santon Downham I'n Norfolk beat a record on Wednesday and reached 23.9 but it's the other side of the country.

[Milhouse]

Lovely taste of Summer today and to think its only the 8th April. Just imagine if this incredible warm spell of weather thats pretty much lasted since the middle of March had happened within one calendar Month. We would be looking at a record warm month thats for sure. Hopefully the eventual April CET reflects this exceptional warmth.

[MP-R]

Much to my delight, today has been even warmer, by quite a margin with a high of 22.3C, clear skies all day, strong sun and no wind! About to go to dinner on the Clevedon seafront which should be gorgeous.

[damianslaw]

Another lovely day with wall to wall sunshine and blue skies and light winds. Slightly warmer than yesterday with temps hitting 18 degrees which is very good indeed for early April. Tonight looks a chilly one we could get down to 2 degrees so a slight ground frost.

Tomorrow has potential to hit the magic 70f around these parts thanks to the change in wind direction from a westerly to a south easterly. I think we will comfortably hit 19 degrees and quite possibly 20 degrees.

We have been spoilt it seems with recent April's, I remember this weekend last year being very good for sunshine and warmth, april 2009 was consistently very mild and we had the superb warm weather of mid April 2007. This year isn't going to eclipse April 2007 but it is doing its best...

I hope people are making the most of the current weather - some significant changes lie ahead to what could be a pronounced long spell of cool unsettled weather.

[summer blizzard]

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/uk_latest_weather.html

Date record for 7th went as well. The previous record was 22.0C, we got 22.7C.

Todays high looks to have been 21.4C at RAF Leeming.

[Anti Boring Weather]

Another lovely day with wall to wall sunshine and blue skies and light winds. Slightly warmer than yesterday with temps hitting 18 degrees which is very good indeed for early April. Tonight looks a chilly one we could get down to 2 degrees so a slight ground frost.

Tomorrow has potential to hit the magic 70f around these parts thanks to the change in wind direction from a westerly to a south easterly. I think we will comfortably hit 19 degrees and quite possibly 20 degrees.

We have been spoilt it seems with recent April's, I remember this weekend last year being very good for sunshine and warmth, april 2009 was consistently very mild and we had the superb warm weather of mid April 2007. This year isn't going to eclipse April 2007 but it is doing its best...

I hope people are making the most of the current weather - some significant changes lie ahead to what could be a pronounced long spell of cool unsettled weather.

looks like a great weekend coming up, i think when people say that weekends are typically rubbish when their off work is not true, i can remember many times the weekend being good and then on monday being cloudy and dull i will personally be hoping for rain next week anyway.