Rainfall Statistics 2011

[Spawney]

Only 18.5mm rainfall here in Grimsby for November, I'm guessing that's a lot lower than the average. Where can I find out the average rainfall for my area?

[TonyH]

Here they are for Cleethorpes:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/sites/cleethorpes.html

[ANYWEATHER]

Just 404.9 mms here this year thats about 13 inches below normal!!

[Spawney]

Here they are for Cleethorpes:

http://www.metoffice...leethorpes.html

Thanks Tony.

Turns out I've had 38.7mm less than the average for November, I'm quite surprised how much less than average the rain totals for November were.

[Terminal Moraine]

64.9 mm in November here, 61% of average. This takes the total for the first 11 months to 691.1mm, the driest first 11 months since 1975. December would need 148.1mm to prevent 2011 being the driest year since I started recording at this site 35 years ago.

The 30 year December average is 114.5 mm.

[Static Prevails]

I haven't updated this for a while:

January- 45mm

February- 68mm

March- 8mm

April- 7mm

May- 46mm

June- 54mm

July- 27mm

August- 52mm

September- 62mm

October- 68mm

November- 56mm

2011 Rainfall- 493mm.

We're rather below average here.

[Bobby]

A fairly wet December here so far, 185mm at the half-way point compared to average of ~240mm (wettest month of the year on average). Aside from the very dry March-April the rainfall been more or less average.

On 1,560mm for the year.

Average ~1,800mm.

[reef]

In contrast it has been a very dry first half of December here in the east with only 19.4mm so far.

That takes the annual total to only 331.0mm. This year is going to be comfortably the driest ever.

I remember someone saying that to record under 60% of average would be an exceptional event in this country. We still require 22mm more this year for that.

[The PIT]

Well no chance of the driest year ever now up to 74.8 mm 91.5 mm is the average for the year.

[Terminal Moraine]

In contrast it has been a very dry first half of December here in the east with only 19.4mm so far.

That takes the annual total to only 331.0mm. This year is going to be comfortably the driest ever.

I remember someone saying that to record under 60% of average would be an exceptional event in this country. We still require 22mm more this year for that.

I think that may have been me, Reef. 60% is generally regarded as approaching the lower limit of annual rainfall at any one site in this country although on occasions even lower percentages have been recorded, as in much of the south east in 1921.

In that year parts of east Kent recorded less than 50% of the annual average.

331mm is an exceptionally low total in your part of the world. I've got the 1921 edition of British Rainfall in front of me and, although I'm not sure exactly where you are in East Yorkshire, for comparison Hull recorded around 410mm, Beverly 430-460mm, Bridlington 480-500mm, York 460mm and Filey 465mm in that year.

[Osbourne One-Nil]

I'm up to 1280mm so far this year (112mm this month), which makes it wetter than average and massively wetter than last year, when just 703mm fell all year!

[reef]

I think that may have been me, Reef. 60% is generally regarded as approaching the lower limit of annual rainfall at any one site in this country although on occasions even lower percentages have been recorded, as in much of the south east in 1921.

In that year parts of east Kent recorded less than 50% of the annual average.

331mm is an exceptionally low total in your part of the world. I've got the 1921 edition of British Rainfall in front of me and, although I'm not sure exactly where you are in East Yorkshire, for comparison Hull recorded around 410mm, Beverly 430-460mm, Bridlington 480-500mm, York 460mm and Filey 465mm in that year.

Im located around 7 miles east of Hull city centre. Annual average rainfall is some 60-70mm less than the Hull site as we sit in a small drier area compared to our surroundings (see map). In a normal year we'd expect 587.4mm:

Looking at your figures for 1921, I think 420-440mm would be in the right ballpark. Even with any inaccuracies of the Davis rain collector I think at 331mm this year will almost certainly be drier than then by some way.

[Verglas]

64.5 this month so far, and 1141mm this year and counting !

(too wet to walk dogs this morning, or as an old friend used to say "not fit for a hand-cart to be out" !)

[Osbourne One-Nil]

...or as an old friend used to say "not fit for a hand-cart to be out" !)

What's one of those then.........a friend?

[TonyH]

Coventry now on 33mm for December, and 433mm for the year, so with an unsettled outlook, the 1921 record will survive.

[TonyH]

1095mm here so will end up a fairly dry year, about 1250mm is the average

[TonyH]

I think that may have been me, Reef. 60% is generally regarded as approaching the lower limit of annual rainfall at any one site in this country although on occasions even lower percentages have been recorded, as in much of the south east in 1921.

In that year parts of east Kent recorded less than 50% of the annual average.

331mm is an exceptionally low total in your part of the world. I've got the 1921 edition of British Rainfall in front of me and, although I'm not sure exactly where you are in East Yorkshire, for comparison Hull recorded around 410mm, Beverly 430-460mm, Bridlington 480-500mm, York 460mm and Filey 465mm in that year.

Hi TM.

Is it possible that you could check out the 1921 totals for the Coventry and Rugby areas of Warwickshire please.

Although the Bablake site is close to exceeding 1921's 443mm, it would be interesting to see if other stations were drier/ wetter in the area that year.

My parents gauge near Rugby has yet to receive even 400mm this year, although it is a slightly over sheltered garden site.

Thank you.

[TonyH]

Well, this very dry year in the Midlands is almost certainly not going to beat 1921.

Coventry is now just a few mm short of the the 443mm total which fell that year.

Thanks to TM for extracting the following figures from the edition of British Rainfall for that year.

In 1921 the Coventry area was rather wetter than along the Avon valley. The 3 Coventry gauges had annual totals of 441, 443 and 472mm respectively. Meanwhile at Rugby, 2011 is already wetter than 1921; my parents have recorded just over 400mm to date, while in 1921 the 2 town gauges received just 363mm and 374mm, and with similarly very low totals from Leamington Spa and Stratford upon Avon.

Meanwhile, 3 gauges in Evesham measured between 374 and 385mm.

[Aaron]

So far, 440.6mm, I'd say around 66% of the average

[Airedalejoe]

I'm up to 1280mm so far this year (112mm this month), which makes it wetter than average and massively wetter than last year, when just 703mm fell all year!

Just checked and given how crap the summer was yearly rainfall total is a still a low 411mm!

[Bobby]

December total currently at 270mm, a good chance of getting above 300mm by the end of the month I think. Still going to be a drier than average year though although not significantly.

Year now at 1,640mm.

[Terminal Moraine]

December is on 120.5mm here ( average is 114.5mm ) and striving manfully to prevent 2011 being the driest year since 1975.

The annual total so far is 812.6mm so another 26.6mm is required to equal the 1991 total; it's do-able but unlikely so at the moment it looks as though it will end as the driest year since 1975.

[Aaron]

58.1mm for December, making it the wettest month since June and the second wettest month in 2011 after February

2011 total so far is 451.6mm, compared to an average of around 660mm

2011

January: 33.8 mm (below average)

February: 75.9 mm (much above average, usual driest month)

March: 11.1 mm (much below average)

April: 1.5 mm (extremely below average)

May: 32.5 mm (below average)

June: 52.5 mm (slightly below average)

July: 35.8 mm (below average)

August: 48.3 mm (below average, usual wettest month)

September so far: 31.5 mm

October: 40.9 mm

November: 29.7 mm

December so far: 58.1mm

Spring:

45.1 mm (average 152 mm)

Summer:

136.3 mm (average 170 mm)

Autumn:

102.1 mm

Annual

451.6mm

[Terminal Moraine]

5.7 mm so far today ( from 0900 ) has brought the annual total to 844.1mm, 4.9 mm more than in 1991. It would take another 13.3mm to exceed the 1995 total of 857.3 mm which is possible but unlikely unless the cold front moving through on Saturday night turns out to be much more active than currently expected.

So, it's looking likely that 2011 will be the driest year here since 1991 and the second driest in the last 35 years.

[Grimsby Snow Lover]

Going by the local weather site here in Grimsby we have had 374mm of rain so far this year. This is way below normal and explains why here in Lincolnshire we are still in drought.