March 1981: Very Wet

[Weather-history]

March 1981 is a forgotten month despite being the 2nd wettest March ever recorded for England and Wales with 160.4mm. Only 1947 was wetter in the record books going back to 1766.

It was a cyclonic month with frequent depressions.

The 9th and the 21st were especially wet days with a number of stations in England and Wales recording the wettest day of the month on these dates.

% of March rainfall average for these stations.

Heathrow: 233%

Lowestoft: 208%

Rhoose: 274%

Plymouth: 231%

Valley: 298%

Manchester: 290%

Finningley: 286%

Abbotsinch: 223%

Dyce: 182%

Aldegrove: 202%

For Scotland and Northern Ireland, it is lower down in the ranking for wetness but nevertheless it was a really wet March.

An exceptional month south of the Border but has faded into oblivion unlike other notably wet months

[Gavin P]

Thanks Kevin.

March is frequently one of the driest months of the year, so this must have been quite surprising.

[Terminal Moraine]

Yes, this was also the wettest March I've recorded with 176.4 mm here and 37.7mm on the 21st being the wettest March day on my records back to 1964.

March 1988 was also very wet with 164.6 mm, in fact with the exception of three dryish Marches from 1983-85 every March from 1979 to 1989 was wet.