Summer 2013

[summer blizzard]

Leeds is certainly drier, I don't think there's much doubt about that- even Leeds Bradford Airport which is on high ground is quite a bit drier than Manchester Airport- I imagine this must be noticeable over the year.

 

What's Manchester's record temperature and when? I recall it's 34C in 1990 for Leeds.

 

Yes, it's one of the driest cities in the country according to Wikipedia and pleasingly i'd say it's one of the snowiest English cities. Quite cloudy it can be though, our sunniest direction (bar isolated occurrences in winter) is a SE wind with snow from any direction bar a straight northerly (which are lovely and sunny).

[Weather-history]

What's Manchester's record temperature and when? I recall it's 34C in 1990 for Leeds. Yes, it's one of the driest cities in the country according to Wikipedia and pleasingly i'd say it's one of the snowiest English cities. Quite cloudy it can be though, our sunniest direction (bar isolated occurrences in winter) is a SE wind with snow from any direction bar a straight northerly (which are lovely and sunny).

I think it's 34C for Manchester as well also August 1990

[Scorcher]

Here's an interesting stat for the West Yorkshire area- the two weather stations at Bingley and Leeds Bradford Airport are only 10 miles apart, yet Bingley averages 1024 mm of rain anually and Leeds Bradford Airport averages 660 mm. Just shows the effect that being a few miles further east of high ground can have.

[johnholmes]

It may also have something to do with actual msl with Bingley showing around 1000ft and LB Airport about 600ft. local topography may also play a part?

[Scorcher]

It must do John but would it account for such a huge difference? Being so hilly in parts there must be huge variations across the Leeds area.

[johnholmes]

I would image so, hillsides exposed to the prevailing rain bearing winds would record more rainfall than those with some kind of shelter. This is why I suggested topography playing a part.

[hillbilly]

It must do John but would it account for such a huge difference? Being so hilly in parts there must be huge variations across the Leeds area.

being in the hills here is much wetter ,cloudier and colder than leeds ,the prevailing weather is north westerly ,dumps all the rain in the pennines and the further east the less rain you get .

[johnholmes]

Are you sure hillbilly that the prevailing wind direction is north west not west or possibly south west-west-south west?

[Methuselah]

I would image so, hillsides exposed to the prevailing rain bearing winds would record more rainfall than those with some kind of shelter. This is why I suggested topography playing a part.

Noticed that a lot, up in the Highlands, John: Inverness could be a dry, sunny 23C whilst Fort Augustus was under a deluge at 18...We were between the two, and continuous drizzly rain could fall from a blue sky...

[johnholmes]

yes I have seen rain from a clear blue sky in this part of the world, I first noticed it observing one morning at RAF Worksop. It was not allowed apparently to report no cloud and rain, understandable I suppose, so I had to put a hypothetical 2/8 Cu in!

[cheese]

I think it's 34C for Manchester as well also August 1990

34.4C for Leeds and 33.7C for Manchester if I recall, so not too different. Both in August 1990. Would be interesting to get that scenario again!

Edited August 4, 2013 by cheese

[cheese]

Are you sure hillbilly that the prevailing wind direction is north west not west or possibly south west-west-south west?

The prevailing wind direction is south-west I'm certain.

 

 

It must do John but would it account for such a huge difference? Being so hilly in parts there must be huge variations across the Leeds area.

As I said, Leeds varies significantly across the city. There are about three valleys within the city which mean you can go from 30m to over 100m within a mile. Big differences with regards to snow and temperature I imagine, as well as air frost etc.

Edited August 4, 2013 by cheese

[johnholmes]

not too different from Sheffield with rain in the city centre and snow  on the western outskirts; Manchester  also for its northern suburbs.

[J10]

Last winter there was heavy snow here but very little at sea level, only a few miles away.

[Scorcher]

34.4C for Leeds and 33.7C for Manchester if I recall, so not too different. Both in August 1990. Would be interesting to get that scenario again!

 

I'm pretty sure it would have been hotter than 33.7C in the centre of Manchester- that reading is for the airport which is in a semi-rural area while the Leeds reading is from the Leeds Weather Centre I believe, which was right in the centre of town.

[MP-R]

It's interesting reading these comments about what it's like up north. I'm considering a masters degree at York university so have wondered what the weather might be like there.

 

I certainly notice how much warmer and drier it is in when I'm in Egham than when I'm in Bristol. In fact the weather over there is rather benign and boring overall to be honest. I always like coming back to Bristol for the variety and more dramatic nature of the weather.

[summer blizzard]

I'm pretty sure it would have been hotter than 33.7C in the centre of Manchester- that reading is for the airport which is in a semi-rural area while the Leeds reading is from the Leeds Weather Centre I believe, which was right in the centre of town.

 

It's actually near the Porche garage just as your entering the city center but close to the greenbelt so i'm not sure if wind direction could affect, the A62 runs close.

[The PIT]

It's interesting reading these comments about what it's like up north. I'm considering a masters degree at York university so have wondered what the weather might be like there.

 

I certainly notice how much warmer and drier it is in when I'm in Egham than when I'm in Bristol. In fact the weather over there is rather benign and boring overall to be honest. I always like coming back to Bristol for the variety and more dramatic nature of the weather.

Well you find that we're not very civilised up here. Electricity is rare and the polar bears are a real problem. You also have to watch out for the Glaciers breaking up as they retreat due to global warming climate change or whatever they call these days.

On a serious note Yorks a nice city so worth going there just for that.

[summer blizzard]

The prevailing wind direction is south-west I'm certain.

 

 

As I said, Leeds varies significantly across the city. There are about three valleys within the city which mean you can go from 30m to over 100m within a mile. Big differences with regards to snow and temperature I imagine, as well as air frost etc.

 

Very true. The past 2 years i have lived the winter at around 70m near the universities while my parents have lived 7 miles at 180m in a semi-rural area. Until this point i never realised the difference.

 

In terms of falling snow there is not much difference however depths vary massively. In April 2012 when it snowed my parents had close to 10cm, the city had slush and it was largely a sleet event until the early hours. This January before the epic final event on the 25th i recorded 16cm (reports from that event suggest at least 12cm fell on lower ground) and while the city had a couple of inches, it was not comparable.

 

I'd also add that in Jan 10 i recorded 29cm at my parents but nowhere close in the center.

Edited August 4, 2013 by summer blizzard

[hillbilly]

Are you sure hillbilly that the prevailing wind direction is north west not west or possibly south west-west-south west?

An interesting question....maybe it may be more west but where I am the wind funnels down the calder valley ,I guess it varies in these hills but I guess that is not the general prevailing direction .It could be more westerly but south west.....not here!

[cheese]

I'm pretty sure it would have been hotter than 33.7C in the centre of Manchester- that reading is for the airport which is in a semi-rural area while the Leeds reading is from the Leeds Weather Centre I believe, which was right in the centre of town.

Yes, possibly. As I said, there is a Met Office station at Hulme Library, but available data is sparse. There are hourly updates on weathercast.co.uk. It exceeded 30C on Thursday and if I remember correctly, may have exceeded 30C in July too.

Edited August 4, 2013 by cheese

[Scorcher]

It's slightly frustrating that there aren't more city centre sites really- it would be interesting to compare with the more rural sites.

[cheese]

Yup, I agree. Leeds only has Leeds Bradford airport now, and Leeds University which is not available to the public. Not sure why they closed the weather  centre down in the first place, but they could have at least opened a new one somewhere else if the urban heat island was the problem. LBA is a windswept hilltop airport and is useless for Leeds residents (speaking as a former Leeds resident myself), and Bingley is even worse at nearly 300 mts above sea level. Church Fenton is a bit better but is still rural and gets very cold on some nights, and is at 9 mts asl which is very low.

 

Something to inquire about with the Met I suspect.

Edited August 4, 2013 by cheese

[AderynCoch]

not too different from Sheffield with rain in the city centre and snow  on the western outskirts;

I noticed this a few times when I lived there. A couple of miles west of the city centre and you're practically in the Peak District

[johnholmes]

Yup, I agree. Leeds only has Leeds Bradford airport now, and Leeds University which is not available to the public. Not sure why they closed the weather  centre down in the first place, but they could have at least opened a new one somewhere else if the urban heat island was the problem. LBA is a windswept hilltop airport and is useless for Leeds residents (speaking as a former Leeds resident myself), and Bingley is even worse at nearly 300 mts above sea level. Church Fenton is a bit better but is still rural and gets very cold on some nights, and is at 9 mts asl which is very low.

 

Something to inquire about with the Met I suspect.

cost

that is why the weather centres were closed down all of them