Long dry spells

[damianslaw]

With prospects of no rain here for quite possibly another 8 days at least, that would equate to a spell of 25 days with barely any rain.

How long is the longest spell without rain in a recording station.

 

[Weather Enthusiast91]

I'm not sure. But weeks or even months on end of dry or wet weather has been the thing with our climate over the last couple of years. It's either one or the other.

I have a feeling we are in another long dry spell now. I am not complaining on this occasion though and I wouldn't mind if summer was to be another dry one as we have had a lot of rain over the last couple of months. But I am hoping autumn will be more mixed with the right levels of both.

 

Edited May 25, 2023 by Weather Enthusiast91

[summer blizzard]

We are only on day 7 now here but it should pile up.

In 2013 we passed 20 days twice. Once in Feb which was strange and then the July spell. I don't think we managed this in 2018 because we got thundery spells from time to time. 

[Sun Chaser]

The weather can't help but flip between very marked lengthy dry and wet spells! Been happening since early 2021 and it just seems to get more extreme as time goes on. Just think of the contrast between February and March this year!

[Metwatch]

Longest droughts here since the late 19th century courtesy of Bablake weather station. Second longest isn't labelled but that would be 2018 at 37 days.

There was a shower here last Friday so currently not in a meteorological drought but I could be in one from next weekend. 

[Frigid]

1 hour ago, plymsunshine said:

The weather can't help but flip between very marked lengthy dry and wet spells! Been happening since early 2021 and it just seems to get more extreme as time goes on. Just think of the contrast between February and March this year!

Probably the most evident weather flips of the current decade. Going from a top 10 driest February to a top 3 wettest March. The wettest March since 1947.. Since then, it's been rather tame with alternating wet and dry spells, but this current dey spell looks to be quite significant. 

[Sun Chaser]

8 hours ago, Frigid said:

Probably the most evident weather flips of the current decade. Going from a top 10 driest February to a top 3 wettest March. The wettest March since 1947.. Since then, it's been rather tame with alternating wet and dry spells, but this current dey spell looks to be quite significant. 

Yeah definitely, April was probably our most traditionally "mixed" dry and wet month in ages.

Another very evident flip was April to May 2021 which has to be another very historical switch from dry to wet at the turn of the month, seems to be happening a lot these days!

[Weather-history]

11 hours ago, damianslaw said:

With prospects of no rain here for quite possibly another 8 days at least, that would equate to a spell of 25 days with barely any rain.

How long is the longest spell without rain in a recording station.

 

 

[al78]

3 hours ago, plymsunshine said:

Yeah definitely, April was probably our most traditionally "mixed" dry and wet month in ages.

Another very evident flip was April to May 2021 which has to be another very historical switch from dry to wet at the turn of the month, seems to be happening a lot these days!

That was probably more significant in the SE.

March to April 2012 was another big swing, but not as big as February to March this year.

[reef]

Funnily enough we have already managed a 19 day spell this year. 28th January - 15th February had no measurable rain.

Other spells with no measurable rain in recent years

23 days - 8th-30th April 2022
29 days - 17th June - 15th July 2018
31 days - 6th April - 6th May 2011
21 days - 6th-26th May 2008
27 days - 21st August - 16th September 2007
23 days - 4th-26th April 2007

Currently on 7 days and counting.

[B87]

For Heathrow, the record is probably around 50 days or so. Spells of 2-3 weeks without rain are fairly common, happening every year though.

[damianslaw]

6 hours ago, B87 said:

For Heathrow, the record is probably around 50 days or so. Spells of 2-3 weeks without rain are fairly common, happening every year though.

Yes for the SE and East dry fortnights are quite common throughout the year, 3 week spells not that exceptional either. More notable 4 week plus spells.

However in the Lake District a 2 week spell is notable, 3 weeks quite exceptional and 4 weeks very rare, we look on course to see a rare one though not unprecedented.

[Dark Horse]

6 hours ago, B87 said:

For Heathrow, the record is probably around 50 days or so. Spells of 2-3 weeks without rain are fairly common, happening every year though.

Long dry spells aren't that common here west of the Pennines. Can't actually remember when we last had any meaningful rain round here must be at least 2 weeks. Everywhere is cracked and it looks dry for the foreseeable into June.

[cheeky_monkey]

has been exceptionally dry here ..have had only 60mm of perception since mid July last year...very dry autumn..winter & spring...which followed on from last June which was the 3rd wettest on record.

[Sun Chaser]

Our most recent long dry spell was the 33 day period from 27th March to 28th April 2021, a very anomalous period of weather - started almost record-breakingly warm before turning into a very cold frosty April.

Though it looks like we will be fast approaching this if this dry sunny forecast holds out until at least 12th June!

[Frigid]

21 minutes ago, plymsunshine said:

Our most recent long dry spell was the 33 day period from 27th March to 28th April 2021, a very anomalous period of weather - started almost record-breakingly warm before turning into a very cold frosty April.

Though it looks like we will be fast approaching this if this dry sunny forecast holds out until at least 12th June!

Here, the only precipitation that fell during that period was snow. Quite astonishing for any month, let alone April. 

[Sun Chaser]

2 hours ago, Frigid said:

Here, the only precipitation that fell during that period was snow. Quite astonishing for any month, let alone April. 

I think it's one of the most fascinating months of recent times.

[Scuba steve]

14 days without any rain and the week prior to that produced very little 

[summer blizzard]

Day 10 here, currently forecast to hit day 19 on all models..

[damianslaw]

2 hours ago, Scuba steve said:

14 days without any rain and the week prior to that produced very little 

Quite likely to add another 10 days to that. 24 dry days is preety unusual, the last proper wet day 9th, which will mean a month with barely anything. 

Edited May 29, 2023 by damianslaw

[hillbilly]

On 25/05/2023 at 23:13, damianslaw said:

With prospects of no rain here for quite possibly another 8 days at least, that would equate to a spell of 25 days with barely any rain.

How long is the longest spell without rain in a recording station.

 

Cannot find much info here as it is so variable nationally but in 1995 some areas had no rainfall for 42 days ,1976 had some areas at 45 days, 1947 Kent had no rain for 50 days and in 1959 Finningley is reputed to have recorded 59 days with no rain starting August 14th.

[damianslaw]

19 minutes ago, hillbilly said:

Cannot find much info here as it is so variable nationally but in 1995 some areas had no rainfall for 42 days ,1976 had some areas at 45 days, 1947 Kent had no rain for 50 days and in 1959 Finningley is reputed to have recorded 59 days with no rain starting August 14th.

Unusually on this occasion it is western locations who are seeing a long spell with no rain. Tends to happen in easterly spells. Anyone who has booked a 2 week hol in med last 2 weeks or next 2 wil be wanting a refund. Its all very odd.

Edited June 2, 2023 by damianslaw

[cheese]

Today will be 23 days since it last rained. No rain at all in the forecast, so 30+ days without rain seems likely. 
 

The day it actually does rain will seem really odd. 

Edited June 3, 2023 by cheese

[Weather Enthusiast91]

47 minutes ago, cheese said:

Today will be 23 days since it last rained. No rain at all in the forecast, so 30+ days without rain seems likely. 
 

The day it actually does rain will seem really odd. 

Stuck weather patterns do seem to have become more frequent since the beginning of the decade.

It's either raining for weeks on end with very little in the way of useable days, or it is dry for weeks on end with rain being hard to come by.

Whilst I'm not complaining after the poor spring we've had, it would be nice to have our varied weather back. The way it was pre 2020.

Edited June 3, 2023 by Weather Enthusiast91

[Ravendane]

This lack of rain is seriously worrying...being in the South East, last summer's drought was so bad for wildlife, grazing animals and for farmers and growers. I had no grass for my two mares.  Now the ground is rock hard  again with wide cracks, I am worried sick