The anti-2023

[B87]

 LetItSnow! That is far superior to the real 1987. 1987 was the last year where not a single month recorded 200 hours of sun. Very dull, cold and wet.

[LetItSnow]

 B87 The summer kinda sounded like a mix of June 1976, July 2003 but sunnier and August 2002 but wetter but sunnier. I actually would enjoy that because it would be very convective.

[LetItSnow]

9 minutes ago, LetItSnow! said:

The anti-1987 using flipped height anomalies instead of like for like stats - and modernised somewhat.

Same for anti-1988

January: Extremely dry, rather cold and dull. Very cold on the continent but mostly missing the UK. (3.0C / 10.9mm / 88% sun)

February: Very dull, rather dry and cool. A very south-easterly month. (3.9C / 55.3mm / 64% sun)

March: Very dry, sunny but rather cool. Another very south-easterly month, probably starting cold and rapidly warming later. (5.5C / 22.6mm / 117% sun)

April: Wet but mild and sunny. Generally changeable with alternating airmasses. (8.6C / 75.3mm / 118% sun)

May: Generally cool, dull and changeable but on the dry side. (10.6C / 54.1mm / 93% sun)

June: Unsettled but warm, very south-westerly. Very wet and dull in the north but warmer and drier in the south. (15.1C / 99.7mm / 104% sun)

July: Hot, dry and sunny with high pressure often slap bang overhead. (18.2C / 30.9mm / 133% sun)

August: Warm and rather sunny but unsettled at times and frequently thundery with weaker pressure in the south. (17.5C / 70.9mm / 105% sun)

September: Warm but wet and rather dull with low pressure frequently to the south-west. (14.5C / 87.9mm / 97% sun)

October: An extremely average, westerly October. (10.6C / 95.7mm / 100% sun)

November: Very mild, very wet and very dull with blocking to our east aiding a mild southerly flow. (9.2C / 159.7mm / 68% sun)

December: Very cold and very snowy but sunny. A very southerly tracking yet active jet stream with rain frequently turning to snow and producing severe frosts. (1.6C / 134.2mm / 120% sun)

Annual: 9.86C / 897.2mm (97%) / 101% sun

[LetItSnow]

Quote

The anti-1987 using flipped height anomalies instead of like for like stats - and modernised somewhat.

These are fun. Now the "true" anti-1989.

January: Very cold, dull and snowy. Low pressure frequently on a very southerly track. (0.4C / 100.6mm / 80% sun)

February: Cold, dry and very dull. A very easterly month. (1.9C / 39.4mm / 72% sun)

March: Cold and dry with variable sunshine. Generally easterly with further extensive northern blocking. (4.5C / 23.8mm / 99% sun)

April: Very warm, dry and sunny. Anticyclonic with high pressure often over the UK but some short-lived unsettled spells. (10.2C / 21.6mm / 111% sun)

May: Cold, very wet and extremely dull. Northern blocking returns with low pressure frequently dominating the UK. (9.6C / 129.2mm / 64% sun)

June: Very dull, otherwise average. Generally changeable and westerly. (14.5C / 62.3mm / 79% sun)

July: Cold, very wet and extremely dull. Low pressure dominated on a southerly tracking jet stream. (14.6C / 121.3mm / 53% sun)

August: Cool, wet and very dull away from Scotland where it was dry and sunny. Low pressure over Europe and heights often close to Iceland. (15.1C / 100.5mm / 79% sun)

September: Cold and wet but not overly dull due to "clean" PM airmasses. Further extensive northern blocking and UK troughing. (12.1C / 128.3mm / 104% sun)

October: Cold but sunny with average rainfall. Quite a blocked month with low pressure to the south. (8.3C / 96.9mm / 110% sun)

November: Very mild, wet and very dull. A stormy, Atlantic dominated month. (8.2C / 127.2mm / 79% sun)

December: Rather cold, very dry and very sunny. Generally anticyclonic with only small amounts of rain falling in unsettled spells. (3.9C / 30.6mm / 139% sun).

Annual: 8.61C / 981.7mm (107%) / 89% sun (would translate to 1,183.10 hours which would be the third dullest year on record).

[East Lancs Rain]

OK, thought I’d do the first half of the anti-2024, a very strange year for being exceptionally warm (but not really feeling it) but also very dull and very wet. A year that most people hate and doesn’t really please anyone - it doesn’t please cold lovers because almost every month has been above average. And it doesn’t please warm lovers either becuase it’s been so dull and wet and it hasn’t felt as warm as what the stats say.  So perhaps the flipped version would be better. I’m going to use data from Trevor Harley’s Weather website and the CET averages from 1991-2020.

 

2024

This year saw a new record low for January and indeed any winter month, -29.9°C at Achfary in the NW Highlands. Brrrrr. The very dry weather of anti 2023 continues into the first part of the year: the 18 month period between October 2022 and March 2024 was the driest 18 month spell in England since records began (in 1836, 396 mm). 2024 saw the coldest spring on record, although it was also very dry and quite sunny. The winter was also very cold but also very sunny and very dry. There were a lot of clear nights which made the temperatures plummet at night so there were a lot of frosty nights. It was however unusually wet across northwestern Scotland.

 

January. Close to average temperatures with a CET of 4.6°C (-0.1C below average). An eventful month. There was a very mild southerly midmonth. The highest temperture of the spell was 14.0°C at Heathrow on the morning of the 17th, the highest January in the UK temperature since anti 2019. Then Anti cyclone Isha unusually affects nearly all of the UK with light winds, clear skies and severe frosts. There was a pressure reading of 1048 mb at Brizlee Wood near Alnwick (Northumberland). Then two days later Anti cyclone Storm Jocelyn arrived, brining more clear skies and very severe frosts, a low of -19.7°C recorded at Capel Curig. Then on Sunday 28th a low of -19.6º C was recorded at Kinclochewe (Wester Ross, Highland), beating the previous January low by 1.3º. The cold plunge was due to very cold air all the way from the Arctic. It is later reported that Achfary (NW Higlands) recorded a low of -19.9 the same day. There was a notable fall of heavy snow, carried by the same cold airmass, across the British Isles the same day, most noticeable of course across the north. On the 25th, Olso in Norway, recorded a minimum of -30.7C, the new lowest temperature ever recorded in Norway in January.

 

February. Very cold but generally dry with a CET of 2.0°C (2.9°C below average).  On Thursday 15th overnight it dropped to -18.1C at Pershore (Worcs.) and Teddington (west London). It was mostly settled, with a mild spell, with rain in places, lasting a few days in the south from the 6th; it never quite reached the north, which only really saw milder weather for a few days from the 24th. It was very dry in the south, with many places seeing thier driest February on record. Heavy snow on the 22nd caused disruption in the north. Indeed it was the driest February on record in the south, with less than half of the average rainfall; however, parts of Scotland (including my station in Angus) were somewhat wetter than average. East Anglia had both its coldest and driest February on record. 8.6 inches of snow fell on the recording day 17-18th at White Barrow on Dartomor (Devon). The warmest temperature of the month was only 13.4°C at Paignton, Devon on the 8th. There were a lot more frosts than usual 
 

March. Cold, but also dry and sunny. The month started off very mild, with temperatures in the mid teens in the south on the 2nd, but then became mostly very cold across much of the country, although there was a milder spell towards the end. The result was that overall the month was colder than average, but it was particularly cold in the south; for England it was the 7th coldest March since 1884. The CET was 5.2°C, 1.5°C below average, although this was more down to cold nights than chilly days. Rainfall was below average, with around 75% of the average for the UK. This average conceals a pattern where parts of Scotland were a little wetter than average, but the south of England was extremely dry. The UK average sunshine total was 126%. The highest temperature of the month was 17.8 at Charlwood (Surrey) on the 2nd, and the lowest -16.9 at Altnaharra on the 16th. A very strong area of high pressure (1046 mbars at centre) was centred over the UK on the 17th. It brought some severe frosts with on the night of the 17th-18th, with many northern areas recording minimums in minus double digits.

 

April. April continued the cold, dry and sunny theme of 2024. There was a cold and dry first half, with a mild southerly in the second half. It was rather wetter but also warmer in the second half with an area of low pressure building to the west from the 20th to the 25th. An anticyclone brought very light winds, clear skies and severe frosts, particularly to the north and west on the 5-6th. A new low temperature record for Northern Ireland in April was set on the 21st, as it dropped to -19.3C overnight at Castlederg (Co. Tyrone). There was a very warm day on the 15th with many southern areas seeing temperatures into the low 20’s. Mild southerlies made the second half of the month much warmer. The cold first half was cancelled by the mild second half, but overall temperatures were still slightly below average with a CET of 8.3°C (-0.7). This was mainly down to cold nights. It was another dry month across the UK, with an average of 75%. Scotland and Northern England were particularly dry, especially in the Edinburgh region, which recorded less than half of the April average (second driest on record there from 1836). It was another sunny month, with 121% of average. The highest temperature of the month was 21.8 C at Erittle (Essex) on the 15th, and it reached 20.9 at Santon Downham (Suffolk) on the 16th. The lowest was -6.3 at Shap (Cumbria) on the 6th. Deepest snow depth was  2 cm at Kinross on the 25th.

 

May. Overall one of the coldest Mays on record in the UK (since such records began in 1884). The UK mean was 8.3ºC, a massive 2.4°C below average. In terms of CET, the average for 2024 was just 9.7°C. Many were surprised by this low CET because it was often sunny and dry; the lack of cloud had the effect of letting the overnight temperatures plummet, while daytime temperatures were closer to average. Nights were over 3°C below average. The month was mostly settled, although there was a period of unsettled weather midmonth. The night of Friday 10 May saw the best auroral display since October 2003; unfortunately this display coincided with an area of low pressure, so much of the country was under cloudy skies. Due to low pressure and an extremely cold airmass, there was very heavy snow on the 2nd; a young person died in a snowstorm at Carlton-in-Cleveland on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors. This was the snowiest spring day on record. The snowy spell continued on the 3rd, leading to serious disruption around Edinburgh. Many drivers were stuck for several hours when the City Bypass, the A720, was closed due to snow. 11.1 inches of snow was recorded over 36 hours near Penicuik. The second half of the month was very dry, and rainfall was below average for the month at 84%. Northern England was particularly dry (45% for the month). Only 24 mm of rain was recorded at Manchester Airport all month. Northern Ireland was the wettest region, followed by Scotland. It was also sunnier than average, with the UK average at 117% - another reason why people are surprised it was so cold. Despite the cool temperatures, the extra sunshine made it feel warmer. Despite being a cold month, the temperature reached 32.5°C at Chertsey Abbey Mead (Surrey) on the 22nd; the lowest was -11.1°C at Kinbrace (Sutherland) on the 1st.

 

June. A warm month overall but also wet. With a CET of 15.4°C it was the warmest since anti 2015. It was also the first time since last July that a month was warmer than average. It was warm until the final week, with frequent S and SE winds bringing incursions of continental air. For the UK as a whole the average temperature was 0.4C above average. There was then a short-lived cold and wet spell - and very short-lived in the south. It was just 10C in Edinburgh and Glasgow on the 25th, and 9°C in Aviemore on the 26th, with a lot of heavy rain, although the temperatures then returned to average or above. It was a wet month, with 158% of the expected rainfall across the UK and around double the average for England and Wales. It was the first wet month since anti June 2023. It was slightly duller than average at 96%, although Northern Ireland was sunny (125%). The highest temperature of the month was 31.6°C at Heathrow on the 13th.

 

July. After a warm and settled first half there was a brief cool and wet spell midmonth, with 61 mm of rain at Keswick in the Lake District recorded on the 19th, and on the same day St James Park in London recorded a high of just 16°C. Current CET 1.5°C above average at 18.3°C.

 

So, there’s the anti 2024. A very cold, dry and sunny February. A very cold spring but also dry and sunny, with a lot of cold and frosty nights and some very late disruptive snowfall in May. And a warm start to the summer. June was warm but wet and quite dull. July is very warm, dry and sunny.
 

A very strange year - very cold but also very dry and sunny with a lot of cold and frosty nights (but feeling warmer than what the stats say). I think most people on here would much prefer the anti 2024 to the real one. It would please cold lovers because of the cold February and cold spring (including the heavy snow in early May!) with some impressively cold temperatures early in the year. Warm lovers would not be so pleased about the cold spring with unseasonably cold nights, however the dry sunny days would help to make those cool temperatures feel warmer. And I think people would be a lot more pleased with the anti summer 2024 (so far anyway)…

Anti 2024 CET

 

Jan: 4.6°C (-0.1)

Feb: 2.0°C (-2.9)

Mar: 5.1°C (-1.5)

Apr: 8.3°C (-0.7)

May: 9.7°C (-2.2)

June: 15.4°C (+0.7)

July: 18.3°C (+1.5)

Edited July 20 by East Lancs Rain

[LetItSnow]

 East Lancs Rain The anti-February 2024 would be a bloody corker down here as the real one was 5C warmer than average in parts of the SE. Given that in an anti-year you can usually add a bit more to the cold anomalies than warm, the anti-February 2024 would probably be about 7-8C below average down here with a mean north-easterly flow! Ooh I salivate at the thought.

[bob82]

Here's a way to make this interesting: reverse the months in which the anomalies occur, as well as changing positive to negative. So a negative anomaly in Jan becomes a positive in July, positive in Feb becomes negative in August, etc.

Note that our most extreme CET anomalies are always negative ones in winter...

Using this method (and based on the 1990-2020 averages) this is an anti-1963:

Monthly CETs: Jan 5.6, Feb 6.4, March 7.4, April 8.5, May 10.2, June 16.7, July 22.7, Aug 20.9, Sep 13.9, Oct 10.1, Nov 6.8, Dec 4.2 (annual 11.2)

Jan: Mostly mild and wet but a brief cold, wet spell at the month’s end brought widespread but fleeting snow.

Feb: Mild (especially by day) and dry with high pressure often to the east. Clear skies brought moderate to severe airfrosts on the 16th and 17th, before winds turned southerly; Cambridge reached 18C on the 18th. 

Mar: Fairly mild and very dry, with high pressure overhead most of the time. Mild days balanced by cold nights with frequent frosts.

Apr: A cyclonic north westerly flow brings sunshine and showers; daytime highs are close to average but there are few warm days; the highest temperature is just 18C in Kent on the 18th. Nights are cold; a low of -6C recorded in Worcestershire on the 12th.

May: A cold, dry month with high pressure positioned to the West bringing some late frosts. Daytime highs are close to average, so the month doesn’t feel particularly cold in the frequent sunshine. Widespread airfrosts on the 10th damage spring growth.

June: A reversal of May. Early South Westerlies bring very mild nights and average temperatures by day. Later, slack low pressure to the west brings warm, humid, and thundery conditions. St James’s Park doesn’t fall below 13C all month. High of 29C at Heathrow on the 28th, as pressure begins to rise to the East, setting the stage for… 

July: The hottest month of all time with an incredible CET of 22.7. Several London stations record a mean temperature above 25C, and average highs above 30C are widespread in the South East. A huge anticyclone situated to the East remains in place all month bringing hot, dry air from Spain and North Africa. Brighton records over 440 hours of sunshine with totals of 370-400 widespread. The hot and settled conditions spread across all of the UK (even Glasgow sees 7 days reach 30C in total during July and August, and Belfas records a record-breaking absolute maximum of 33.1), but the heat is less intense north of the midlands, where occasional Atlantic rain brings relief. The Outer Hebridies see a positive July anomaly of just 3C (compared to 7C in parts of Kent), while the cool conditions (low-mid 20s for most of the month) of the elevated Highland slopes make them a popular destination.

Most inland stations South of Manchester and East of Bristol record no rain at all from 26th June to 4th September, a grueling 67 days. London reaches 25C every day from 22nd June to 4th September, aside from a brief respite on 28th July. 30C is recorded somewhere every day from the 3rd to 13th and again from the 16th to 25th.

On 3-4th July a Spanish plume accompanied by vigorous Southerly breeze sets up, with temperatures now above 30 in most of the South and Midlands. Highs are initially in the low 30s, but the wind slackens in the second week as extremely hot air moves up from Africa and stagnates over the UK. Heathrow reaches 39.2C on the 11th, with an overnight low of 23.2C. 

The heat moderates slightly mid month as winds turn Easterly and some patchy cloud moves in, but many locations still reach the high 20s. On the 17th, a cut off low causes winds to turn southerly again for the most severe heat of the summer, with a high of 42C in Cambridge on the 19th leading to temporary suspension of public transport and closure of non-air conditioned workplaces. St James’s Park exceeds 40C on 3 separate days during this spell. The most extreme uppers are mixed out on the 20th and temperatures fall to the high 30s briefly, before a renewed plume arrives on the 22nd.

Notable forest fires occur on the 20th, as gusty winds fan the flames across parts of Hampshire and into Dorset, with the extreme heat most widespread on the 23rd, where highs of 41C are seen as far afield as Coventry and Norwich and the year’s highest temperature of 43.2C recorded at Heathrow (where flights are grounded). From the 19th to 24th, St James’ Park does not fall below 24C, with an overnight low of 29C recorded on the 23rd, due to insulation from spreading pycrocumulous linked to fires across most of London’s parks. Many places in the South-East exceed 34C every day from the 17th to 25th.

From the 26th, the weather briefly moderates as the high drifts west, cutting off the Southerly flow, with some urban stations seeing the first night below 16C since the end of June. Highs are still in the mid 20s due to now exceptionally low soil moisture. Parts of England record their only cloudy days of the month. The 28th is a cool(ish), cloudy day with a high of just 23.6C in Colchester. 

Full month’s high/low temps at Heathrow:

1st 27.5/14.5 
2nd 28.2/14.6
3rd 30.2/14.3
4th 31.9/15.8
5th 32.4/16.5
6th 32.1/16.9 
7th 34.5/18.8
8th 36.7/21.3
9th 36.5/22.4
10th 38.0/22.7
11th 39.2/23.2
12th 37.1/21.5
13th 30.5/18.6
14th 26.6/16.2
15th 27.2/18.5
16th 27.8/18.8
17th 35.0/21.5
18th 38.5/23.4
19th 41.4/24.7
20th 38.9/23.8
21st 37.8/23.6
22nd 40.4/24.1
23rd 43.2/27.0
24th 34.5/20.4
25th 36.1/19.8
26th 26.5/14.1
27th 25.9/14.4
28th 22.8/11.9
29th 25.5/13.2
30th 25.8/13.8
31st 25.4/13.5

(mean max 32.7, mean min 18.8, mean 25.75)

August:

Record-breakingly hot, dry and sunny; only overshadowed by the preceding July. The month begins with a renewed anticyclone to the East, and a notable heat spike on the 4th and 5th drives the month’s high of 38C in Brize Norton on the 4th, but with bone dry conditions the low in nearby Benson is 10C the next morning. 

The Midlands southward record no rain all month. Central London has no day fail to reach 25C, with a notable consistency of heat. A phenomenal dust storm on the 7th leads to a temporary blackout in parts of the West Midlands.

Some cooler days occur on the 9th and 14th, with drifting clouds suppressing highs to the low 20s in most places (the SE corner still manages 25). After this the heat remains constant with somewhere in the UK reaching 30C every day from the 16th onwards, though night time lows are generally in the low teens, with very dry conditions producing high diurnal ranges, and there is no repeat of the extreme heat spikes. 

The conditions of July and August devastate wildlife, but are somewhat mitigated by the wetter conditions experienced in June. Nevertheless, a national emergency is declared on 2 August as forecasts show no end in sight to the heat, and from 10 August running water is rationed in Southeast England. By mid August, dust storms are reported as far West as Bristol and as far North as Leeds. Over 15% of the nation’s trees are believed to have been lost to fire before the blazes raging across Dartmoor, parts of South Wales and the Peak District are brought under control. By the end of the month, not only is it common to see bare, stoney ground where grass has completely given up but many trees are bare with leaves dropping to the ground from extreme drought stress.

September:

The first four days continue the heat, with 33.7C recorded in South Yorkshire on the 2nd. On the 4th, explosive thunderstorms deliver the first rain in months to much of England, and flash flooding ensues. An Atlantic front follows behind the breakdown and in wet conditions, London’s high is just 17C on the 6th. Parks and open spaces are full of people bathing in the rain. The rest of the month is mostly unsettled and slightly cooler than average.

October:

Slightly colder than average and generally unsettled, with frequent NWly winds bringing cold rain. A dryer spell towards the end sees some cool, crisp days and early ground frosts.

November:

Also a colder than average month, but more settled. Frequent fog and frost, but no notably cold conditions.

Dec:

Cold but cloudy first half with anticyclonic gloom and fog continues the theme of November; a mild and changeable second half with winds swinging Southwest. A ridge of high pressure from the West brings a severe frost on the 7th with many stations below -10 and two consecutive ice days on the 6th and 7th in Norfolk. 

[LetItSnow]

11 minutes ago, bob82 said:

Here's a way to make this interesting: reverse the months in which the anomalies occur, as well as changing positive to negative. So a negative anomaly in Jan becomes a positive in July, positive in Feb becomes negative in August, etc.

I never thought of doing that before.

[East Lancs Rain]

On 03/01/2024 at 14:24, East Lancs Rain said:

Here is anti 2008 and anti 1963! A wonderful year for mildies, but truly horrific for coldies and those who like seasonable winter weather.

1963

 

1963 will be immortalised as one of the worst of all weather years (by some) for the warmest winter on record. It is estimated that a winter this mild has a 250 year return rate. The winter CET was an incredible 8.3°C. The media called it “The year without a winter”. There was no snow cover at all across lowland Britain, and many places were frost free every night from 22 December to 4 March, apart from a cold night on 28 January. It was a very warm year overall at 11.0°C , the hottest year ever recorded. The balmy winter was caused by a persistent area of high pressure to the east, giving us southerly winds for weeks on end. The winter had an interesting effect on wildlife, with many creatures coming out of hibernation in January, plenty of bumblebees about and there was already widespread daffodils by December 1962.

 

January.  The warmest January on record (10.6 CET), around 6 degrees above average. There was not a single easterly or northeasterly day in sight: there were 20 southerly days (with the rest variable or south westerly). There was no snow whatsoever apart from on the tops of the Scottish mountains. Even the Scottish ski resorts were snowless. A notable windstorm occurred on the 3-4th in the Southwest and Welsh Borders, with gusts of up to 100 mph, and 100-200 mm of rain in places; the rain was accompanied by a strong wind. The southwesterly winds lessened for a while in the second week, and there were some very high temperatures. 19.4C was recorded at Heathrow on the 11th. Plymouth had a maximum of 17C on the 12th, even Braemar managed 11.7C on the same day. 16C was recorded at Gatwick and Eskdalemuir on the 13th, with lots of sunshine. It was slightly cooler midmonth, as winds turned slightly more northwesterly; however, many places still managed double digit maxima on the 14-15th. Winds turned southerly again on the 17th for the warmest week of the winter, with the air coming all the way from Africa! There was a maximum of 22.2C at Bournemouth on the 18th: this was the highest temperature of the winter, as well as an all time record high. There was notably high temperatures on the 19-20th, particularly in the southeast, with widespread maxima of 20C in the south. The lowest minimum reported in England was a puny -0.6C at Hereford on the 23rd; also -0.6C at Stanstead Abbotts (Herts.), early on the 23rd, but then there was a maximum of 18C at Ross-on-Wye the next day. There was heavy rain on Dartmoor on the 21st. It was very sunny and warm on the 24th. Many places in the SE had minimums in double digits from the 16-25th. The weather turned colder on the 26th, with some places having the first ground frost of the month. A storm brought 948 mbar and strong winds in Scotland on the 27th. One consequence of the prevailing southerly and southwesterlies was that some sheltered easterly locations were very sunny: Aberdeen reached 114.4 hours (a record), but western areas were quite dull. Also some sheltered easterly spots were extremely dry.

 

February. Exceptionally mild, but not quite as warm as January (8.9 CET). The two warmest winter months on record. The warmth continued into March. Again, the prevailing southwesterlies gave some poor sunshine totals in the west (e.g. 35 hours in Plymouth) but it was quite sunny in the east. Much of the country was frost free all month. The month began with balmy SSW winds, giving some light rain across the north. There were some very high temperatures in some coastal regions on the 4th and 5th: 17.8C at Coltishall (Norfolk) early on the 5th. There was a phenomenal windstorm on the 6-7th affected mainly the west (the SW, Wales, Northern Ireland), and gave 150 mm of rain at Tredegar (Monmouthshire). There were some light frosts mid month: as winds turned briefly to the north on the 9th; and some places in the south had falling snow for 4 hours on Valentine's Day, as the temperatures briefly dropped to around 1C, before it quickly turned back to rain.

 

March. The end of the exceptional mild spell. It ended gradually. It still reached 16C in London on the 2nd. Many places in lowland Britain had thier first air frost on March 4th - for the first time since December 26th. By the 16th it was only 7C in London. The CET was close to average at 6.1C, but it actually felt quite chilly after the exceptionally warm winter.

 

April. Following the exceptionally warm winter, many places which remained snowless all winter ironically had thier first snowfall of the season. Overall, it was slightly colder than usual, with a CET of 7.3C, which was still colder than the actual “winter”.

 

May. Slightly warmer than average (CET 12.6)

 

June.  The month had a cool, but dry start. Overall a cool and cloudy first half, and a warm but changeable second half. A bit cooler than average with a CET of 13.4.

 

July. Quite warm but wet, but cool and cloudy towards the month's end. CET 17.4.

 

August. Hot (18.1 CET) and settled, with a lack of thunderstorms. After some light rain on the 16th and 17th, the winds turned southerly: East Anglia reached 32C on the 18th. It was a nice bank holiday too.

 

September. AntiCyclonic and warm for the first 11 days, but then there was a wet spell mid-month, with cool and cloudy weather. Many districts had fewer than 1 hour of sunshine daily in this spell. It was warmer after the 17th but remained wet until the 23rd, but then was changeable. It was a very dull month in North Wales and NE England. Rainfall was around average overall but it was dry in the South West and in North West of Scotland. Temperatures overall were around average. CET 14.5.

 

October. Generally wet but sunny with plenty of night frosts. There was a cold snap mid month with a low of 2C recorded in London on the 12th. CET a bit below average at 9.9C.

 

November. Quite cold, and very dry. CET 5.6

 

December. Extremely wet and very mild. CET 7.4.

 

 

CET

 

Jan: 10.6°C (+6.4)

Feb: 8.9°C (+4.7)

Mar: 6.1°C (Bang on average)

Apr: 7.3°C (-0.7)

May: 12.6°C (+1.2)

Jun: 13.4°C (-0.8)

Jul: 17.4°C (+1.0)

Aug: 18.2°C (+1.9)

Sep: 14.5°C (+0.8)

Oct: 9.9°C (-0.6)

Nov: 5.6°C (-1.3)

Dec: 7.4°C (+2.4)

 

This gives a record breaking annual CET of 11.0°C! Mostly down to the exceptionally warm winter, but also down to the warm summer. The only months that were below average were April, June, October and November, but this was not enough to offset the record breaking warm winter.

 bob82 That would be a horrifically hot summer! Let’s hope that never happens. Above is the anti 1963 I did, but with an extremely mild winter rather than an extremely hot summer.

[East Lancs Rain]

Ok, here’s the anti 2017.

 

This year had a very cold spring. Summer was a little cooler than average, with most of the warmth coming in the second half. Overall a cold year.

 

January. Wet, cyclonic, dull, and with close to average temperatures. The CET was 5.3, 0.6°C above average. It was mild though in the SE. Rainfall was 138% of average, and sunshine 80% (making it the 10th dullest since 1929). The highest temperature of the month was 14.2C recorded at Achfary (Sutherland) and Plockton (Ross and Cromarty) on the 5th, and the lowest -10.1 at Braemar on the 10th.

 

February. Quite cold with a CET of 3.5°C, 1.4°C below average. Particularly cold in the south. It was slightly drier than average (94%). A sunny month (121%) except in NW Scotland, where it was very dull. After a NE cold start it became milder and cyclonic from the 4th, with westerly winds and rain at times. It turned colder from the 13th but stayed unsettled until the 21st. Anticyclone Doris brought very light winds to England and Wales on the 23rd, and severe frosts in parts of Scotland. The highest temperature of the month was 14.3°C at Northolt and at Kew Gardens in London on the 10th, and the lowest -19.8C at Altnaharra on the 23rd.

 

March. Very cold with frequent NW winds; it tended to be finer and more settled the further NW one was, although the third week was generally unsettled, with little sunshine. With a CET of 4.6, it was a really cold month. During the first week there was snow in the north. The highest temperature of the month was only 17.1°C at good old Gravesend (Kent) on the 21st, and the lowest -8.6C at Dalwhinnie on the 30th. Some southern areas saw temperatures in the mid teens on 20-22nd. There were some very small ranges between day and night temperatures in the third week, the smallest being 0.8C at Iles of Scilly on the 18th (8.8 to 9.6). The last four days were very sunny. It was driest in the NW and wettest in the E and SE. 32.5 mm of rain fell at Norwich on the 16th, (with 47 mm on the 17th). Rainfall was close to average overall with 96% of average. England and Wales had 88% of average sunshine, and Scotland 75%.

 

April. A CET of 8.9C (-0.1), very close to average, but wet and rather dull. Rainfall across the country was well above average, with 152% of the UK average; parts of Western Scotland (Stornaway and Fort William) had more than 300 mm. Sunshine was 91% of average. The highest temperature of the month was 25.5C at Cambridge on the 27th, and the the lowest -6.2C at Cromdale (Morayshire) on the 8th. After a dry start the month became extremely cyclonic. It was cold until the 9th, but then wet, warmer, and with mild nights. There was a brief southerly plume bringing plenty of warm, dry and sunny weather between the 24th and 27th. The month was very cloudy in Jersey: Fort Regent saw just 85 hours.

 

May. A chilly month with a CET of 10.5°C, 1.4°C below average. The first ten days were cyclonic with westerly winds, and the deluge continued. Thereafter it was much more settled with some sunshine, bringing the wet spell to the end. There was some very wet and cold weather on the 24-26th, with temperatures struggling to hit double digits in most places, with snow in the Scottish mountains. The month overall was very cold. It was particularly cold in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Rainfall was below average in the SE but higher in the rest of the country (117% overall). It was a cloudy month (85%), particularly in the north and west. Northern Ireland was the dullest region of the UK with an average of only 53%. The highest temperature of the month was only 24.4°C at Lossiemouth (Morayshire) on the 16th, and the lowest -10.1C at Shap (Cumbria) on the 25th. The wettest day was the 26th, when 166 mm of rain fell at Coniston in Cumbria.

 

June. A June that was very different depending on where you were. In the north of Britain it was quite warm, very dry, and quite sunny; in the south and east it was very cool, rather wet, and rather dull. Overall the CET was 13.3C (-1.4C) making it the coldest June in the series since anti 1976 - but bear in mind that this average hides the regional variation. The month started and ended with warm and settled weather. It was very chilly and wet in the middle of the month. The month was very cool in the south, the highest temperature of the month was just 24.3C recorded at London Heathrow on the 3rd. In the middle of the month there was a spell of five consecutive days where a daytime maximum below 10°C was recorded somewhere in England, the first time this has happened since anti 1996: Saturday 17th 9.2°C (Shap, Cumbria), Sunday 18th 8.1°C (Bingley), Monday 19th 9.5°C (Manchester Airport), Tuesday 20th 9.4°C (Newcastle), Wednesday 21st 6.4°C (Boulmer). On Wednesday there was a high of just 3.4°C in the Cairngorms, with snow in the Scottish ski resorts. It was much warmer on Thursday 22nd, after a warm front swept north, with a national maximum of a relatively balmy 17.2C at Manston (Kent). The lowest temperature of the month was -12.3C at Altnaharra on the 21st. It was very dry in the north and east, and particularly dry in the Edinburgh region, with only 25% of the monthly rainfall there. There were widespread thundery downpours (excluding the SE) at the end of the month, with Barmouth in Wales recording 85 mm in 24 hours on the 27th. Although sunshine was close to average overall in England, Scotland saw 126% of the expected average. So, overall, a very memorable weather month.

 

July. A mostly settled month, with a few brief unsettled spells. It was fairly cool in the SE in the first half of the month, then warmer and drier. There was very little thunderstorms. The CET was 16.7C, close to average. Sunshine was very variable: above or below average in the south depending on location and below in the far NW. It was a very sunny month in Cornwall but very dull in the Shetland Islands. It was drier than average, with just over half the long-term average in the south and southeast. The highest temperature of the month was 32.2 at Heathrow on the 26th. 78.0 mm of rain fell at Stornaway on the 30-31st. There was a devastating wildfire in the Cornish coastal village of Coverack, on the Lizard Peninsula on the 18th.

 

August. A settled month. The CET temperature was 17.2°C (+0.7°C), the warmest since anti 2011. Temperatures were generally slightly above average in the south. The month saw a very wet and cold late August Bank Holiday Monday, which fell on the 28th this year: 28.2 mm of rain fell at Holbeach (Lincs.) - On the same day 28.9 mm fell at Jersey. Temperatures were stuck in the low to mid teens. There was a notable warm sector passing through on the 30th; it was only 13C in locations in Kent on the 29th but reached 27C on the 30th. Rainfall was about average across mainland Britain, although Northern Ireland was very dry (70% of the average), with a hose pipe ban enforced - some areas saw just 50%. The 9th was a hot and sunny day in the south, with some places reaching 30C, and South Uist received 72 mm in thunderstorms overnight on the 9th. Sunshine was close to average in England and Wales 95%, although it was wetter further north and west.

 

September. A settled, easterly month. There were many warm days; the highest temperature of the month was 29C at Hawarden on the 4th, and the lowest 1.2C at Altnharra on the 22nd. The CET was a little above average, at 14.8°C (+0.6C). It was a dry month across most of the country, particularly England (70%) and especially Wales and Northern Ireland. It was a sunny month with 123% average sunshine. Anticyclone Aileen 12-13th, was the first named anticyclone of the season, bringing very early frosts to many places.

 

October. A very easterly and northeasterly month. Anticyclone Ophelia brought some very calm and cold conditions around the 16th. Overall it was colder than average, particularly in the east, with a CET of 9.5°C (-1.4C). It was wet except for the NW, and very wet in the SE (over 200% of average). It was a sunny month; the equal sunniest October on record in Northern Ireland. The highest temperature of the month was just 18.5C at Manston (Kent) on the 6th; the lowest -10C at Tulloch Bridge (Invernessshire) on the 16th, in a brief northerly outbreak.

 

November. A changeable start, with cold easterlies, followed by low pressure, with a mild final week, with some sunshine. Overall the month was slightly milder than average with a CET of 8.0°C (+0.6). The warmest days saw 16.2C at Aboyne (Aberdeenshire) on the 30th and 16.8C at Chivenor (Devon) on the 22nd; the lowest minimum was -6.9°C at Bewcastle (Cumbria) on the 3rd. Much of the country had temperatures in the mid teens on the 30th. It was dry in the north and west and wet in the east and south, giving an overall England and Wales average of 121%. Essex was particularly wet with some places having more than 200 mm. It was mostly a cloudy month, with 79% of the average.

 

December. A mixed month, with spells of cold and less cold weather cancelling each other out. The CET was close to average at 5.2°C (+0.2). There were two anticyclones, Caroline on the 7th and Dylan on the 30th. It was quite dry in central Britain from the 8th to the 16th. It was a snowy, cold Christmas, although it turned slightly milder afterwards. Temperatures overall were close to average, although it was quite cold in the SW. Overall rainfall was close to average, but it was quite wet in east Scotland and NE England. It was though a dull month, 85% of average, and very dull in the NE and in central Scotland. The highest temperature of the month was 15.2C at Cassley (Sutherland) on the 2nd, and the lowest was -13.0C at Shawbury (Shropshire) on the 25th; the latter was the lowest temperature of the year in the UK.

 

 

Anti 2017 CET

 

Jan: 5.3°C (+0.6)

Feb: 3.5°C (-1.4)

Mar: 4.6°C (-2.1)

Apr: 8.9°C (-0.1)

May: 10.5°C (-1.4)

Jun: 13.3°C (-1.4)

Jul: 16.7°C (-0.1)

Aug: 17.2°C (+0.7)

Sep: 14.2°C (-0.6)

Oct: 9.5°C (-1.4)

Nov: 8.0°C (+0.6)

Dec: 5.2°C (+0.2)

 

Mean: 9.7°C

[al78]

 B87 It did have some interesting/extreme weather. Extreme cold and snow in January, the seventh warmest April on record, and a billion pound insured loss event in October.

[B87]

 al78 One of the coldest Januarys on record, with Heathrow's lowest ever maximum of -6c. It was a cold, dull and wet year with very little in the way of what you'd expect in terms of settled and warm spells.

I don't like cold, but I can accept a one-off heavy snowfall like in January 2003 because every month that year was generally dry and sunny.

[LetItSnow]

My anti-method works more on where the months rank rather than the exact anomaly. This can account for when the anomalies for winter and summer months are of different extremes. The coldest ever July isn't even 3C below average which wouldn't even make the top 40 coldest Januaries for example. It's why my antis are a little different. Plus they're modernised/warmed a bit.

Let's go back a little bit in time. 1912 is considered one of the worst years on record. Its anti must be a corker.

January: Rather cold but dry and very sunny. A north-westerly month with a permanent Scandi-trough. (4.8C / 52.7mm / 135% sun)

February: Starting exceptionally mild but then generally turning colder, bright and anticyclonic. (3.1C / 69.0mm / 117% sun)

March: Cold and extremely dry but generally rather sunny away from the south. (4.6C / 11.5mm / 105% sun)

April: Extremely wet, dull and rather cool. (8.0C / 130.9mm / 81% sun)

May: Rather cool and changeable but rather sunny. (11.1C / 73.3mm / 107% sun)

June: About average temperatures but extremely dry and sunny. (14.3C / 27.5mm / 139% sun)

July: Rather warm, dry and sunny but with a N/S split with the south generaly settled, the north more unsettled. (17.1C, 65.5mm, 120% sun)

August: The hottest, driest and sunniest August on record. (19.8C, 7.9mm, 174% sun).

September: The hottest September on record but frequently unsettled. Perhaps the first ever official UK hurricane hits the UK due to absurdly warm temperatures. (17.6C / 119.9mm / 104% sun)

October: Very warm but rather dry and dull. (12.8C, 91.2mm, 95% sun)

November: Generally changeable but very mild and sunny with frequent southerlies. (8.2C, 93.6mm, 121% sun)

December: Very cold with frequent north-easterlies. Sunny away from eastern coasts. (1.9C, 68.1mm, 125% sun)

Annual: 10.29C, 811.1mm, 119% sun

Not quite sure that would rank amongst the classics though the August-September combo would be remarkable.

[LetItSnow]

The anti-1903 must be a classic surely?

January: A dry but quite dull month. Starting and ending cold but with a mild middle third. (3.9C / 63.2mm)

February: Very cold and very snowy with a near-permanent north-easterly flow all month. An exceptional frost on the 21st followed by a severe blizzard on the 27th. (-0.2C / 91.1mm)

March: Cold but very dry. Sunny in the north, dull in the south. (4.9C / 10.4mm)

April: Very warm and quite dry but rather dull. A lot of southerly winds. Thundery at times. (10.4C / 51.4mm)

May: Rather warm and dry overall. A month of two halves. Starting hot and sunny but becoming cool and unsettled later. (12.4C / 46.2mm)

June: Hot, dry and sunny away from the north-west. Starting and ending cool and unsettled but with an exceptional heatwave mid-month. Virtually cloudless from the 9th-19th. Exceptional early heatwave from the 13th-15th with three consecutive days of 35+C and tropical nights. Meanwhile in the north-west it was wet and dull. (16.2C / 47.0mm)

July: Warm, dry and sunny. Particularly dry in the south-east with many areas rainless. Less settled further north. (17.4C / 56.0mm)

August: Hot and dry but fairly humid so not exceptionally sunny. (18.4C / 47.2mm)

September: Cool and dull in the north but rather fine and dry in the south-east. (14.6C / 57.0mm)

October: The driest month on record. High pressure dominated practically the entire month. Very sunny with mild days but cold nights. Most places saw no rain at all. (10.4C / 1.8mm)

November: Changeable but generally wet. (6.8C / 119.8mm)

December: Mild and wet but very sunny. Generally very mild over Christmas. (6.3C / 107.4mm)

Annual: 10.13C / 698.5mm

Would rank 5th driest year on record. Unlike the anti-1912 this feels like a year that would probably be considered a classic.

[Summer8906]

An update on the anti-2024, after the ridiculous rainfall of late.

January - started cold and frosty but the month became mild, dull and wet for two weeks until the 20th. The final 10 days however were cold with N-ly or NE-ly winds and frequent snow showers.

February - constant NE winds. Frequent snow showers and some general spells of snow. Sunny but record cold.

March - generally NE winds again but a brief cyclonic interlude producing dull, wet but rather cold weather still around the 5th-9th. Otherwise much sun and more snow showers at times. Cold.

April - the first 10 days are very cold with E-ly winds but also very sunny and dry, somewhat reminiscent of the start of April 2013. Snow showers appear at times and the 6th is especially cold for April, with maxima in the mid single figures. Then a short period of cold but wetter conditions occurs as a low moves NW from the continent. This then moves further NW to produce a dull southerly for a few days which is also warm for the time of year, and sporadic outbreaks of rain. As the month comes to an end the low moves out into the Atlantic leaving an anticyclonic southerly with much sunshine and temps around 24C. It looked like the month was going to be record cold but the warmer second half meant it was only marginally colder than average. Also drier and sunnier than average overall.

May - a rather NW-ly month but with frequent Atlantic high influence. The warm sunny spell is quickly replaced by cool NW-lies which predominate most of the month, but due to the proximity of high pressure it's also mostly dry and rather sunny. However there is a wet, cold and dull period in the second week as the low track migrates SW-wards and the Eurovision Saturday and the following Saturday are both wet, cold washouts. However the two bank holiday weekends are mostly fine and rather sunny.

June - something of a month of two halves. The May pattern quickly changes as we enter June and the first half of the month is warm to hot, hazy and thundery with some torrential downpours at times. Temps are frequently in the 25-28C range and peak at 32C on the hottest days, but some days are dull as well as being warm with stifling humidity. Most areas are wet. On the 13th following a cold front a transient ridge brings a few days of sunny and still rather warm weather before a further wet and dull period with mostly SW-ly winds takes over, with average days but very mild nights. Around the 24th the wind then veers NW-ly and a nearby low produces cool weather with thundery downpours until the 26th. Finally the low migrates south into the continent and the closing days are easterly with average sunshine, rainfall and temps. Overall a wet month and rather warm but dull in places. South-eastern Europe shares in the wet conditions but is incredibly cool.

July - the first half is particularly hot with temps generally in the 28-30 range and the odd instance of 33-34C. It's sunny with isolated severe thunderstorms though Election Day is dull with more general thundery rain. The second half sees the southerly replaced by an easterly and temps drop to near average, with sunshine above average. Low pressure over the Continent produces showers at times in the south though. The last three days sees the continental low move north to produce dull, cool and wet weather. Overall a dry and rather warm month, as well as sunny. Meanwhile Greece sees a record wet and cool July.

August - uncommonly easterly for August as easterlies get locked in more or less all month, Consequently the north is very dry and sunny. The south sees sunny weather towards the west but a rather dull SE corner due to the proximity of the continental low. Temps not far from average. Frequent showers and thunderstorms result in a wet month in the south but there is very little frontal rainfall.

September - vast areas of the south receive virtually no rainfall at all with the driest September on record. The northwest is rather wet though. High pressure from the Azores predominates in the first 10 and last 10 days which achieve near-continuous sunshine and zero rainfall in the south. Temps are often rather unremarkable but a short heat spike sees temps achieve 35C on the 11th. The 13th-20th is in contrast very dull and rather cool but even in this period, the weakness of the fronts that pass through ensures that the south sees virtually no rainfall. Some areas around Swindon have absolute zero rainfall, the driest month on record of any name. Sunshine above average. Unremarkable temps.

October - long range forecasts suggest continuing dry conditions for most of the first half, but a question mark over the second half.

So, 9 months in, the real 2024 or the anti-year?

Edited October 1 by Summer8906