February breaks temperature records (UK)

[Howardh]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47360952

The UK is experiencing its warmest February day on record, with the Met Office reporting a temperature of 20.6C (69.08F) at Trawsgoed, Ceredigion.

A new English record has also been set with temperatures rising to 20.1C in Hampton Water Works, in south-west London.

The reason temperatures have been so high is the direction our air is coming from.

High pressure parked to the south east of the British Isles has been dragging warm air from Africa and the Canary Islands our way.

Temperatures are further boosted by something known as the foehn effect, when air warms as it flows down the lee side of mountains..

20c in several places, first time above 20c "in Winter" which metrologically is DEC/JAN/FEB, the earliest 20c day by something like 5 days etc.

Glad to see Stornoway and possibly Lerwick getting the night-time temperatures of double figures as the rest of us shiver under the clear skies though!

Just wait for mid-August when we get the first sunny day after a summer's washout...."Oh, it's just like February....".

 

[HH]

Fake news. The Donald just told me.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Mad to think it was this time last year we were having snow! I know our weather is a bit weird anyway, but that does blow my mind a bit!

 

[Howardh]

Mad to think it was this time last year we were having snow! I know our weather is a bit weird anyway, but that does blow my mind a bit!

Serves us right for being a small island on the edge of the warm Atlantic! This air stream is fluky (at any time of year) in so far as it starts off somewhere warm and passes over land and little water on the way so keeps dry and keeps it's warmth. A similar airflow in summer and we could be in the upper 30's again. Of course, once that continental ant-cyclone shifts, we're back to normal (ie. not having a clue from day to day.....).

I've asked Lancs cricket if they can turn on their weather webcam, might be the last day we see Greater Old Trafford bathed in warm sunshine this year...

 

[507021]

The weather's been lovely in Liverpool today.

 

[Ianno87]

12 months ago virtually to the day was the Beast from the East.

As lovely as it was to walk around in a t-shirt over the weekend, this is a clue that the weather is a bit frigged up.

 

[PeterY]

I've enjoyed the weather and made the most of it being out on the bike and taking photographs.

I was outside working today and I got very warm. This time last year I was freezing my b******s off.

Just think of all that money I'm saving not having the heating on

 

[Busaholic]

I'll wager that somewhere in the U.K. next week there'll be snow. Enjoy the warmth while you can!

 

[Groningen]

With no clouds it is cold at noght and warm during the day. Expectation is 20 C high in the south of Netherlands tomorrow.

 

[Ash Bridge]

I'll wager that somewhere in the U.K. next week there'll be snow. Enjoy the warmth while you can!

Huh....that's a great comfort coming from someone safely located in the much milder climes of the country where palms and fig trees flourish aplenty!

With no clouds it is cold at noght and warm during the day. Expectation is 20 C high in the south of Netherlands tomorrow.

That currently pretty much fits the weather description for the Greater Manchester area also.

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

Serves us right for being a small island on the edge of the warm Atlantic! This air stream is fluky (at any time of year) in so far as it starts off somewhere warm and passes over land and little water on the way so keeps dry and keeps it's warmth. A similar airflow in summer and we could be in the upper 30's again. Of course, once that continental ant-cyclone shifts, we're back to normal (ie. not having a clue from day to day.....).

Not quite correct. You are describing a pure southerly current bringing air from the Sahara. In fact our current warmth is due to air coming all the way from the Caribbean meaning it has most definitely crossed an ocean en route, though there is doubtless some pull from the Sahara as well. This is all due to the North Polar jetstream being much farther south than usual over North America, indeed at times it has been over the Gulf of Mexico ensuring cold weather for the whole US (except Hawaii). So the current airstream is not just fluky, it may even be unprecedented. I hope the payback doesn't end up with the jetstream being further south on this side of the Atlantic during the summer which would likely keep our temperature struggling to even reach 20 degrees...

 

[Busaholic]

Huh....that's a great comfort coming from someone safely located in the much milder climes of the country where palms and fig trees flourish aplenty!

Yes, but this time last year I was unable to leave my house in the centre of town for two or three days owing to the snow turning to ice.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Yes, but this time last year I was unable to leave my house in the centre of town for two or three days owing to the snow turning to ice.

Good grief, and I could imagine that inflicted a fair bit of harm to some of the more exotic plants, shrubs and trees that seem to thrive down there?

 

[Cowley]

Good grief, and I could imagine that inflicted a fair bit of harm to some of the more exotic plants, shrubs and trees that seem to thrive down there?

I took this photo this time last year of the sign they named after me.


I tried to take an equivalent photo today, but I couldn't get near the sign due to extensive palm tree growth and the danger of falling coconuts...

 

[Ash Bridge]

Haha, very good Mr Cowley! I must admit though I haven't spotted quite so many palms around Exeter on my visits there compared to the likes of say Falmouth or St Ives, and of course just a few weeks ago most of the resorts in Greece had a covering of snow and minus zero temperatures, global warming gone wrong?

 

[VioletEclipse]

The Salisbury Crags in Edinburgh are on fire

 

[DarloRich]

There will be rail speed restrictions at this rate!

 

[dgl]

Yes absolutely beautiful on the south coast, bit of a cold breeze but otherwise nice and warm, last year it was ice on the pavements and the pipes freezing at work (had to spend a day going out with another team member, one turns on the water one shouts "turn it off, turn it off!) when there is a leak ).

And as an addendum here is a nice picture of what the weather was like yesterday.

 

[route101]

Noticed blossom out , what about trees coming to leave yet?

 

[Busaholic]

Good grief, and I could imagine that inflicted a fair bit of harm to some of the more exotic plants, shrubs and trees that seem to thrive down there?

Hard to say whether the weather or some of the vandals used by CORMAC (Cornwall Council's contracted-out sub division) have caused more lasting damage to the plants and shrubs. Virtually all the gardeners formerly employed by District Councils like Penwith, before they were abolished, have been got rid of, to the detriment of places like Morrab Gardens. Luckily, there is one left who, despite his employers making life as difficult as possible for him and downgrading his job periodically, is devoted to his work and even comes in at weekends, totally unpaid. Private gardens, like those near Falmouth, are more fortunate in their carers.

 

[Howardh]

There will be rail speed restrictions at this rate!

had the day off so went by rail to the Lakes today and tweeted that the rails were buckling just outside Preston! Sat opposite the 'mere outside an open-air pub at Bowness, no need for the overhead heaters, the sun was doing just fine. However in the shade a bit of a nip, suggesting temperatures down a bit today and back to normal shortly. But blimey, in July I'd take a day without rain and be happy, never mind Feb!!

 

[DarloRich]

had the day off so went by rail to the Lakes today and tweeted that the rails were buckling just outside Preston! Sat opposite the 'mere outside an open-air pub at Bowness, no need for the overhead heaters, the sun was doing just fine. However in the shade a bit of a nip, suggesting temperatures down a bit today and back to normal shortly. But blimey, in July I'd take a day without rain and be happy, never mind Feb!!

the problem is the rail is going in over night at -1/-2 and is then subject to a 20 degree plus temperature swing during the day!