Royston (Iceni) Weather Station

Daily Weather Observations - February 2000

The Stevenson screen housing the thermometers and recording instruments, after a heavy snowfall in February 1978. On the left is the hygrograph which gives a continuous trace of the relative humidity, whilst on the right is the thermograph which similarly records the temperature. Both instruments record on paper charts (which are changed weekly) wrapped around a revolving clockwork drum. Unfortunately both instruments are now life expired and have been replaced by automatic sensors transmitting signals to a datalogger, data from which is in turn downloaded to a PC (which with dedicated software draws the graphs). Royston fared lightly with this snowfall compared with the South-West Peninsula, where conditions were particularly bad in Somerset.	The longest icicles ever seen at Royston (Iceni) Weather Station! These occurred in February 1991 in the last prolonged severe spell of weather to affect Royston. The cold spell dominated the first three weeks of the month during which 18 air frosts and 20 ground fosts were recorded. The air temperature fell to -8.2 on 7th, -9.4°C on 9th and -7.7°C on 10th. On 7th and 9th the 24 hour maximum temperature only reached -3.5°C. Snow fell every day from 6th to 13th, and again on 15th, and reached a maximum depth of 9 inches level snow on 13th. As regards the icicles pictured above these just grew longer by the day, whilst those on the right of the picture fused together to form a solid column of ice.	A bleak scene at Royston station in the afternoon of 8th February 1991 with the temperature well below 0°C and a six inch snow cover. In fact, the temperature remained below 0°C continuously for 4 days from 6th to 9th inclusive. Most trains were cancelled that afternoon due to the snow, but for Royston rail travellers worse was to come in the following week when severe frosts cracked a number of insulators on the overhead electric between Royston and Ashwell, necessitating for several days a bus journey to Ashwell before continuing by train to London. The snow lingererd to 20th, and by 23rd the temperature had risen to 13°C, a value attained on the following two days also

Additional Data - February 2000: Rainfall Duration 70.3 hours; air frost duration 16.2 hours.

*Average Periods: Temperature 25 Years 1973/1997; rainfall 35 Years 1961/1995

Click on the links below to view this month's charts and graphs.......

1. Maximum, Minimum & Grass Minimum Temperatures

2. Maximum & Minimum Temperatures (with 25 Year (1973/1997) comparative values)

3. Earth Temperature (30 cms Depth)

4. Rainfall 5. Sunshine 6. Wind Speed 7. Air Pressure 8. Relative Humidity

9. Thermograph 10. Barograph 11. Hygrograph 12. Anemograph

13. Wind Direction 14. Hyetograph 15. Hyetograph - 24th February 2000

.....and for a written report of the February 2000 weather in Royston click below:

February 2000 Weather Review

Return to Welcome to Royston (Iceni) Weather Station page

(This page last updated 9th March 2000 2112 GMT)