Royston (Iceni) Weather Station
News....from Royston (Iceni) Weather Station
Page 2
Items of interest and unusual occurrences concerning the Royston weather will be posted on this page. Reports of unusual or severe weather (e.g. ball lightning, funnel clouds, whirlwinds, heavy showers etc.), and any occurrences of hail and thunder, in or around Royston will be most welcome for inclusion on this page. Please e-mail any information to the station Met. Observer, Richard Barker, on rbarker@iceni.org.uk
| Period/Date | Weather Information |
| 9th & 10th March 2002 | A windy weekend. A maximum wind gust speed of 62 mph was experienced on both Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th March. Click here to view anemogram . |
| March 2002 | A milder, drier and sunnier than average month. Mean max. temp. 12.2°C (+2.3); mean min. temp. 4.2°C (+1.1); rainfall 35.5 mm (84%); sunshine 129.3 hours (120%). 11th milder than average March in last 14 years (1995, 1996 and 2001 being the exceptions). For full details see Daily Weather Observations - March 2002 header page. |
| 10th April 2002 | Current drought continues. 21st consecutive day without measurable rainfall |
| 15th April 2002 | Drought ends (but only just!) after 25 days without measurable rainfall. Several light showers in the early afternoon yielded 2.6 millimetres rainfall. |
| 20th April 2002 | A sunnier than average April in prospect; the April sunshine normal of 142.1 hours was reached today. |
| April 2002 | April sunnier than the average for any month of the year! Total sunshine 208.2 hours (147% of April normal). Mean max. temp. 15.2°C (+2.4); mean min. temp. 4.7°C (+0.6); rainfall 35.9 mm (81%). Warmest April since 1999 only; driest April since 1999 only. For full details see Daily Weather Observations - April 2002 header page. |
| 18th May 2002 | Deposits of orange/brown dust washed out in overnight (17th/18th) rain. Very fine particles, suspected wind blown from North Africa. |
| May 2002 | A wetter and duller month than normal, but mean temperature a little above average (but still the coolest May since 1996). Mean max. temp. 17.0°C (+0.5); mean min. temp. 8.3°C (+1.3); rainfall 60.6 millimetres (129%); sunshine 173.3 hours (90%). 62 hours less sunshine than in May last year! For full details see Daily Weather Observations - May 2002 header page. |
| 14th June 2002 | Traces of orange/brown dust washed out in light rainfall in afternoon. As per 18th May above, suspected wind blown from North Africa. |
| June 2002 | A dry month, but with temperatures and sunshine near average. Mean max. temp. 20.0°C (+0.3); mean min. temp 11.2°C (+1.0); rainfall 29.4 mm (59%); sunshine 188.0 hours (97%). 3rd consecutive dry June. For full details see Daily Weather Observations - June 2002 header page. |
| 8th July 2002 | A cool and dull start to July. Maximum temperature on 8th = 20.4°C, the first time 20°C has been reached this month. First occasion since 1978 that the temperature has failed to reach 20°C in the first week of July. Sunshine 1st/8th July only 18.7 hours. |
| 13th July 2002 | Maximum temperature 22.5°C - first day this month that the daily maximum temperature has reached the 25 Year daily mean maximum temperature. |
| 29th July 2002 | Maximum temperature 30.8°C. First day of the Summer with a maximum temperature in excess of 30°C. (Last such occasion 25th August 2001). |
| 30th July 2002 | Intense rainfall event in early hours of 31st July. Rainfall for 30th July (24 hours ended 0900 GMT on 31st July) = 48.8 millimetres. Wettest July day in at least the last 30 years. Click here to view a hyetogram of this event. |
| July 2002 | Mean max. temp 22.0°C (-0.2); mean min temp 12.7°C (+0.2); rainfall 104.7 millimetres (242%); sunshine 180.1 hours (97%). Wettest July since 1968. For full details see Daily Weather Observations - July 2002 header page. |
| August 2002 | Mean max. temp. 22.6°C (+0.4); mean min temp 13.9°C (+1.5); rainfall 49.6 millimetres (100%); sunshine 141.1 hours (80%). Dullest August in at least the last 5 years. For full details see Daily Weather Observations - August 2002 header page. |
| 9th September 2002 | End of dry spell! Between 0700 and 2100 GMT total rainfall of 34.4 millimetres was recorded. This was after only 4.2 millimetres rainfall in the previous 30 days. To view a hyetogram of this event click here . |
| September 2002 | Driest September since 1997; sunniest since 1999. Mean max. temp 19.6°C (+1.0); mean min. temp 10.1°C (-0.3); rainfall 38.0 millimetres (66%); sunshine 158.1 hours (110%). For full details see Daily Weather Observations - September 2002 header page. |
| 20th/21st October 2202 | Orange/brown dust deposited in rainfall 20th/21st. Wind trajectory analysis shows this to be a classic case of sand blown aloft in the Sahara Desert being transported northwards and then washed out in rain over the British Isles. |
| 27th October 2002 | A very windy day with minor structural damage in Royston. Maximum wind gust speed 71 mph at 0915 and 1035 GMT. This was the highest wind gust speed since the 78 mph gust recorded on 13th December 2000. Click here to view an anemogram of this event. |
| October 2002 | A little wetter and duller than normal month, but mean temperature about average. Mean daily max. temp. 14.1°C (-0.2); mean daily min. temp. 7.7°C (+0.1); rainfall 65.5 millimetres (115%); sunshine 98.0 hours (90%). Only the second month this year the mean temperature has not exceeded the average. For full details see Daily Weather Observations - October 2002 header page. |
| November 2002 | A mild and very wet month, with about average sunshine. Mean max. temp. 11.1°C (+1.6); mean min. temp. 6.6°C (+2.0); rainfall 98.0 millimetres (187%); sunshine 71.4 hours (107%). For full details see Daily Weather Observations - November 2002 header page. |
| 10th December 2002 | First air frost of the Autumn/Winter season Minimum temperature -0.4°C. The lateness of this event illustrates the mild nature of November (in which month the first air frosts of the season can normally be expected to occur). |
| December 2002 | A very dull and wet month, but milder than normal overall. Mean max. temp. 7.6°C (+0.5); mean min. temp. 4.4°C (+1.4); rainfall 83.5 millimetres (158%); sunshine 30.4 hours (65%). Wettest December since 1989. Dullest month of any in last 5 years; previous dullest month December 1998 (53.3 hours sunshine, 22.9 hours more than in December 2002!). For full details see Daily Weather Observations - December 2002 header page. |
| 1st January 2003 | Wettest New Year's Day in at least the last 30 years. Rainfall 23.0 millimetres. |
| 8th January 2003 | Coldest night (7th/8th) for 6 years (since 3rd January 1997). Minimum temperature -5.7°C. |
| 26th/27th January 2003 | Whilst some places in Great Britain (e.g. Scotland on 26th and S E England on 27th) have experienced record breaking January temperatures in the region of 18°C, this level of winter warmth has not extended to Royston. Daily maximum temperatures recorded on 26th and 27th were 12.7°C and 13.4°C respectively. The latter figure is the highest since 27th January 2002 only (13.5°C). |
| 30th January 2003 | Heaviest snowfall in Royston since 8th February 1991. Level depth of snow 15 cm. |
| January 2003 | Wettest January since 1995, dullest since 1998. Mean max. temp. 6.6°C (0.0); mean min. temp. 2.3°C (+0.2); rainfall 98.0 millimetres (191%); sunshine 67.5 hours (125%). For full details see Daily Weather Observations - January 2003 page. |
| 18th February 2003 | Lowest minimum temperature (-6.1°C) in February since 10th February 1991, and lowest temperature in any month since 3rd January 1997. |
| February 2003 | Coldest February since 1996; driest February since 1998; sunniest February since 1998. Mean max. temp 7.6°C (+0.4); mean min. temp. 1.2°C (-0.6); rainfall 16.6 millimetres (47%); sunshine 120.8 hours (175%). For full details see Daily Weather Observations - February 2003 page. |
| 5th/6th March 2003 | Liberal deposits of fine particles of orange/brown sand washed out in rainfall late on 5th and early on 6th. Probable source of this material the deserts of North Africa but this still to be confirmed by backward trajectory analysis (12/03/03 - source located as western Algeria/northern Mauritania). |
| March 2003 | A dry and exceptionally sunny month, with significantly above average day maximum temperatures.. Mean max. temp. 13.1°C (+3.0); mean min. temp. 3.3°C (0.0); rainfall 19.2 millimetres (44%); sunshine 197.9 hours (183%). Driest March since 2000 only, but lowest no. (3) of "rain days" (0.2 millimetres or more) in March since at least 1972. For full details see Daily Weather Observations - March 2003 page. |
| 1st April 2003 | End of drought - first rainfall (5.5 millimetres) since 12th March. |
| 16th April 2003 | Warmest April day in at least the last 30 years. Max. temp. 25.5°C, previous highest 23.3°C on 20th April 1996. Also sunshine 13.5 hours, and low minimum relative humidity of 24%. |
| April 2003 | Driest April since 1997; warmest April since 1999. Mean max. temp. 15.4°C (+2.5); mean min. temp 4.8°C (+0.5); rainfall 24.0 millimetres (54%); sunshine 193.0 hours (136%). Last 3 months dry (rainfall February/March/April 59.8 millimetres (49%)). For full details see Daily Weather Observations - April 2003 page. |
| May 2003 | Warmest, driest, and sunniest May since 2001 only! Mean max. temp. 17.9°C (+1.1); mean min. temp. 8.4°C (+1.2); rainfall 36.7 millimetres (78%); sunshine 202.6 hours (105%). For full details see Daily Weather Observations - May 2003 page. |
| June 2003 | Warmest June since 1976; wettest June since 1999; 5th consecutive month with below average rainfall. Mean max. temp. 22.6°C (+2.9); mean min. temp. 12.4°C (+2.0); rainfall 46.2 millimetres (92%); sunshine 220.7 hours (113%). For full details see Daily Weather Observations - June 2003 page. |
| 15th July 2003 | Hottest day of year so far. Maximum temperature 31.0°C. |
| July 2003 | Warmest July since 1999; driest since 1998; sunniest since 1999. Mean max. temp. 23.6°C (+1.4); mean min. temp. 13.7°C (+1.2); rainfall 47.7 millimetres (110%); sunshine 203.0 hours (109%). For full details see Daily Weather Observations - July 2003 page. |
| 6th August 2003 | New highest temperature record for any month (since 1st May 1972) at Royston (Iceni) Weather Station. Maximum temperature 35.1°C (at 1445 GMT), just exceeding previous record of 35.0°C set on 3rd August 1990. |
| 10th August 2003 | Maximum temperature 36.4°C, breaking the record set on 6th August 2003 (see above). This temperature was reached relatively early at 1305 GMT and had it not been for the intervention of cloud an even higher temperature may well have been achieved. |
| August 2003 | A very warm, very dry and very sunny month! Hottest August since 1997; record for highest temperature broken twice in month (see 2 entries above); driest August since 1947; 3rd driest month of any name since the Royston rainfall record commenced in January 1853 (after August 1947 (0.5 mm) and February 1891 (0.5 mm)); sunniest month of any name since July 1999. Mean max. temp 25.7°C (+3.4); mean min. temp. 13.9°C (+1.3); rainfall 0.7 millimetres (1%); sunshine 239.2 hours (135%). For full details see Daily Weather Observations - August 2003 page. |
| Summer (June/August) 2003 | Hottest Summer since at least 1972 when records began at Royston (Iceni) Weather Station, but mean temperature only 0.2°C higher than in the memorable hot Summer of 1976. Driest Summer since 1995. Mean max. temp. 24.0°C (+2.8); mean min. temp.13.3°C (+1.7); rainfall 94.6 millimetres (66%); sunshine 662.9 hours (119%). |
| 5th September 2003 | First measurable rainfall since 1st August (34 day drought), but only 0.2 millimetres! |
| 8th September 2003 | Annual average of sunshine (1491 hours) passed on 8th September, illustrating very sunny nature of year to date. |
| September 2003 | A warm, dry and exceptionally sunny September. Warmest September since 2000; driest since 1997; 5th consecutive month with sunshine above 200 hours. Mean max. temp 21.3°C (+2.6); mean min. temp. 10.3°C (-0.2); rainfall 17.1 millimetres (30%), sunshine 216.8 hours (151%). For full details see Daily Weather Observations - September 2003 page. |
| October 2003 | A cold, dry and exceptionally sunny October. Mean max. temp. 13.9°C (-0.4); mean min. temp. 5.0°C (-2.8); rainfall 34.1 millimetres (60%); sunshine 167.2 hours (154%). Coldest October since 1993; driest since 1996. For full details see Daily Weather Observations - October 2003 page. |
| 16th November 2003 | A sunny first half of November. The average sunshine (66.7 hours) for the whole month exceeded today. |
| 23rd November 2003 | Only 1.1 hours sunshine in last 7 days and 4th consecutive day without any sunshine at all (see previous entry also). |
| 22nd/23rd November 2003 | A wet weekend! Virtually continuous rainfall, albeit mostly light, for whole of Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd November, totalling 48.3 millimetres from 0000 GMT on 22nd to 0100 GMT on 24th. Click here for hyetogram of this event. |
| November 2003 | A mild, sunny and wet month. Mildest November since 1994; wettest November since 2000. Mean max. temp. 11.3°C (+1.7°C); mean min. temp. 6.6°C (+1.9°C); rainfall 103.8 millimetres (198%); sunshine 92.2 hours (138%). For full details see Daily Weather Observations - November 2003 page. |
| 18th December 2003 | Despite 7 sunless days so far this month the average sunshine (47.1 hours) for the whole month exceeded today. December sunshine to date = 52.3 hours. |
| December 2003 | A very sunny December (but only 3rd sunniest in last 6 years); temperatures and rainfall near average. Mean max. temp. 7.7°C (+0.5); mean min. temp. 3.3°C (+0.3); rainfall 57.2 millimetres (108%); sunshine 76.6 hours (163%). For full details see Daily Weather Observations - December 2003 page. |
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(This page last updated 1st February 2005 2116 GMT)