Ballywatticock was country’s hottest ever spot last week – but its reign had ended within days
In the annals of climate change it will be remembered, if at all, as a diverting footnote: the brief reign of Ballywatticock.
Few people in Northern Ireland had heard of this townland on the shores of Strangford Lough in County Down until its weather station recorded the hottest temperature for the UK last Saturday: 31.2C (88.16F).
Continue reading...According to epidemiologists, meeting outside helps minimise infection risks but heat itself has a negligible effect on the virus
With the recent rising temperatures and more people now mixing outdoors as restrictions have been lifted in England, and eased in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, experts explain how much of an effect the weather has on Covid-19.
Continue reading...Met Office says thundery downpours also caused floods in parts of London, where fire brigade received over 150 calls
Southern England was hit by torrential downpours that resulted in significant flooding on Monday night.
The Met Office said the heavy and slow-moving thundery showers caused floods in parts of London. The London fire brigade said its 999 control officers received over 150 calls to flooding incidents in the capital.
Continue reading...Warm air from Spain usually means thundery days will follow – but changing weather patterns are making this less likely
Today is the day when Benjamin Franklin supposedly flew a kite in a thunderstorm, to prove that lightning was electricity. We have learned a lot about thunderstorms since 1752, but our fascination with them has not diminished: who can resist the energy in that crackling drum roll, the angry purple clouds and those brilliant fleeting flashes of light?
For nearly 200 years aficionados in Oxford have been measuring thunderstorms. Analysis of this uniquely long record has been published in the journal Weather, and reveals a marked drop in the number of thunderstorms in the Oxford area during the last decade. Curiously the 1920s and 30s were peak thunder years, with an annual average of 20 days of thunder heard. By contrast, the most recent decade averaged just 8.1 days of thunder a year.
Continue reading... Skygazers – with appropriate eye protection – will be able to see much of sun being obscured from 10.08am
Views of a partial solar eclipse will be “somewhat fleeting” across certain parts of the UK due to cloudy skies, forecasters have said.
But those in central and south-east England will have clear spells to witness the spectacle, according to the Met Office. On Thursday morning, skygazers will be able to see nearly a third of the sun being blocked out by the moon in what is known as an annular eclipse.
Continue reading...Temperatures reach 23C but Met Office warns of risk of showers on Sunday
Crowds have flocked to the beaches to soak up the sunshine as temperatures hit almost 23C across parts of England amid warnings the warm weather is not going to last.
Photographs show hundreds of people packed on to Bournemouth beach in Dorset on Saturday, while in the north kayakers took to Derwentwater in the Lake District.
Continue reading...Snowfall in some areas dampens hopes of businesses reopening their doors for first time in months
The lifting of lockdown restrictions to allow people in England to use pub beer gardens and dine in the outdoor areas of restaurants is being met by snowfall, as a spring cold snap hits.
The inclement weather will come as a blow to thousands of businesses that were hoping to welcome back customers on Monday after months of restrictions.
Continue reading...Spell of early spring warm weather continues after record 24.5C on Tuesday
Forecasters say there is a small possibility the UK could see the hottest day on record on Wednesday, as the spell of early spring warm weather continues.
It has been particularly welcomed in England, where temperatures have been the highest and people have just emerged blinking into the light as the nation begins to shake off a long national lockdown.
Continue reading...1856 guide offers insight into era’s thinking, including how spring weather would affect future harvests
The Victorians did not have much idea what caused weather patterns but they knew what effect they had on their welfare.
Enquire Within Upon Everything, “the indispensable guide to living”, published in 1856, poses many important questions and provides answers. Among the topics is spring weather and the effect it will have on future harvests. For example: what is the use of March winds? “They dry the soil, (which is saturated by the floods of February) break up the heavy clods, and fit the land for the seeds which are committed to it.”
Continue reading...Spring-like conditions will make it feel more like May than February, say forecasters
It could feel more like May than February for much of the UK this week, with forecasters predicting a spell of warm weather and the first signs of spring in the coming days.
In a likely welcome development for Britons still living under coronavirus lockdowns, clear skies and sunshine have been forecast for parts of the country for the rest of the week.
Continue reading...The car was buried. We tried the doors but they would not budge; the weight of the snow was too great
The sun was shining in Utrecht when my friend Rini and I set off for England in a white Ford Capri, in March 1979. We loved classic cars and were going on a tour of used car dealerships in search of a vintage Jaguar. Aged 19 and 20, we were full of the spirit of adventure.
It was so mild when we arrived in Kent that occasionally we would stop to sunbathe on the car bonnet. We had no luck finding a Jag in the south-east so decided to head farther north. We didn’t check the forecast on our way to a dealership in Cumbria.
Continue reading...Mercury drops to -21.4C in Scotland, the coldest temperature recorded in UK since December 2010
Temperatures plunged to below -21C in Scotland overnight, the lowest level in the UK in more than a decade, following an “extreme freeze”.
The mercury dropped to -21.4C (-6.5F) in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, the coldest temperature recorded in the UK since 2 December 2010, when -21.3C (-6.3F) was recorded in Altnaharra in the Highlands.
Continue reading...Authorities in the Netherlands declared a rare 'code red' emergency for the entire country as it was hit by its first proper snowstorm in more than a decade.
In the UK, amber and yellow weather warnings for snow were issued by the Met Office with widespread travel problems expected
Freezing conditions could reach -10c and hamper clean-up effort after Storm Christoph
Britain is braced for sub-zero temperatures as a cold blast of Arctic air sweeps the country in the aftermath of Storm Christoph.
The Met Office said snow and ice would cause travel disruption in large parts of the country as temperatures drop as low as -10c in Scotland and -7c in parts of northern England.
Continue reading...If you’ve been affected by Storm Christoph and have been flooded or had to leave your home, we would like to hear from you
Storm Christoph has brought widespread flooding, strong winds and snow to parts of the UK with South Yorkshire declaring a major incident.
People were ordered to evacuate homes in the East Didsbury, West Didsbury and Northenden areas of Greater Manchester on Wednesday night because of rising water levels, the city council said. Those living in parts of Ruthin and Bangor on Dee in North Wales, and Maghull in Merseyside have also been asked to leave their homes.
Continue reading...People urged to brace for floods, gales and snow, with parts of England expecting 200mm downpours
A major incident has been declared in South Yorkshire as Storm Christoph is set to bring widespread flooding, gales and snow to parts of the UK.
People have been urged to prepare after an amber weather warning for rain was issued by the Met Office for Tuesday to Thursday for central northern England, affecting an area around Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield and stretching down to Peterborough.
Continue reading...The Pentland hills outside Edinburgh have had to double up as the Alps and Cairngorms for residents of the capital city - under Covid-19 restrictions city dwellers are permitted to travel only a short distance beyond their local council boundary for exercise. Undaunted but social distanced they have rediscovered the modest but irresistible charms of the snow-clad hills overlooking the city and the firth of Forth
Up to 5cm of snow could fall, according to Met Office, which has issued yellow weather warning for snow and ice
Parts of northern England, the Midlands and Wales are due to get a covering of snow that could lead to tricky travel conditions.
Up to 5cm of snow could fall, according to the Met Office, which has issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice, which runs until 6pm on Saturday.
Continue reading...Met Office issues snow and ice warning after a day of heavy snowfall, with mercury set to plunge furthest in western Scotland
A cold snap will continue to spread across Britain on Tuesday and temperatures could plunge as low as -10C in parts of the country.
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning of snow and ice for much of England and Wales and parts of Scotland after a day of heavy snowfall in some regions, with more wintry weather expected on Wednesday and Thursday.
Continue reading...Snow has swept England during a cold and frosty start to the Boxing Day bank holiday after days of stormy weather. The Met Office has issued yellow warnings for snow and ice for much of England and Wales
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