WEATHER REPORT FOR 2000
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MONTH BY MONTH ASSESSMENT
January The month was generally mild with temperatures averaging at 1.1C above the January mean. The first week and a half were particularly mild with maximum temperatures typically above 8 or 9C, but a cooler spell of weather then followed with some penetrating ground frosts (-6.6C on the 10th) owing to the development of anticyclonic conditions to the west of the British Isles. The final few days of the month saw a return to very mild conditions with the highest maximum of January (13.1C) recorded on the 29th. The prevalence of anticyclonic conditions and low cloud amounts resulted in this January being the sunniest in the UK since 1959. The notable feature of January's weather was, however, the lack of rain. Only 13.5mm was recorded at Pitsford Hall, 24.4% of the average. Only a few days recorded rainfall in excess of 1mm, the notable falls being 3.8mm on the 3rd and 3mm on the 12th, the latter associated with an erratic front moving southwards. Some strong winds were recorded on a few occasions. Notable gusts were noted on the 21st (47mph) and 22nd (53mph, with 37mph recorded at morning observation). Further extremes were reported on the 28th and 29th (55mph). February Despite a brief cold spell between the 2nd and 4th, February began reasonably mild with temperatures climbing to reach the highest daytime maximum of 12.1C on the 8th. From then on, temperatures began to fall consistently resulting in some severe ground frosts during the third week. However, daytime air maxima retained respectably high values and minima were also rather modest with -1.5C being the lowest recorded on the 20th. The fourth week saw a recovery of temperatures with the last air frost recorded on the 22nd, and the last ground frost occurring on the 26th. In general, the month was 1.4C warmer than the 61-90 average and the warmest February since 1998 (7.2C). The month was particularly wet. 57.9mm fell, including one notable fall of 12.2mm on the 2 7th which placed the river Great Ouse near Brackley on red alert. The rain towards the end of the month was also associated with some strong winds which made driving to work in the early morning particularly difficult. However, it was the windy conditions between the 7th and 10th which caused most disruption. Gusts reached gale force on 8th (57mph) and 9th (52mph) with a Met Office gale warning in force for the morning of the 10th. February also continued a succession of months with greater than average sunshine. With 81.1 hours recorded at Pitsford Hall, this was Northampton's sunniest February since 1983 (89 hours). March The predominant feature of the weather during March was the lack of rainfall. Just 12.8mm were recorded at Pitsford Hall, 28.7% of the March average, making it the driest March since 1997 and the second driest since 1972. Rain fell on only 7 days, with virtually no rainfall being recorded between the 3rd and 22nd. Temperatures were again above average (+1.2C), continuing a long succession of mild months. This March was the third warmest since 1991 and the sixth warmest since 1973. Two distinct trends were observed during the month: a period of amelioration during the first week following the cold end to February, and then a period of gradual deterioration from a high of 15.2C on the 8th accompanied by winds from a northerly direction. The predominance of anticyclonic conditions during March (1020.7mb mean sea level pressure) also led to some record sunshine. The total at Pitsford Hall was 119.4 hrs (130.2% of the average), making this the sunniest March since 1988. April The most significant aspect of April's weather was the high rainfall total. A total of 108.6mm was recorded at Pitsford Hall, more than twice the normal total of 47.7mm, making this Northampton's wettest April since the floods of 1998 (140.8mm) and the second wettest since 1920 (130.1mm). The wet weather caused significant disruption to sporting activities within the county. Car parks at the Grand Prix circuit at Silverstone were turned into mud baths and thousands of potential spectators were turned away with an estimated £5 millions in lost revenue. Towcester Racecourse was also forced to close its Easter Monday races, its biggest earner of the year in fine weather. And Holdenby House, which normally has over 3000 visitors over the Easter Bank Holiday, saw figures sink to just 1300 this year with cars getting stuck in the mud trying to park. In contrast to the past 9 months, April's average temperature actually fell below average by a small margin (-0.3C). Despite a brief warm spell between the 8th and 9th, temperatures only really started to climb in the second half of the month associated with a fairly consistent south-westerly airflow. Snow fell on two days, the fall on the 3rd contributing significantly to the largest 24 hr rainfall of 18.6mm. Some strong winds, gusting to 56mph and 60mph on the 3rd and 4th respectively, produced near blizzard conditions in the Northamptonshire Uplands around Thornby. May This May was yet another wet month with rainfall almost twice the 1961-1990 average. The total of 97.3mm made this the wettest May since 1983 when 106.7mm was recorded. The month started generally dry with only 1.5mm recorded up until 0900GMT on 17th. Rainfall was then recorded everyday, except for the 29th, until the end of the month with some exceptional falls noted (19.8mm and 21.8mm on the 26th and 27th, and 11.9mm falling in 1.3 hours on the 30th). Much of the rainfall in the latter half of the month was delivered by some notable thunderstorms and hail showers. Temperatures evened out at a little over the average for May at 12.3C (+0.3C). Although temperatures saw a steady climb during the first two weeks reaching both a daytime and nightime maximum on the 15th, the change to a more northerly airflow saw a sharp downturn with temperatures failing to recover to the earlier highs for the remainder of the month. Despite the wet weather which characterised the last two weeks, May's sunshine totals were respectable with about average values recorded. In fact, such was the sporadic nature of the heavy showers that even 9.7 hours managed to be recorded from the wettest day on the 27th. June Three distinct periods marked the weather for June: a rather unsettled start to the month followed by a distinctly warm period around the third week and then a return to more unsettled and cool weather as the month ended. The switch between cyclonic and anticylonic conditions accounted for this rhythm. Although the active frontal systems at the start of the month brought much rain to many areas, the county escaped with only one noticeably wet day on the 3rd. Although daytime temperatures held up, overnight minima fell quite sharply after the 6th with the lowest values of 7.4C recorded on the 7th and 8th. Settled conditions generally developed from the 7th onwards with high pressure moving in noticeably from the 12th. The progression of a cold front produced some noticeable showers on the 14th and 15th, but a warming trend thereafter culminated in the hottest June day since 1995 with a maximum of 30.3C recorded on the 19th. Some heavy showers brought the mini heat wave to an abrupt conclusion on the 20th, although no thunder was reported at this station. The mean temperature was generally above average with rainfall falling substantially short (36.5%). The month was particularly sunny, helped by the clear skies under the anticyclonic conditions of mid month. July July began with low pressure dominating the scene. Southward moving fronts brought showers, some heavy, to many parts of the county. Fortunately, the county escaped the flooding which resulted in more southern parts of the country. Some notable thunder was recorded on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd, and again on the 6th. Although the month began with near normal temperatures, a cooling trend was observed over the first fortnight. Around mid-month, with low pressure established to the east, the cool temperatures were pronounced with a fairly persistent north or north-easterly airflow. High pressure brought a change in the weather from the 16th onwards. Clearer skies resulted in days with some prolonged spells of sunshine. The maximum of 12.2 hours was recorded on the 18th. The strong sunshine brought with it a recovery in the temperatures with the daytime monthly maximum of 25.8C reached on the 21st. The clearer skies inevitably brought some misty early mornings with haze recorded on the 17th and 18th. Visibility, however, remained generally good. An unsettled theme marked the end of the month from the 24th onwards. Showers, some heavy, were recorded notably on the 28th and 29th. Although some significant thundery weather was reported in many other parts of the country, Northamptonshire remained relatively unscathed with fairly moderate falls. August Despite the mean temperature being above the long-term average, this August was a much maligned month. The weather was distinctly changeable with some wet spells alternating with periods of fine sunny days. The month began with low pressure in charge. Although the county escaped much of the rain, some notable thundery downpours were recorded on the 3rd. At Pitsford Hall 6.7mm fell in just 15 minutes just after 1600hrs GMT. High pressure then built from the 4th bringing a spell of warm weather with daytime maxima generally above 22C. It remained dry apart from some showers on the 7th. An unsettled spell then marked the mid-month period with some frequent outbreaks of rain including 9.1mm on the 15th and 10.1mm on the 18th. Temperatures then deteriorated from the maximum of 27.4C on the 12th. Despite the rain, some good sunshine was recorded on several days. The weather was influenced by high pressure during the third week bringing about a gradual recovery in temperatures and daily sunshine. However, a short unsettled spell then followed on the 25th and 26th with outbreaks of rain before high pressure re-introduced a fine spell towards the end of the month. As if only to emphasise its fickle nature, August went out with some heavy rain on the 31st. September An unsettled spell of weather marked the first week of September. The 1st saw some thundery activity, but a small ridge of high pressure then made for a short dry period on the 3rd and 4th. The high pressure resulted in a particularly clear night on the 4th and with virtually calm conditions a sharp ground frost was recorded with grass minima at -4C. Rain then returned although the daily totals across Northamptonshire were modest. A succession of lows made for some quite windy weather with gusts reaching 30mph or more on the 2nd and 6th. From the 7th onwards a warming trend was observed reaching the highest daytime maximum of the month (27.9C) on the 11th. From the 11th onwards a progressive deterioration in the weather occurred. Daytime temperatures saw a marked decline and a succession of misty mornings, extensive cloud and periods of heavy rain, especially around the start of the third week, gave a distinctly autumnal feel. 19.5mm of rain fell at Pitsford Hall over a period of 17.1hrs between 0900GMT on the 14th and 0900GMT on the 15th. Further heavy falls occurred up until the 19th when 10.5mm was recorded; the latter resulting in flood warnings being issued for several rivers across the county. The period from the 20th until the 23rd saw a slight recovery with some brighter mornings and more respectable daily sunshine totals. However, from the 24th another very wet spell brought 11.4mm on the 24th and 15.2mm on the 25th. The month then ended with a vigorous Atlantic low dominating the scene bringing further strong winds with gusts of up to 27mph and brief thunder on the 30th. October This October was a very unsettled month. The rainfall total, 110.8mm, was more than double average for October (243%) and Northampton's wettest October since 1960 (157.7mm). The end of the month saw some particularly stormy weather with widespread flooding and some structural damage attributed to gale force winds. October opened on a fairly changeable theme associated with a number of swift moving lows and weather fronts. It was generally windy with gusts up to 35mph on the 2nd and 32mph on the 5th. Apart from a fall of 4.1mm, daily rainfall totals climbed slowly from 0.6mm on the 4th to 10.5mm on the 7th. In between the cloud and rain some fairly respectable sunshine totals were recorded. The period between the 9th and the 12th was particularly wet associated with a slow moving low over northern Britain. 15mm of rain fell in 6 hours at Pitsford Hall, although more torrential downpours affected other parts of the country, with notable flooding in Kent and Sussex. Much of the period between the 13th and the 25th was marked by a generally changeable spell of weather. Winds were generally light and southerly in direction, although a swing round to the north associated with the appearance of a small ridge led to a chilly night on the 17th with a ground frost. Again some days had respectable sunshine totals, although the period between the 14th and 16th remained cloudy. The 20th was a particularly wet day with a fall of 10.8mm. The final week was especially wet culminating in 28.7mm of rain of the 29th associated with a deep depression. Strong gale force winds whipped across the county late on the 29th and early on the 30th with gusts reaching 54mph. Falling trees blocked roads and flood warnings were issued for the rivers Nene, Avon and Ouse. Trains out of Northampton were cancelled for a time during the morning on the 30th. November A very wet start as low pressure to the west moved northwards during the period of 1st - 4th. Bands of rain and showers affected many places, especially western areas. Thunder was reported from Sussex on the 3rd, however England was mostly sunny on the 4th (Pitsford had 5.5 hours of sunshine). During the period of 5th - 8th a deep low moved from SW approaches to the English Channel then to the North Sea bringing copious amounts of rain and strong winds to many areas (Pitsford had gusts of up to 31mph and rainfall of 25.6 mm on the 5th). Some of the showers became thundery on the 6th & 7th, but were mainly scattered by the 8th (no thunder recorded at Pitsford). From the 9th to the 14th low pressure moved from Iceland to Ireland, then to Scotland & the North Sea. Rain & showers affected many parts, in particular a slow moving cold front on the 11th-12th brought much wind & rain. Sunny intervals & clear skies later allowed some overnight frost. 15th - 20th After a chilly start [Pitsford recorded -1.7°C early on the 15th] a deep low off Iceland migrated to Scotland by 19th/20th bringing yet more spells of rain & showers. Later some showers turned thundery, with sleet & snow reported over northern hills. The 21st - 27th was a very wet & disturbed period as a series of Atlantic depressions passed close by (17.3mm total recorded during these dates at Pitsford). Wind & rain were the dominant themes, especially on the 21st, 25th and 27th. Thunder accompanied some of the showers later during the 25th and 26th. A gust of 92mph was recorded at Mumbles/Swansea on the 25th, although only 40mph was recorded at Pitsford. After a rather cold start it became milder later. On the 27th another depression brought rain, hill & coastal fog & very mild air from the south. The 28th - 30th was mostly very mild & cloudy. Some heavy rain affected northern England on the 28th, while more showery conditions prevailed during the 29th particularly around western coasts. As the month ended further rain spread across from the SW. Some places in Gwynedd/north Wales received more than 460mm or 18inches of rain. This was Northampton's wettest November since 1984 (98.7mm) and the second wettest since 1970 (125.7mm) December The first two weeks of December were very unsettled, albeit rather mild. Low pressure to the west brought bands of rain across the county during the first week with further deep depressions in the second week. Thunder was heard at Pitsford on the 6th with 16.4mm of rain recorded on a very wet day on the 7th. Winds were also strong with gusts of up to 44mph on the 7th and 46mph on the 8th. A rather cold spell then followed during the third week with daily temperatures falling continually until the 18th. Air frosts were recorded from the 15th until the 18th, and ground frosts from the 14th until the 18th. A milder spell of weather then followed which brought some foggy mornings and overcast conditions from the 19th until the 26th. Some heavy showers on the 23rd and 24th. Christmas Eve was particularly wet with 9.1mm falling over a 15.5 hours. Although the county missed out on a white Christmas, significant snow fell in the early hours of the 28th giving a covering of 8.0cm at Pitsford. With severe overnight frosts (down to -7.4C on the 29th) snow lay on the ground for the last few days of the month. The 29th was a particularly cold day with air maxima not rising above freezing (-0.4C). Overall, December's temperatures balanced out at around the long term average (-0.1C) with rainfall amounts very slightly above the norm (122.5%).
ANNUAL STATISTICS FOR 2000
Air Temperatures Mean maximum: 14.1C Mean minimum: 6.6C Overall mean: 10.4C Difference from average (1961-1990): (+0.4C) Highest maximum: 30.3C on 19th June Lowest maximum: -0.4C on 29th December Highest minimum: 17.1C on 19th June Lowest minimum: -7.4C on 29th December Lowest grass minimum: -13.6C on 30th December Rainfall Total: 754.3mm % of average (1961-1990): 128.7% Raindays: 185 Wetdays: 137 Most in a day: 28.7mm on 29th October Other days over 25mm: 25.6mm on 5th November Duration of rainfall: 611.5 hours Lowest pH: 4.8 on 3rd May Days with Air frost: 30 Ground frost: 102 Sleet/snow falling: 5 Snow lying at 0900hrs: 5 Thunder heard: 12 Hail <0.5cm: 9 Hail>=0.5cm: 0 Fog at 0900hrs: 31 Sunshine Total: 1394 hours Most in a day: 12.7 hours on 12th June Sunless days: 66 Soil Temperatures 5cm mean: 9.4C 10cm mean: 9.9C 20cm mean: 10.6C 30cm mean: 11.2C 40cm mean: 11.3C 50cm mean: 11.6C 100cm mean: 11.2C Wind Number of days with wind from: N 39, NE 59, E 32, SE 24, S 54, SW 69, W 28, NW 49, Calm 9, Variable 2 Mean wind speed: 6.0mph Maximum Gust: 60mph on 4th April Other days with gusts >50mph: 55mph (28th, 29th January), 57mph (8 February), 53mph (14 March), 54mph (29 October), 56mph (12 December) Other Observations Mean cloud cover: 73.8% Mean relative humidity (at 0900hrs): 87.3% Frost duration: 237 hours Mean SL pressure (at 0900hrs): 1012.8mb Highest SL pressure: 1040mb on 16th January Lowest SL pressure: 965.1mb on 11th October
Click here to view the annual register for 2000.
