WEATHER REPORT FOR 2003
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for January-July or here
for July-December.
Click here to view report for 2002.
MONTH BY MONTH ASSESSMENT
January
Headline: Following a wet start, a protracted cold snap leading into an unseasonably mild spell in the latter half, then ending cold again with snow showers. January opened on a very unsettled theme with a complex area of low pressure with at least five discrete centres and associated frontal systems straddling the British Isles. The system continued to deepen on the 1st and 2nd before high pressure became established west of Ireland. Both the 1st and 2nd were particularly wet days with totals reaching 13.4mm and 12.1mm respectively. Despite the low pressure winds remained comparatively gentle. With high pressure gaining ground and remaining generally centred to the west of Britain over the following few days, a run of cold northerly or north-easterly winds brought a sharp cold snap across the county. Daytime maxima fell markedly, reaching only 0.1C on the 7th and 0.9C on the 8th with a bitterly cold night to follow with lows of -4.2C. A frontal system tied into low pressure north of Scandinavia also brought snow overnight with accumulations to 2.5cm at Pitsford Hall. High pressure then slipped away southwards from the 12th onwards allowing a run of mild south or south-westerly winds bringing to an end the cold spell. Temperatures climbed handsomely over the next few days reaching a high of 10C on the 15th with overnight temperatures holding up at 7.0C. By about the 15th Britain had become caught in between a fairly intense low moving to the north of Scotland and high pressure firm over continental Europe. This brought a succession of fairly windy days, gusts to 39mph on the 16th, although it remained dry. Britain became increasingly under the influence of a succession of Atlantic lows from the 18th onwards. Active fronts gave rise to substantial rainfall totals with 16.0mm being recorded on the 18th and a further 11.8mm being noted for the 20th. However, on the 23rd a ridge of high pressure gained control over the south bringing a brief dry and sunny spell (6.1hrs) before ceding to an Atlantic air flow bringing unseasonably mild conditions and showery spells. By the 27th daytime maxima had climbed to a noticeably warm 13.5C. However, the month was to close in a rather more wintry fashion as the UK became sandwiched between low pressure over Scandinavia and an extension of high pressure northwards from the Azores. This forced a run of very cold northerly winds across the UK bringing temperatures tumbling and snow showers to the 28th and 30th. Overall January was about average temperature-wise with rainfall slightly up on the average.
February
Headline: A dry month with less than half the average rainfall for February. Very mild second week followed by a cold snap in the third week. February opened on a changeable theme as low pressure tracked between Iceland and Scandinavia. There were some days of pleasant sunshine, but generally temperatures were depressed and snow showers broke out on the 1st, 3rd and 4th and light rain showers on other days. Frosts were commonplace overnight and ground frosts became quite severe on the 5th (-8.0C) and 6th. However, it did turn mild on the 7th as winds swung round from the south. The second week began a mild spell as Atlantic frontal systems crossed the county. Rainfall was noticeable on the 8th and 10th. Passage of the eastward moving weather fronts was arrested by a developing area of high pressure to the east from the 12th onwards which produced grey and murky conditions at first and then a transition to typical cold and dry anticyclonic weather. The cold snap lasted through to the 19th. Winds were frequent easterlies, sometimes south-easterlies, and although some pleasant sunny spells were had by day, overnight frosts again became commonplace with some pretty cold mornings towards the end of this period. The lowest overnight minimum of -5.2C was recorded on the 18th. High pressure then waned and Atlantic systems again prevailed bringing changeable conditions through to the 26th. Although there were still frequent overnight frosts, by day the mostly southerly airflow made it feel respectably mild. It remained dry across the county, despite some fairly cloudy days and a lot of low cloud, mist and fog around in the mornings (22nd and 24th). The month ended on an unsettled note as an intensifying Atlantic low drove bands of heavy rain across the country, although amounts were modest in the county with just 2.3mm recorded on the 28th.
March
Headline: A dry month with less than 65% of the average rainfall falling within the first week. Mostly anticyclonic, mild and sunny. March opened on an unsettled note. The first week was generally unsettled with spells of rain. A slow moving cold front gave a particularly wet day on the 5th with 16.3mm falling over 12 hours. Despite the unsettled conditions, some sunny days were experienced on the 2nd and 6th, and temperatures were generally mild for the time of year. A spell of windy weather ensued from the 7th as vigorous depressions tracked to the north-west. A maximum gust of 42mph was recorded on the 7th and wind speeds reached the mid to high 30's until at least the 12th. Despite the 4.4mm recorded on the 7th, a dry period commenced until the end of the month, interrupted only by trace totals on the 9th and 10th and 0.4mm on the 11th. Mean temperatures also rose, augmented particularly by some mild nights on the 9th, 10th and 11th. The weather from the 12th through to the 19th was influenced by anticyclonic conditions. High pressure remained fixed over the North Sea. Although temperatures reached respectable values by day with prolonged sunshine following some early morning mist and fog, overnight temperatures fell dramatically with a return to air frosts absent from the first half of the month. The frost and early morning fog were further encouraged by a drop in wind speeds to a low of 2.6mph (24-hr mean) on the 18th. Anticyclonic conditions persisted through to the 27th, although from the 20th the centre of the high had begun to migrate towards eastern Europe. It became quite warm by day with a high of 18.3C recorded on the 23rd. Some good sunshine totals were also recorded. Clear skies by night led to inevitable frosts, although from the 24th overnight temperatures began to recover. The high pressure gave way to some weak frontal systems on the 28th and 29th before re-establishing itself on the 30th. The county remained dry, albeit cloudy, maintaining 'drought' conditions which began in the county on the 12th. March exited on a positively spring-like theme with a couple of warm and sunny days.
April
Headline: Very dry with most of the rain falling in the final week. A particularly warm spell around mid-month. The month opened as an active frontal system tracked across the county. The 1st was particularly windy with blustery showers and gusts reaching 50mph. With the exception of some light showers on the 9th and sleet on the 10th, there followed a protracted dry period until the 20th. High pressure over Scandinavia became the dominant feature of the weather. By day it was sunny, although overnight from the 7th air and ground frosts were commonplace. From the 13th onwards temperatures began to recover and by the 16th had reached a very warm daytime maximum of 25.4C. The ground also became noticeably dry with cracking appearing in the bare patch at Pitsford unusually early in the year. Daily sunshine totals throughout this period were good with over 11hrs being recorded on consecutive days from the 16th to the 19th. The 19th saw something of a change in the weather. Low pressure moved up from the south bringing a good deal of cloud and noticeably cooler temperatures. Showers finally broke out on the 20th followed by a brief return of dry and sunny conditions until the 24th. The final week was mostly unsettled with lows tracking across or near to the county. 5.5mm fell in just under 2hrs on the 24th. In fact three-quarters of April's rain fell between the 24th and the end of the month with every day seeing either showers or more prolonged spells of rain. Showers on the 29th and 30 had thunder thrown in and just as the month started it also ended on a windy note. Overall this was Northampton's driest April since 1984.
May
Headline: Changeable with low pressure influencing conditions throughout much of the month. High pressure brought a very warm spell in the final week. As April came to a close on a very unsettled note so May began with low pressure close by bringing heavy rain on the 1st and 2nd. The 1st caught the most rainfall of any day in May with 9.1mm recorded over 7 hours. Although showers were accompanied by thunder in many parts, no such activity was recorded at Pitsford. Winds were also strong, mainly southerly, with gusts reaching 37mph on the 2nd. Drier and calmer conditions ensued on the 3rd and the 4th became noticeably warm with a daytime maximum of 22.1C. Some weak weather fronts crossed the county over the following week bringing a rather changeable theme of some warm sunny days broken up by rather cooler, cloudier days with spells of light rain or drizzle. The weather from the 11th until the 21st was influenced by the passage of two low pressure systems to the north. As the first tracked across, it became noticeably cooler as winds veered round to a north-westerly direction. Overnight temperatures dropped especially, with a noticeable ground frost on the 15th. There were frequent showers and longer spells of rain often with thunder and/or hail mixed in. A transient ridge built in on the 14th giving a brief window before the second system edged in from the west. Again it remained cool, although the fairly brisk south-westerlies held up the overnight temperatures. A third more discrete area of low pressure maintained the unsettled conditions from the 22nd to the 25th. Moving southwards across the North Sea the system brought with it some sharp showers to the county on the 24th. The month came to a close as the Azores high expanded towards Scandinavia. This brought with it dry conditions and a consistent increase in daytime temperatures culminating in the highest maximum of the month on the 31st of 27.5C. Cloud was remained fairly extensive and persistent on the 27th and 28th, but generally sunshine totals were very respectible with 12.5 and 12.4 hours being recorded on the 30th and 31st respectively.
June
Headline: Changeable but with above average temperatures and sunshine. Rainfall just short of the average, but with some particularly wet days marked by thundery downpours. The month began on a warm and sunny note, although becoming increasingly unsettled from the 4th as fronts and areas of low pressure moved across the county. Heavy and thundery showers which affected parts of Leicestershire were largely unrecorded in Pitsford. The 6th and 7th were particularly wet days (6.1mm and 9.4mm respectively), although some sunshine still managed to break through. The period from the 10th to the 16th was generally settled as an area of high pressure took charge. It became very warm and sunny. 13.7 hours of sunshine were recorded on 13th, the greatest daily amount for several years at Pitsford Hall, and by the 16th daytime maxima had risen to 26.8C. The settled spell was broken in many areas by heavy thunderstorms on the 17th and, although thunder was heard at Pistford, the day remained dry. Pressure continued to climb from the 18th culminating in a very warm and sunny day on the 20th. The 22nd saw low pressure working eastwards over northern Britain and this triggered some thundery downpours as the daytime maximum reached 28.9C at Pitsford (the highest June maximum recorded since 6th June 1996). 18.9mm of rain fell in the space of 7.3hrs. A quiet period then followed as a ridge of high pressure developed from Scandinavia. Winds were generally light and although coming from a cooler northerly direction, daytime maxima remained consistently in the low 20s with good spells of sunshine. The last few days of June were generally unsettled. The 27th saw some thunderstorms and the day remained cloudy. Conversely, the 28th and 29th saw some good sunshine amounts, although heavy downpours on the 29th accumulated 6.1mm in the space of 2 hours. Overall, this was the warmest June in Northampton since 1996.
July
Headline: Changeable with a notable heat wave around mid-month. Overall above average temperatures and sunshine. The month opened with low pressure dominating the picture bringing a spell of unsettled weather. Following rain for the first three days, it turned drier with temperatures rising consistently. The settled conditions were tied into high pressure which developed over Europe. Unlike many areas, sunshine totals across the county were rather modest for the most part, although a good 11.4 hours were recorded on the 9th. Temperatures peaked at 28C on the 10th and it then became noticeably fresher as a cold front introduced cooler air on the 11th. From the 12th onwards pressure began to build across Scandinavia and this allowed very warm air to be drawn across the region from continental Europe. Temperatures climbed markedly producing a mini heatwave with a maximum of 31.6C recorded on 15th, the warmest July day since 1996 (33.2C). As an area of low pressure tracked across the country on the 16th, thunderstorms became widespread and brought an end to the hot spell. 8.8mm fell in less than an hour at Pitsford. Further showers were recorded on the 17th, but conditions then became rather quiet with some good sunshine recorded (13.0 hours on the 20th). Atlantic fronts brought an unsettled spell from the 24th onwards. Significant rainfall was recorded (10.1mm on the 25th and 8.0mm on the 26th) lasting a good few hours. Unsettled conditions prevailed until the end of the month with the 29th being another particularly wet day. On the 30th a discrete low triggered some thunderstorms across the county (Desborough), although there were no reports of tornadoes being sited as in areas further east (Norfolk).
August
Headline: The second driest August in Northampton since 1947 after 1995 and the hottest since 1983. Heatwave raises mean temperatures a good 2C above average. Losses by evaporation exceed rainfall by a factor of 17. Unsettled conditions at the end of July spilled over into the start of August. Low pressure to the north-west was responsible for slight rainfall on the 1st, although conditions had improved markedly on the 2nd. The main feature of the weather in August was the heatwave running from the 3rd right through to the 13th associated with high pressure extending from mainland Europe. Daytime maxima reached the high 20s everyday, exceeding 30C on the 4th, 6th, 9th and 10th. Overnight minima remained high giving some rather uncomfortable nights, particularly between the 10th and 12th when temperatures did not fall below 17C. The highest temperature of 34.1C was recorded on the 9th. The county missed out on its chances to reclaim the UK temperature record as 38.1C was recorded on the 10th at Gravesend. Cloud development and consequent thunderstorm kept temperatures at Pitsford pegged back at just 30.9C. Between 1911 and 1990 the UK temperature record of 36.7C was held by Raunds, until beaten by Cheltenham (37.1C). The thundery activity on the 10th delivered 5.9mm of rain at Pitsford and with the exception of the small amounts (0.2mm or less) on the 1st, 27th and 28th, was the only significant 'wet day' in August making this second the driest August in Northampton since 1947 after 1995. A rather changeable period ensued from the 14th. Although dry throughout the county, some rainfall was recorded in western and southern areas. Yet it remained reasonably warm with daytime maxima reaching the low to mid 20s. Some good sunshine totals were recorded between the 14th and 16th. Some fronts gave further light showers in some places on the 21st and 22nd, yet again escaping the county altogether. As the month came to a close in the final week, high pressure developing south of Iceland coupled with a Scandinavian low fed a northerly airflow across the UK bringing temperatures down and for the final four days temperatures fell just short of the 20C mark. Low pressure tracking up from Biscay brought spells of rain on the 27th and 28th, but as previously mentioned amounts were slight. In addition to the drought, this was Northampton's warmest August since 1983 and the maxima of 34.1C on the 9th was the warmest August day in Northampton since 1990. Losses by evaporation exceeded rainfall replenishment by a factor of 17 resulting in significant reductions in reservoir levels across the county.
September
Headline: Another dry month with rainfall substantially below average. Also warm and reasonably sunny. A distinctly autumnal feel in the final week The month opened with high pressure influencing the scene. The county enjoyed a dry few days with some good spells of sunshine (10.9hrs on the 4th) and temperatures rose to a warm 24.7C on 4th & 5th. From the 5th onwards conditions became increasingly unsettled. A succession of depressions and associated fronts tracked across the region. Whilst rain and some thundery showers affected many parts of England and Wales, the county was to wait until the 9th before any significant rain was recorded (6.4mm over 7.1hrs). Further showers were recorded on the 10th and 11th. High pressure developed across the British Isles on the 12th remained a dominant influence over the weather until the 17th. It became very warm once again with daytime maxima typically in the mid 20s, reaching a high of 27.5C on the 17th. Good spells of sunshine were also recorded with winds remainly generally light. Despite an end to the warm conditions forecast for the 18th onwards, the cold front heralding this change became stalled over the north and west allowing the county to continue enjoying some warm and dry weather until the 22nd when the front finally worked south-eastwards bringing some fairly heavy rain (10.3mm in a little under 3 hours). With the front out of the day, high pressure regained control providing a few days of good late September sunshine. Night-time temperatures dropped markedly under clear skies, especially on the 24th with minima recorded of 3.9C, almost low enough for a ground frost at Pitsford (0.4C). A weak cold front then moved southwards on the 26th bringing occasional light showers. As the month came to a close, rain affected many parts of England and Wales, although the county escaped dry.
October
Headline: A cold month with temperatures below average. Anticyclonic around mid-month, but particularly unsettled and wet in the final week. The month opened with the weather being influenced by a low pressure centred over Biscay. A warm, but rather changeable, few days marked the start of October with light showery outbreaks. Further depressions then tracked southwards from Iceland maintaining the unsettled weather. Winds were mainly north or north-westerly giving a cool feel with air temperatures falling close to freezing on the 5th, but low enough to give the first fairly widespread ground frost of the autumn season (-2.4C at Pitsford). Again there were frequent showers, rather heavy on the 6th with 3.7mm falling in a little over an hour, but some good sunny spells developed in between. Anticyclonic conditions began to prevail from the 11th onwards. High pressure developed first over Scandinavia and then migrated southwards to Denwark and thence to Iceland. Winds generally were from an easterly quadrant, south-east at first and then as they backed more north-easterly temperatures began to fall. It became unsettled once more from the 20th. Low pressure over southern Scandinavia migrated south-westwards maintaining the flow of north or north-easterly winds across the region keeping temperatures some way below the average for late October. The 21st and 22nd were particularly cold days, both recording air frosts (-0.9C and -0.5C respectively). The grass minimum on the 21st fell to -4.5C. Showers through this period fell as snow or sleet in some places, but there were no such reports in Northamptonshire. Short-lived high pressure on the 26th and 27th gave a couple of settled days with good autumnal sunshine by day, but some widespread ground frosts overnight. This settled spell was the prelude to a rather wild end to the month. Active Atlantic fronts worked eastwards bringing some of the most substantial rainfall seen across the county since the final week in July. 12.7mm was delivered in 17.7hrs on the 28th and a further 18.3mm fell over 17.4hrs on the 30th. However, this rainfall did little to assist the replenishment of already severly depleted reservoir at Ravensthorpe. A feature of the final week in addition to the rain was the solar storm giving rise to rather spectacular aurora in the night sky.
November
Headline: Changeable and mostly mild despite a brief cold snap in the final week. Wet in the latter half of the month. The month opened on an unsettled theme with low pressure tracking to the north of the region. This brought showers and spells of rain on the 1st and 2nd , although was generally mild. High pressure then developed and moved towards Scandinavia giving a dry spell. It remained mild with winds coming mainly from the south. There were some mist and fog patches around in the morning, but good sunny spells broke through particularly on the 5th and 7th. A change back to unsettled conditions occurred on the 9th as a succession of frontal systems crossed the county from the west. Temperatures settled back to about normal for the time of year. Mornings were occasionally plagued by mist and fog patches, particularly on the 11th. Most days recorded some sunshine, but totals were modest. These fronts were followed on the 13th by an area of low pressure working eastwards from southern Ireland accompanied by strong winds, gusting to 47mph at Pitsford Hall on the 14th and over 50mph in other parts of the county. From the 16th mild and changeable conditions prevailed as the region lay between low pressure to the north and high pressure to the south. It remained generally cloudy and, with the exception of 0.6 hrs on the 18th, no sunshine was recorded between the 17th and the 23rd. Frequent fronts brought a fair amount of rain including 11.4mm of rain on the 22nd associated with a front that had become fairly stationary over the south- east. The unsettled theme continued throughout the final week. The 25th was particularly wet as deep depressions tracked to the north. 11.5mm of rain was delivered over 6.2hrs at Pitsford Hall. The 27th and 28th saw a brief dry interlude with fairly sharp overnight frosts before more mild and wet weather moved in from the west on the 29th. The month ended on the 30th with further showers tied into a low which tracked across the region from the south-west.
December
Headline: Changeable. Dry and cold spells alternating with mild and wet weather. December began on a very wet note with a depression to the south bringing a wet couple of days on the 1st and 2nd. High pressure then became established to the north and a generally dry spell ensued, although turning significantly colder from the 6th onwards as a cold front slipped southwards. Although the high moved off into the continent in the second week a ridge was maintained across the county helping to maintain the fine weather until the 10th. Clear skies overnight on the 7th/8th resulted in a hard frost with grass minima falling to -6.6C. After freezing fog on the morning of the 10th, the weather became influenced by depressions passing to the north. These brought bands of rain which were heavy and prolonged at times, particularly on the 12th when 8.7mm was recorded over nine and a half hours. With a predominantly south-westerly airflow it also turned appreciably milder with highs approaching 13C recorded on the 12th and 13th, a good few degrees above normal for mid-December. The mild conditions ended fairly abruptly on the 14th as winds veered north-westerly. Anticyclonic conditions had returned by mid month. It remained generally dry with overnight minima falling consistently below freezing between the 15th and 19th and with a grass minimum of -6.9C noted on the 16th. Morning visibilities remained generally good and sunshine totals especially on the 17th and 18th were very respectable for December (6.9hrs and 6.7hrs respectively), although fairly extensive fog was reported on the 20th. A depression developed across the UK on the 20th and tracked south- eastwards bringing spells of heavy rain over the next few days. As winds veered north-westerly on the 21st, temperatures remained pretty low with air and ground frost recorded on most days. Some showers fell as snow in areas further north or east, although none was recorded in the county. A second low tracked to the north over the Christmas period, maintaining mild and damp conditions with winds coming in from the south-west. Christmas Day saw a high of 10.1C and was generally dry despite some drizzly spells, whilst Boxing Day was very unsettled with 4.5mm of rain recorded over 2.6hrs. Winds were also pretty strong gusting to 36mph. In addition it was a pretty grey Christmas with no sunshine being recorded from the 23rd until the 27th. December came to a close with a cold snap. Daytime maxima reached only 2.5C on the 29th & 30th and, although air frosts weren’t particularly severe, grass minima fell to around -6C. The cause was a switch to colder northerly winds as the Christmas low tracked eastwards to Scandinavia. The passage of a frontal system across the cold air on the 30th saw the first recordable snowfall of the winter at Pitsford , although amounts were slight and were soon wiped out by heavy and prolonged rain on the 31st.
Climatological Statistics - 2003 Air Temperatures: The Highest Maximum: 34.1C on 9th August The Lowest Maximum: 0.1C on 7th January The Highest Minimum: 18.1C on 11th August The Lowest Minimum: -5.2C on 12th January & 18th February The Mean Maximum: 15.2C The Mean Minimum: 6.1C The Overall Mean: 10.7C Difference from the 1971-2000 mean: +0.4C Relative Humidity: Highest Relative Humidity (at 0900): 100% on 22nd February, 4th & 30th November, 19th December Lowest Relative Humidity (at 0900): 43.6% on 15th May Mean Relative Humidity (at 0900): 83.5% Dew Point: The Highest Dew Point (at 0900): 19.1C on 9th August The Lowest Dew Point (at 0900): -3.8C on 5th January & 17th February The Mean Dew Point (at 0900): 7.5C Rainfall: Total: 481.9mm Duration: 378.1hrs Highest 24 hour fall (from 0900): 18.9mm on 22nd June Rain Days (>/=0.2mm): 130 Wet Days (>/=1.0mm): 88 Difference from the 1971-2000 mean: 77.9% Sunshine: Total Duration of Bright Sunshine: 1760.2hrs Sunniest day: 15.7hrs on 13th July Sunless days: 48 Cloud cover (mean at 0900): 5.3 oktas (66.6%) Pressure (reduced to sea level at 0900): The Highest Pressure: 1040mb on 17th February The Lowest Pressure: 972.4mb on 22nd January Mean Pressure: 1015.1mb Winds Run of wind (mean over 24 hrs): 109.6 miles Mean daily wind speed: 6.4 mph Run of wind: 39962 miles Highest Maximum Gust: 65mph on 30th January Other Gusts >/= 50mph: 55mph on 28th January & 50mph on 29th January Highest wind strength (at 0900): 39.2mph on 29th January Mean wind strength (at 0900): 7.5mph Winds from the Following Directions: N 32 NE 41 E 35 SE 29 S 98 SW 19 W 12 NW 81 Calm 18 Ground Temperatures: Lowest Grass Minimum: -8C on 5th February Mean Grass Minimum: 3.3C Lowest Concrete Minimum: -6.4C on 18th February Mean Concrete Minimum: 5.7C Lowest Bare Earth Minimum: -4.2C on 6th January Mean Bare Earth Minimum: 5.8C Soil/Earth Temperatures: Surface mean: 11.0C 5cm mean: 9.9C 10cm mean: 10.3C 20cm mean: 10.8C 30cm mean: 11.0C 40cm mean: 11.0C 50cm mean: 11.3C 100cm mean: 10.9C Days with: Thunder: 9 Hail less than 0.5mm: 3 Hail greater than/equal to 0.5mm: 0 Snow or snow & rain: 9 Snow lying: 5 Fog 17 Air Frost: 54 Duration of Air Frost: 324hrs Ground Frost: 117 To view the full annual register for 2003, click here for January-July or here for July-December.
