Autumn Weather Archives - Durham City UK Weather

November 2022 Weather in Durham – Very mild and unsettled

April 24, 2023December 1, 2022 by Durham Weather

The Weather at Gilesgate, Durham November 2022

A very mild November at Durham, with the first half being especially so, but as usual in such a mild month it was also very wet.

The peak of the month’s warmth was on 11th November, when 16.5 degC was reached. The night of 11th November was the warmest November night on record at Durham. The maximum actually reached 10 degC or more on 16 days in the month, which is quite respectable. There was only one air frost recorded (-0.3 on 29th).

The outstanding event of the month was the extraordinary total of rain on 17th November. The total of 55.7mm was recorded during the passing of a depression and although the total was a mammoth one for Gilesgate, there is no special mention of it in Professor Tim Burt’s notes for Durham University, so it seems to be a hyper-local total. The total for 17th was 31.6mm there, so it may have been split over two rainfall reporting days.

Note : The total for 16th-17th November 2022 at Durham University was 52.4mm. Their reporting retains the 0900-0900 throwback system, whereas at Gilesgate I report on a midnight-midnight system. The two totals are therefore very congruent after all. The total for 15th-17th at Gilesgate was 79.1mm (22.0,1.4 and 55.7). At Durham University Observatory it was 73.2mm (20.8,20.8 and 31.6).

Weather of November 2022 at Durham. Daily Summary 2

Weather of November 2022 at Durham. Temperature Summary

From Trevor Harley

Very mild and unsettled, and very wet in places. It was the joint seventh mildest in the CET series, and since 1900 only 1994, 2011, 1938, and 2015 were milder, and the third warmest for the UK overall in records going back to 1884 (only 1994 and 2011 were milder). The month had a very mild first half with S and SW winds bringing warm air from the Azores. A new record high minimum was set for Scotland on the night of 10th-11th, with the temperature falling no lower than 14.6C at both Kinloss and Prestwick. It was the mildest Armistice Day on record, with 15.9C recorded at Myerscough (Lancs.). The warmest ever day so late in the year, 21.2 C, was recorded at Porthmadog on the 13th (which was also the highest temperature of the month). It was cooler towards the end of the month. It was generally a wet month, particularly in the Western Isles, eastern Scotland, and southern England; UK rainfall was 130% of average overall, and sunshine 95%, with it being particularly dull in the east. The coldest temperature was -6.0 C at Aviemore on the 30th, and 115.6 mm of rain fell in the rain day ending 9 am on the 11th at Achnagart (Ross & Cromarty). Shoreham (West Sussex) recorded 224 mm of rain for the month (compared with an average of about 90 mm).

https://www.trevorharley.com/2022.html

From Durham University Observatory

Despite three cold days at the end of the month, this was still the 5^th mildest November on record, a touch warmer than last year but just a bit cooler than November 2020.

The night of 11^th November is the warmest on record for the month (14.4 °C), easily beating the previous record-holder, 11^th November 2015 (13.7 °C); only three days were warmer this month! That night was followed by a maximum of 16.9 °C, the 9^th warmest November day since 1843. There was the 3^rdhighest mean grass minimum for November since 1874, exceeded only in 2011 and 2021, with 7 fewer ground frosts than usual. It was a wet month and, whilst nowhere near as the record holder 1965 (186.1 mm), it was nevertheless the equal 19^th wettest November since 1850. Not surprisingly, it was a dull month, the equal 19^th dullest November since 1880.

For autumn as a whole, this was the fourth warmest on record (11.3 °C), beaten only in 2011, 2021 and 2006. The mean maximum temperature (14,5 °C) is the 5^th highest on record whilst the mean minimum (8.1 °C) is 2^nd equal highest. There were just 4 air frosts, 7 fewer than normal and just 5 ground frosts, 12 fewer than normal, the 2^nd lowest autumn total on record. The minimum on the night of 11^th November is the equal 4^th highest for autumn, remarkable for so late in the year. It was a wet autumn (292.6 mm), 150% of the average, the 11^th wettest autumn on record. There were 65 rain days, the 5^th highest autumn total. The sunshine total (298.4 hours) was just 24 minutes below the average!

Emeritus Professor Tim Burt

Department of Geography

Durham University

October 2022 Weather in Durham – Mainly mild and unsettled

April 8, 2023November 1, 2022 by Durham Weather

The Weather at Gilesgate, Durham October 2022

The month was very mild. The temperature reached double figures every day, with an average max of nearly 15 degrees centigrade. There were no air frosts at all during the month. Professor Tim Burt reported that October 2022 was the 6th warmest October since 1843 at Durham. Thirteen days exceeded 15 degC at Gilesgate (14 at Durham University Observatory).

Rainfall was well distributed across the month. The wettest day was the 20th (23.2mm) and the total of 82mm was a little on the wet side overall for October.

From Trevor Harley

Mild and unsettled, although with a cooler second week and very mild final ten days, with warm air sucked up from the south. There was generally little frost around. Maximum temperatures were most above average in SE England, and minimum temperatures most above average in central Scotland. (I can vouch for that; see my weather diary pages for my own weather station in East Scotland). The CET was 12.8 C, +2.0 over the 1990-2020 mean, making it the joint fifth warmest on record (since 1659, after 2001, which had an average of 13.2, and 1969, 2005, and 2006; six of the ten warmest Octobers have occurred since 2000). Rainfall was slightly higher than average (115%), although it was very wet in Northern Ireland but relatively dry in the east, where rain is most needed. It was generally a sunny month (114%), particularly in the east and central areas, especially north Norfolk, except for western Scotland. The highest temperature of the month was 22.9C at Kew Gardens in London, unusually right at the end of the month, on the 29th, and the lowest temperature of the month an unremrakable -3.8 at Aboyne (Aberdeenshire) on the 15th. The daily highest rainfall total was 102.6 mm at Honister Pass (Cumbria) on the 4-5th. So far every month in 2022 has been above temperature, and it has been the warmest January-October period in the UK on record. To date, much of East Anglia and the southeast of England have only seen half the expected rainfall for the year so far.

https://www.trevorharley.com/2022.html

From Durham University Observatory

This is the 14^th month in a row to experience above-average mean air temperature, a remarkable result given that the standard averaging period (1991-2020) is so recent. The mean air temperature is the 6^th highest on record for October since 1843. The mean maximum is the equal 9^th highest. Fourteen days had maximum temperatures above 15 °C but the absolute maximum was only 17.7 °C, equal 91^st in the annual series; in all 220 October days have been warmer, with the maximum of 25.3 C on 1^st October 2011. Reflecting such a mild month, the mean minimum temperature is the equal 8^th highest on record since 1850; the absolute minimum (2.6 °C) is also the 8^th highest in the annual series, with 8 absolute minima exceeding 10 °C this month. There were no air frosts and just one grass frost.

This was a wet month with six more rain days than normal, the equal 11^th highest total of October rain days on record. It was the 40^th wettest October on record (n=173) so just into the upper quartile. Nevertheless, it was a sunny month, well above average, the 7^th sunniest October on record since 1880.

Emeritus Professor Tim Burt

Department of Geography

Durham University

October 2022

September 2022 Weather in Durham – Wetter than normal, slightly warmer

April 24, 2023October 1, 2022 by Durham Weather

September banner : an apple and a pencil

The Weather at Gilesgate, Durham September 2022

The first days of September 2022 continued in the same vein as the Summer of 2022.

The temperature reached 20 degC for the first seven days and for ten of the first thirteen. After that, it cooled slightly, but not markedly so. It still finished as a top 13 September though (reported by Professor Tim Burt below) and looked to be a contender for warmest September early on.

Three days had > 10mm of rainfall and overall the total of 90mm was on the high side for September. It was however the first month since May 2022 to receive more than the average monthly rainfall.

Overall, a pleasant month.

From Trevor Harley

September. Overall slightly warmer, wetter, and duller than average, although with wide geographical variations. Generally unsettled, it was quite warm for the first 12 days before becoming cooler, and then cold right at the end. It was relatively dry in NW Scotland and East Anglia, and wet in parts of the SE, east Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Overall rainfall was 111% of average, and sunshine 92%. The highest temperature of the month was 27.7C at Felsham (Suffolk) on the 4th, and the lowest -1.7 at Shap (Cumbria) on the 17th. 100.4 mm of rain fell in the final rain day of the monthat Seathwaite (Cumbria).

https://www.trevorharley.com/2022.html

From Durham University Observatory

The first few days of September reflected the warmth of summer: for the first time since 1999, all the first seven days of September had a maximum temperature above 20 °C; this also happened in 1939 and 1947. Thereafter, autumn set in, with cooler days and nights, and prospect of a record-breaking September soon receded! Nevertheless, it was still a very warm month, the 13^th equal warmest September since 1843. There was the 29^th equal highest mean maximum and the 12^th equal highest mean minimum. There were no very warm days but the absolute maximum on the 5^th (23.1 °C) is nevertheless the 124^th equal warmest September day on record. The minimum of 15.4 °C on the 4^th is the 19^th equal highest absolute minimum on record for September (n=5388). The mean grass minimum is the 12^th equal highest on record since 1874. This was the 13^th month in a row to be warmer than average.

September was a wet month: the 22^nd wettest September since 1850, the first month since May to record above-average rainfall. Sunshine was just below average, the least sunny September since 2017.

Emeritus Professor Tim Burt

Department of Geography

Durham University

September 2022

Storm Warning – Storm Arwen threatens North East

May 1, 2023November 26, 2021 by Durham Weather

WEATHER WARNING !!

We don’t need to do this often here, but the North East of England is at threat from Storm Arwen, an extremely potent storm system that will affect us overnight on 26th/27th of November.

Here is the advisory. Please take heed and keep yourselves safe. No doubt there’ll be the urge to capture epic weather pics/videos, but please don’t put yourselves at risk.

I’ll be doing a special article once we get through it. Batten down the hatches and fingers crossed.

UPDATE : Aftermath Photos

UPDATE by Cllr Chris Fletcher on 27/11/2021

Dear all

I thought that it would be useful to provide a supplementary update to the Durham Winter update after what has been a difficult night.

In some locations winds have nearly reached 100mph, this combined with rain and snow on the higher ground has caused damage to buildings, flooding and a large number of trees to fall and close roads across the county.

The drifting snow and high winds have closed roads at the following locations, gritters and additional plant continue to clear these areas

Weardale Area

A689 Killhope to Cumbria County Boundary Due to Snow
B6295 Cowshill to Allenheads. Due to Snow
B6278 Stanhope to Edmundbyers. Due to Snow
B6278 Stanhope to Egglestone Due to Snow
C20. Crawleyside Stanhope Due to Snow
C21 Rookhope to Allenheads. Due to Snow
C16 Crawleyside Stanhope. Due to Snow
C77 Ireshopeburn to Rookhope. Due to Snow
C78 Westgate to Rookhope. Due to Snow
C28. Westgate to Newbiggin. Due to Snow

C75 Frosterley to Stanhope. Due to Fallen Tree
Bishops Auckland to West Auckland. (old A688) Due to Fallen Tree
C93 Witton Park to Escomb. Due to Fallen Tree

Teesdale Area

B6277 Middleton to Harwood Cumbria County Boundary. Due to Snow. Fallen Trees. And Downed Power Lines
B6276 Middleton in Teesdale to Brough Due to Snow. Fallen Trees and Downed Power Lines
C163. Cotherstone to Bowes. Due to Fallen Tree

Several Unclassified Road near Newbiggin have Downed Power Lines All Winter Maintenance Power Gritters and Trailer Gritter on routes and supplemented by additional plant including
2no Multi Hog Snow Blowers and several Loading Shovels/Loadalls and JCB clearing snow trees and debris

A67 Bowes down to 1 Lane due to Power Line down

Several other roads still partially obstructed by trees and cables but passable with care

We have been informed there are power outages in Upper Weardale/Teasdale and part of Toft Hill also damaged phone masts are hampering communications in some areas. Wolsingham depot has no power and the staff have relocated to Tindale, vehicles are refuelling from Meadowfield and Tindale, additional support staff on top of winter/eats are 4no 2man gangs dealing with flooding.

Flooding

A167 Newton Aycliffe
Tunstal Rd, Wolsingham
A689 Howden to Crook
Crook to Billy Row.

Once cleared they will continue to support with the tree clearing operation, CRM received + 200 calls throughout the night. After moving the obstructions there will be an extensive clean up operation required to clear the debris working closely with colleague in Clean and Green

Both snow blowers including nursey vehicle are working in Weardale Area and 5no loading shovels snow clearing in High Pennine & Low Pennine domains.

The forecast is sub zero almost county wide with extreme cold conditions in High Pennine domains tomorrow morning so we are trying to reopen as much of the priority network as possible during the day.

The managers will continue to update the Road Closure email list and maintain communications

See : BBC – Storm Arwen brings snow, waves and winds

October 5th 2021 – What a Deluge!

April 9, 2023October 6, 2021 by Durham Weather

As some of you may have noticed, yesterday (October 5th 2021) was extremely wet! After a long spell with no real heavy rain, it seemingly all arrived on one day.

We’d been warned to expect heavy rainfall, but it proved even wetter than that. Durham and North East England just seemed to be in the wrong place this time!

Here’s the record from my log in Gilesgate. It shows the final total of rainfall for 5th October 2021.

The final accumulated 43.8mm is quite an impressive total. The 40mm mark of rainfall in a single day isn’t breached too often in Durham, and looking back into my records for Gilesgate, it was the wettest day at my weather station since 22nd November 2017, when an extraordinary storm dropped 49.3mm on Durham in just a few hours.

Other areas of North East England also had very high totals on 5th October 2021, including a fall of 64mm in Leadgate, nr. Consett. There were also reports of flooding in both Sunderland and Newcastle.