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Hyde Heath Weather 2012 |
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Hyde Heath Weather 2012 |
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Weather reports by Gary Beynon based on his own observations & measurements
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I had worked out the start to this report just before the end of April; it was all about records. Wrong! When the month finally finished we had not broken the rainfall record in Hyde Heath; we missed it by just a fraction of a millimetre. The records being quoted by the Met Office were not be mirrored in our village. The difference I suspect is in the very local showers that made up part of the month; Hyde End could have had more rain than Westfield. That said it was a very wet month especially as the first 3 months of the year were actually so dry. What is a fact is that we had more rain in April than in January, February and March combined (105.6mm). Does all that rain herald an end to the drought and hose pipe ban? No it will not. The problem is that the ground is so hard beneath the surface that the water is not going in and down, much has run off and more will be taken up by the grass and trees. It has been good for the gardens though. The wettest April since records began (in Hyde Heath anyway) was in 2000 when we had 139mm. The year 2000 was also very wet in total with over 1000mm some 30% above our 30 year average; what does the rest of 2012 hold for us? Compared with last year April was cold but 2011 was exceptional.
The facts and figures 2012 2011 Maximum temperature șC 18.6 25.6 Mean max temp șC 13.65 19.17 Minimum temperature șC -0.6 3.8 Mean min temp șC 4.64 7.53 Days with frost 8 0 Days above 15șC 6 27 Rainfall mm 138.7 7.8 Days with rainfall 16 7 Wettest April since 1981 139mm in 2000 Average rainfall since 1981 61.02mm
Rainfall graph for April
Gary Beynon May3rd 2012
WEATHER REPORT FOR MARCH 2012 Drought, hose pipes prohibited, rivers running dry, reservoirs low; all characteristics of a prolonged dry period. March again had below average rainfall (as did February) and the rainfall from October 2011 to March 2012 was also a long way short of average. The last 2 periods when the underground aquifers are replenished ie Oct to March 2010/11 and 2011/12, have had just 71% of the average rainfall and the 31 year average is reducing because of the dry winters. In the last 10 years, half the years have recorded below average winter rain. This last winter rainfall has been the lowest since the 1990/01 period. Bottom line is that we are going through a dry period. (Cuewatch out for deluges in the near future!!). Dry certainly, mild as well. The average maximum temperature this March was 2.2șC higher than last year. At the end of March we had 14 consecutive days with no rain and 10 of those days were virtually unbroken sunshine. What does this say for the summer? Wait and see! As I write this on April Fools Day, the forecast is for snow on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week; what a contrast. Facts and figures : March 2012 March 2011 Maximum temperature șC 19.5 17.1 Mean max temp șC 13.96 11.7 Minimum temperature șC 0.8 -2.1 Mean min temp șC 4.11 3.48 Days with frost 8 8 Rainfall mm 28.5 11.3 Days with rain 5 12
Gary Beynon April 1st 2012
February 2012 February was yet another dry month with well below average rainfall. The wet months of October to March, when our reservoirs are replenished, have not delivered again this year. Last year was below the average and we need a VERY wet March to come up to the mark. This does not seem likely. Not only was it dry but also there was a cold patch with temperatures falling much lower than we have had in Hyde Heath for quite some years. It was not as cold as our neighbours in Chesham who had the dubious distinction of being the coldest in the country on at least one night. Chesham is notorious for frosts being at the end of the same valley with Rickmansworth, a town quoted in the textbooks as having more frosts than many especially for a town this far south. Then the temperatures rocketed and we have seen double figures since the 21st. It has been a very variable month with snow on 2 days, temperatures barely above freezing during the day for a short period and then high values as the month wore on. I am glad that I only attempt to report the weather and not forecast it!
Facts and figures for February 2012 2011 Maximum temp șC 15.5 13.8 Average max temp șC 7.76 9.45 Minimum temp șC -8.7 0.5 Average min temp șC 1.31 4.62 Days of frost 12 1 Days max > 10șC 13 11 Rainfall mm 24.4 61.9 Average rainfall in February mm 58.23 Days of rain 6 23 Days with snow 2 0 Average Oct to March rainfall mm 429 Oct to Feb 2011/12 mm 234.9
Gary Beynon Mar 1st 2012
January 2012 January turned out to be a very cold month with below average rainfall and one of contrasts. The first 11 days saw temperatures around 10șC during the day with no frost, then 6 days with half the daytime temperature and overnight frost. Then the temperatures rose again and it wasnt until the last 3 days that we returned to lower daytime and below zero temperatures at night. Although the rainfall was below average, there were 19 days of recordable rainfall. Over the last 32 years, January rainfall has been above the moving average in 17 years and below in the others. 2011 was also a mild January with not dissimilar temperatures, and rainfall was nearly twice this year. Mild Januarys are not unusual; looking back over the past 10 years shows that the month is frequently mild. February has started with something of a sting; it remains to be seen what the whole month will bring.
The facts and figures: January 2012 January 2011 Maximum temperature șC 11.9 13.1 Average max temp șC 8.69 6.47 Minimum temperature șC -2.1 -1.8 Average min temp șC 2.79 2.18 Rainfall mm 52.7 91.9 Average over last 32 years 81.83 Days with rain 19 23 Days with frost 11 13
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| Gary Beynon Feb 6th 2012 |
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