************************************************************************************** MONTHLY WEATHER REPORT FEBRUARY 1999 TEXT-ONLY VERSION Hard copy versions of this report, including graphics, can be obtained from the weather station at the following address: Pitsford Hall weather station Pitsford Hall Moulton Lane Pitsford Northampton NN6 9AX Enclosing a stamped address A4 envelope. The full register can be downloaded separately to this report from this web site. If you encounter any problems in downloading data or viewing the files, please contact the station via the answerphone on 07967 438314. For official purposes, data entries should always be double checked with the station office. ************************************************************************************** Pitsford Hall Weather Station Office: Pitsford Hall Northamptonshire Grammar School Pitsford Northampton NN6 9AX Tel. 01604 880306 Fax. 01604 882212 E-mail weather@brixworth.demon.co.uk Web site http://www.brixworth.demon.co.uk/weather Registered member of the Climatological Observers Link Station grading: A Climatological Station No: 91012 Station Manager: M J Lewis, BSc(Hons), FRGS Observers: Christopher Cockrell Simon Fleming Benjamin Goodyear Alexander Jackman Andrew Sunderland Honorary Foundation Observers: Paul Dickens William Keggin Martin Sheehy Andrew Stanton Statistical Analysis of Air Observations - February 1999 Temperatures: Mean Max: 7.9C Mean Min: 1.5C Mean Temp: 4.7C (mean comparison: 130%) Highest Max: 14.3C on 19th Lowest Max: 0.7C on 8th Highest Min: 7.6C on 3rd Lowest Min: -4.4C on 9th Relative Humidity: Max: 98% on 1st, 12th Min: 68% on 4th Mean: 88% Rainfall: Total for Month: 20.5mm (mean comparison: 43%) Max: 3.1mm on 21st, 26th Rain Days: 11 Wet Days: 10 Duration: 33.8hours Rainfall acidity: Lowest pH: 6.2 on 21st Winds: Max Max Gust: 52mph on 22nd Directions: north 10, northeast 2, east 0, southeast 0, south 4, southwest 2, west 2, northwest 5, calm 3, variable 0 Mean 24 hour wind speed: n/a Pressures: Max: 1034mb on 1st Min: 1000mb on 21st Mean: 1016mb Sunshine: Total: 63.7 hours Most in a day: 5.4 hours on 9th No of sunless days: 4 Cloud Cover: Mean cloud cover at observation: 71% Other observations: Days with fog recorded at 0830 hours: 2 Days with air frosts: 9 Duration of air frost: 63 hours Days with snow falling: 3; 8th: slight, 9th: moderate, 10th: slight Days with snow lying at observation: 2; 9th: 2cm, 10th: 1.5cm Days with hail observed: 1 Days with thunder heard: 0 Days with lightning observed: 0 Gales: 5 Days with ground frosts: 13 Note: The climatic averages (temperature and rainfall) at Pitsford Hall are based on the averages of a number of adjacent climatalogical stations over the period 1961-90. Statistical Analysis of Ground Observations - February 1999 There is no analysis of ground observations this month. The prolonged wet spell towards the end of February caused a delay in the work on the ground enclosure. We now anticipate work starting within the next few weeks with the first full month's record being published in April 1999. Register of Air Observations - February 1999 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th Temperatures Air Max (C) 9.1 7.7 10.1 13.1 7.7 8.2 3.6 0.7 Air Min (C) 3.6 2.4 7.6 7 4.6 3.3 -1 -1.9 Dry Bulb (C) 6 3.3 7.7 9.5 7 5.4 0.1 0 Wet Bulb (C) 5.9 3.1 7 7 5.1 4.7 -1.1 -0.3 RH (%) 98 97 90 68 73 89 76 76 Rainfall Total (mm) tr tr _ _ 1.7 0.1 _ 2 Duration (hrs) _ _ _ _ 2 0.25 _ 4.5 Acidity (pH) _ _ _ _ 6.44 _ _ 6.66 Winds (mph) Direction n calm nw s n n n n Speed (0830) 1 0 5 3 16 8 7 1 Speed (24 hrs) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Max Gust 10 14 22 31 33 18 29 28 Pressure (mb) At 0830hrs 1039 1039 1031 1023 1017 1014 1008 1006 From 0600hrs _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Insolation Cloud types obs sc sc sc sc sc clr st Cloud cover 9 7 8 8 6 8 0 8 Sunshine (hrs) 0 0.8 0.2 1.4 3.2 0 5.3 0 Visibility 4 7 8 8 7 5 8 7 Other Ppt Snow falling _ _ _ _ _ _ _ s Depth of snow _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Hail _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Other Obs Thunder heard _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Lightning seen _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Ground Obs Grass Min 3.8 0.4 _ _ _ 0.7 -2.5 -3.2 Concrete Min 3.9 3.2 _ _ _ 2.7 -0.9 -2 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th Temperatures Air Max (C) 1.4 4.1 3.2 8 6.5 6.7 7.9 7.8 Air Min (C) -4.4 -3.2 -3.2 -2 -0.7 -0.7 0.6 1.3 Dry Bulb (C) -2.9 -1.2 -0.5 0.3 2.7 2 1.6 5.1 Wet Bulb (C) -3.2 -1.5 -1.4 0.1 2 0.5 1.4 3.4 RH (%) 93 93 81 98 88 73 96 73 Rainfall Total (mm) tr _ 0.3 tr _ 1.4 1.1 _ Duration (hrs) _ _ 0.5 _ _ 2 1 _ Acidity (pH) _ _ 6.29 _ _ 6.35 6.33 _ Winds (mph) Direction n ne n calm s s calm n Speed (0830) 5 5 1 0 2 4 0 9 Speed (24 hrs) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Max Gust 20 24 8 6 9 13 26 35 Pressure (mb) At 0830hrs 1005 1010 1019 1023 1030 1026 1021 1014 From 0600hrs _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Insolation Cloud types clr cs ac ac sc sc ci cu Cloud cover 0 3 8 4 6 8 2 4 Sunshine (hrs) 5.4 4.1 0.4 3.6 3.8 0.2 1.2 3.8 Visibility 8 8 7 5 5 7 4 7 Other Ppt Snow falling s/m s _ _ _ _ _ _ Depth of snow 2 1.5 _ _ _ _ _ _ Hail _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Other Obs Thunder heard _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Lightning seen _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Ground Obs Grass Min -2.4 -3.1 -3.9 -2.3 -1.6 -2.6 -0.5 1.2 Concrete Min -4.4 -3.8 -3.3 -2.2 1.9 -0.4 0.9 1.7 17th 18th 19th 20th 21st 22nd 23rd 24th Temperatures Air Max (C) 8.9 11 14.3 8.9 9.8 5 9.5 5.5 Air Min (C) 1.5 2.5 7.5 2 4.1 1.3 0.6 0.5 Dry Bulb (C) 3.1 8.9 11 4.7 7.5 2.8 1.9 2.3 Wet Bulb (C) 2 7.6 10 3.6 6.5 1.5 1.7 2.1 RH (%) 81 82 87 82 86 77 96 96 Rainfall Total (mm) 1.7 0.1 _ 1.4 3.1 tr 1.9 tr Duration (hrs) 4.5 0.25 _ 1.75 3 _ 4.5 _ Acidity (pH) 6.3 _ _ 6.27 6.2 _ 6.3 _ Winds (mph) Direction nw n w nw nw nw ne n Speed (0830) 7 8 3 3 5 8 7 1 Speed (24 hrs) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Max Gust 27 26 23 25 44 52 22 12 Pressure (mb) At 0830hrs 1015 1015 1010 1015 1004 1002 1014 1007 From 0600hrs _ 1 0 1 0 1 4 -2 Insolation Cloud types ac sc sc cc cc/sc cu ci st Cloud cover 6 8 8 6 4 2 2 8 Sunshine (hrs) 1.8 0 1.3 5.2 2.7 5.2 4.4 0.5 Visibility 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 5 Other Ppt Snow falling _ _ _ _ _ s _ _ Depth of snow _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Hail _ _ _ _ s _ _ _ Other Obs Thunder heard _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Lightning seen _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Ground Obs Grass Min -0.2 2 6.8 0.4 2.5 -0.1 -1.1 2.9 Concrete Min 1.5 2.8 7.8 3.3 4.3 1.6 0.3 -0.4 25th 26th 27th 28th Temperatures Air Max (C) 8.9 11 10 12.6 Air Min (C) -0.9 2.9 4.9 2.7 Dry Bulb (C) 3.4 8.4 5.8 5.5 Wet Bulb (C) 2.6 7.4 5.3 4.5 RH (%) 86 86 92 84 Rainfall Total (mm) _ 3.1 tr 2.6 Duration (hrs) _ 6.75 _ 2.75 Acidity (pH) _ 6.35 _ 6.55 Winds (mph) Direction s sw w sw Speed (0830) 2 3 2 13 Speed (24 hrs) _ _ _ _ Max Gust 18 20 23 46 Pressure (mb) At 0830hrs 1017 1011 1007 1014 From 0600hrs -1 -1 2 1 Insolation Cloud types st ci ac st Cloud cover 8 3 7 8 Sunshine (hrs) 0.3 1.2 5 2.7 Visibility 5 8 7 7 Other Ppt Snow falling _ _ _ _ Depth of snow _ _ _ _ Hail _ _ _ _ Other Obs Thunder heard _ _ _ _ Lightning seen _ _ _ _ Ground Obs Grass Min -2.4 2.7 2.9 0.8 Concrete Min 0.9 3.2 4.6 2.5 Cloud and Visibility Codes Standard cloud types Cirrus Ci Cirrocumulus Cc Cirrostratus Cs Altocumulus Ac Altostratus As Nimbostratus Ns Stratocumulus Sc Stratus St Cumulus Cu Cumulonimbus Cb Visibility codes X Dense Fog <20m E Dense Fog up to 20m 0 Thick Fog up to 40m 1 Thick Fog up to 100m 2 Fog up to 200m 3 Moderate Fog up to 400m 4 Very poor visibility up to 1000m 5 Poor visibility up to 2km 6 Moderate visibility up to 7km 7 Good visibility up to 20km 8 Very good visibility up to 30km 9 Excellent visibility 40km United Kingdom Climatological Analysis - February 1999 February began with a large anticyclone centred over the SW of England. After a frosty start in parts of Cornwall, NE England and parts of SE Scotland, the 1st was a mainly dry day. It was sunny over Eire, Wales and the SW of England, but the SE was cloudy and there was some light rain over parts of Scotland; fog persisted for a while during the morning in Yorkshire. (Boulmer 12C, Altnaharra -2C, Lerwick 0.7mm, Penzance 8.7h.) 1043.5 mb was recorded over Cornwall during the day. The 2nd dawned clear over much of the British Isles, but with cloud over SE England< Northern Ireland and Scotland. The were icy patches on untreated roads, especially in the Midlands. Cloud pushed E to cover most of the country by lunchtime with light rain and drizzle over Scotland and Ireland. (Tain Range 12C, Shawbury -4C, South Uist 4mm, Herne Bay 5.8h.) The 3rd was a mainly cloudy day. Rain over Scotland was accompanied by gale force winds along W and N coasts (including gusts to 55 kn at 1500 and 1800 GMT at Kirkwall). It was mild day generally. (Aberdeen 14C, Redhill -1C, Isle of Skye 31mm, Herne Bay 1.8h.) A mild and cloudy night followed in most parts of the British Isles (overnight minima above 9C were widespread with 11.1C at Dyce), but in N Scotland temperatures began to fall in the early hours of the 4th as the cold front producing the rain moved S. The windy conditions moved S too: gusts of 74kn at Kirkwall and 56kn at Whitby were reported at 0900 GMT. Other gusts included 85kn at Fair Isle at 1745 GMT, 82kn at Kirkwall at 1200 GMT and a gust of 84kn at North Rona. The newspaper flight (a Cessna F406) en route to Stornoway had to turn back to Inverness after encountering a 145 knot headwind. In Yorkshire gusts of 71kn occurred at Leeming and Dishforth and 25km of the A1 road were closed due to 20 overturned lorries. In N and W Scotland 8000 homes were without power and flights and ferries were cancelled. As the front moved S the rain along it decreased and very little was observed in S England. (Hawarden 15C, Lerwick 4C max, Altnaharra 1C min, Altnaharra 16mm, Newcastle 6.7h.) The winds died down a little overnight but there were still gales in N England and Scotland as the 5th dawned. There were wintry showers in a brisk NW wind during the day (of snow and/or hail) over Scotland and some northern districts. In the S temperatures fell after a S-moving cold front brought some rain showers. (Littlehampton 12C, Lerwick 3C max, Lerwick -1C min, Capel Curig 11mm, Leuchars 6.7h.) On the 6th S-moving troughs brought snow and rain showers to Scotland, while over Ireland, Wales and S England fronts brought some rain. Driving conditions were difficult due to the snow in parts of Scotland, where a fresh wind made it feel very cold. (Torquay 12C, Baltasound 2C max, Lerwick -1C min, Capel Curig 23mm, Cromer and Lowestoft 4.4h.) Skies cleared rapidly following the passage of the fronts in the S, and overnight temperatures fell to give a widespread frost over the Midlands, northern areas and Scotland. The 7th saw widespread snow showers over many parts of the British Isles, including S England, but more particularly over Scotland and coastal districts as far S as Norfolk and Lancashire. In Scotland some of the higher roads (e.g. A939 and A882) were blocked by snow, although much of the Central Lowlands, including Fife and Dundee areas, escaped the snow showers completely. Many parts of S England were very sunny. Dew points were low during the afternoon over parts of England, e.g. 1500 GMT reports from Leeming (temperature 3C, dewpoint -8C), Herstmonceux (4C, -9C) and Heathrow (5C, -7C). (Torquay 10C, Inverbervie -1C, Spadeadam -5C min, Lerwick 23mm, Hove 9.1h.) Snow depths reported at 0600 GMT on the 8th included 2cm at Stornoway, 13cm at Dyce and 4cm at Hemsby and Orkney; Fair Isle schools were closed as a result. About 50 schools were also closed in NE Scotland, and many roads in the area were blocked by snow. There were further snow showers in N Scotland and down the NE coast to East Anglia during the day. Buxton (Norfolk) reported a minimum temperature of -6.2C and a grass minimum reading of -15.2C with 5cm of lying snow shortly after dawn. Up to 15cm of snow fell in parts of Wales as an active low crossed S Ireland, SW England and the Channel Islands towards France - it remained mild with rain to the SW of this low centre, but snow fall along its NE flank across S England. During the evening another swathe of snow fell over a wide area from the Thames Valley to Suffolk; the FA Trophy football match Stevenage - Cheltenham was abandoned due to snow at half-time. (Culdrose 11C, Glascarnoch -3C max, Aboyne -11C min, St Mary's Scilly 21mm, Newcastle 8.5h.) The 9th dawned with a widespread air frost following the clearance of cloud after evening snowfall. Untreated roads in the Midlands, Wales and S England were reported to be treacherous during the morning rush hour, while in the N road closures included the A171 and A173 in Teeside, the A941 near Aberdeen, and the A9, A836 and A837 in Highland. All schools in Aberdeenshire and outer lying areas of Grampian Region were closed, as were those in other areas (e.g. Withernsea, E Yorkshire). One woman died in Broxburn, near Edinburgh, after she fell on icy pavements. Snow depths at 0600 GMT included 5cm at Kirkwall, 22cm at Kyle of Sutherland, 18cm at Aberdeen, 1cm at Heathrow. The snow depth at Fair Isle was considered impossible to measure, varying from less than 1cm to approx 2m. In Norfolk, very heavy snow showers were reported as reducing the visibility to less than 100m at times. Away from the snow showers in N Scotland and down the coasts the prevailing anticyclone gave quite a lot of sunshine, although the extreme SW was cooler than in recent days with snow showers in Plymouth and evening snow in other parts of the SW and S Wales. At Fair Isle the observer reported that at 1140GMT the wind suddenly increased from 26 kn (gusting 46 kn) to 010 deg 37 kn (gusting 57 kn); visibility fell to virtually zero in a heavy snow and hail shower, with blowing snow. At the same time there was a brilliant blue flash of lightning and crack of thunder. (Penzance 7C, Loch Glascarnoch -1C max, Saughall -8C min, Lerwick 15mm, Bognor Regis 9.0h.) Snow depths reported at 0600 GMT on the 10th included 25cm at Aberdeen, 10cm at Stornoway and 3cm at Aberporth. Clear skies meant a widespread frost for most parts of the British Isles and most areas then had a sunny day. There was some snow over high ground in Scotland while cloud over Ireland and W Wales gave some light precipitation. Snow showers were reported down the E coast of England too. Belfast Harbour received 3 hours of snow grains during the afternoon, ahead of an approaching warm front. By the evening, snow still lay to a depth of 10 to 20cm on non-S facing slopes of the Mendips, above 200m, and there was a thin covering on the Cotswolds. (Guernsey 9C, Loch Glascarnoch 0C max, Saughall -8C min, Pembrey Sands 10mm, Teignmouth 9.2h.) Cloud, and warmer temperatures, spread to the SE over Scotland, N England, Wales and Ireland by dawn on the 11th, although with lighter winds that recently SE England had a frosty start. By dawn rain was widespread over Scotland and the depth of lying snow at Aberdeen was down to 18cm. The warm front bringing the rain gradually spread E, turning the winds to the SW and giving some sleet, rain and drizzle. (Penzance 10C, Benson -8C, Altnaharra 14mm, Eastbourne and Jersey 8.7h.) The 12th dawned with some rain (and occasional sleet) in SE England and a new frontal system over W Scotland giving further rain. In between these two there was a frosty start over England and Wales, although in Scotland the snow was continuing to thaw - the 0600GMT snowdepth at Aberdeen had decreased to 10cm. The rain in the SE soon died out, while that in the W moved slowly SE to reach parts of SE England by midnight. (St Mary's 11C, Shrewsbury and Birmingham -5C, Dundrennan 7mm, Stornoway 5.8h.) The 13th began with light rain and drizzle over parts of Central and N England. Patchy fog and frost led to icy roads across parts Northern Ireland and Scotland, with visibility less than 200m in places. The rain spread W to Wales and moved gradually S, to give a sunny day in SE England and East Anglia. In parts of Central and S Scotland mist and fog lingered for much of the day. Air pressure rose to 1037 mb over Central and SE England later in the evening. (Penzance 12C, Aboyne -5C, Cardinham (Cornwall) 8mm, Eastbourne 9.2h.) The weather on the 14th was dominated by the SE-ward passage of frontal systems over the British Isles, the effects of which still lingered over S counties of England at midnight. Clear skies before dawn led to a widespread frost over East Anglia, SE and Cent S England. Rain was heavy over Scotland early in the morning, before it turned showery there. (Penzance 11C, Farnborough -7C, Lusa (Skye) 17mm, Lerwick 4.8h.) Rain cleared S England before dawn on the 15th, and clearing skies under a weak ridge led to slight frost in sheltered areas of S England. A warm front spread cloud and rain across Scotland by dawn, and then moved over N England. Temperatures rose to 10C over Scotland, before a following cold front brought more rain. Most of the British Isles remained cloudy during the day. (Poole 12C, Benson -3C, Lerwick 12mm, Jersey 7.2h.) A NW airstream behind the cold front affected the whole of the British Isles by dawn on the 16th. Passing troughs brought heavy snow over Scotland with gales; gusts over 50 kn were recorded there. Scottish ferry services were disrupted due to the winds. One person died on the Cairngorm Mountains after spending the night in the open, and one person died on Ben Nevis as a result of weather conditions. Snow reports included drifts to 40cm at Fair Isle at 1415GMT (where at 1515GMT a wind gusting to 50kn with nil visibility at times in blowing snow was also reported), and a depth at 1800GMT of 10cm at Aviemore. Ireland, Wales and England had sunny intervals with a few showers, the latter mainly over Ireland and other W districts. (Southsea 11C, Baltasound 0C max, Lerwick -3C min, Lerwick 15mm, Hunstanton 8.6h.) During the 17th a warm front pushed W, over Ireland in the morning and passing all but NE Scotland and extreme E districts of England by midnight. Rain (and sleet/snow on high ground) fell as the warm front passed. One person died near Drumochter after being lost overnight on the hills there. Snow depths at 0600GMT included 7cm at Kirkwall, 12cm at Aviemore, and 4cm at Aberdeen. (Guernsey 11C, Aviemore 1C max, Lybster -4C min, Lerwick 9mm, Norwich 5.6h.) The front lingered over E districts of Britain early on the 18th, then moved E as further frontal rain spread E over Ireland and into Wales and W districts of Scotland and England by midnight. As the temperature rose any lying snow began to thaw rapidly, even over high ground in Scotland. (Poole 13C, Baltasound -4C, Warcop 12mm, Bognor Regis 4.2h.) Cold fronts moved S on the 19th introducing a colder W airflow over all of the British Isles by midnight, but not before some mild conditions had been experienced in the southern half of England. There was some heavy rain in SW England, while later in the day snow showers were reported in parts of N and W Scotland. In Wells (Somerset) there was drizzle or rain for most of the day (with a break of only about an hour during the morning); in the 24 hours ending 1900GMT, the total fall was 32.3 mm. (Wittering 15C, Loch Glascarnoch 1C, Cardinham 37mm, Aberdeen 8.5h.) Sunny spells in between bands of rain affected N areas, while England, Wales and S Ireland were mainly dry on the 20th (Guernsey, Torquay 13C, Stornoway 11mm, Eastbourne 8.7h.) During the morning of the 21st an area of rain crossed S parts of Ireland, Wales and England; showers followed and these included reports of hail and thunder (with sleet observed at Chalfont St. Giles during the evening). Over Scotland and N parts of England showers of snow and hail were frequent, with gusts over 50kn being reported. There were moderate to heavy accumulations of snow in places, with roads in the Scottish borders reported to be treacherous in places by the end of the day. At Emley Moor (nr. Huddersfield) heavy snow showers with 50kn gusts produced blizzard conditions with level snow 10cm deep on many roads by midnight. (Poole 13C, Wick 2C max, Lerwick 0C min, Eskdalemuir 14mm, Leuchars 6.9h.) By dawn on the 22nd there were numerous reports of snow-caused road closures in the Scottish borders, Cumbria, Pennines and N Scotland. The snow depth at Aviemore was 13cm at 0600GMT, with 3cm at Eskdalemuir. In Central Scotland some places had their first snowfall of the winter overnight, with about 1 to 5cm lying over the Forth Valley, around the Callander, Stirling and Falkirk area. At Wolverhampton snow lay over 1cm deep during the morning and there were reports of 7mm diameter hail there later in the day. Fresh, blustery N to NW winds brought frequent wintry showers to parts of the British Isles, mainly over Scotland but also as far S as S England. In between the showers there was plenty of sunshine; gusts over 30kn were widespread with gusts over 40kn across many parts of Scotland. (Torquay 11C, Tulloch Bridge 2C max, Drumalbin -1C min, Lerwick 13mm, Glasgow 9.6h.) The winds gradually decreased overnight and became more westerly (and then southerly over Ireland) by dawn on the 23rd, as warm frontal cloud, rain and rising temperatures began affecting Ireland and W Wales. The 0600GMT snow depth at Aviemore was 12cm; in Moray and Aberdeenshire there were still some closed roads and driving was difficult in many areas of Scotland and N England due to icy conditions. By midday rain was falling in SW England, while it remained sunny in parts of East Anglia and SE England until late afternoon. There were reports of snow/sleet from Cent S England to S Scotland during the evening as the rain band advanced slowly E across the whole of England and wales, and S scotland by midnight. In the extreme SW England temperatures continued to rise (above 10C) during the evening. (St. Marys 10C, Tulloch Bridge 2C max, -3C min, Lough Fea 7mm, Folkestone 9.2h.) The rain and sleet turned to drizzle over the S half of England by dawn on the 24th, with some light snow over N England and parts of East Anglia; clear skies over Scotland led to some icy roads there with temperatures being particularly low in the Highlands, although it was relatively mild over Ireland, SW England and S Wales by dawn. It remained cloudy over S Wales and SW England all day; cloud initially over NE England and East Anglia cleared slowly during the afternoon. Wales, much of Ireland, and England had a mainly dry except for some morning drizzle over S England, while increasing cloud brought rain and rising temperatures to N and Cent Scotland and N Ireland. Many parts of Ireland were cloudy and misty all day. (Guernsey 14C, Aviemore -9C, Isle of Man 19mm, Anglesey 9.3h.) By dawn on the 25th it was cloudy over all the British Isles, with rain and drizzle over Scotland, N England and N Ireland. Parts of SE England and East Anglia had a frost under clear skies that existed for a while overnight. The 0600 GMT snow depth at Aviemore was 4 cm, and was falling rapidly. The rain remained for much of the day over almost all of the British Isles with some light rain and drizzle over Ireland, Scotland and N parts of England and Wales. With winds from the SW it was mild everywhere, especially in Scotland. (Kinloss 13C, Marham -4C, Lusa 18mm, Ross-on-Wye 4.6h.) A band of rain associated with a SE-moving cold front crossed the British Isles on the 26th, although the rain was still falling in S England by midnight; a trough brought another area of rain and showers following the cold front, and although it was cloudy over much of England and Wales, parts of E Scotland were quite sunny. (Coltishall 13C, Redesdale 1C, Chivenor 14mm, Aberdeen 8.1h.) The 27th was a showery day over the British Isles, once rain over S England had largely cleared by midday. Some of the showers were thundery over Ireland, W Scotland and parts of E Wales and N England, with falls of snow over high ground in Scotland; it was gusty, with gusts of 40kn, over Scotland. There were reports of a localised severe hailstorm in the Dublin area around 1630 GMT, while near Fife heavy snow in the evening brought the snow line down to 200m. (Torquay 12C, Topcliffe 0C, Lusa 26mm, Aberdeen 9.3h.) Fresh to strong SW and W winds were the main feature of the 28th. Moderate to heavy rain over Scotland at first turned to sleet and snow later in the day. Ireland, Wales and England began dry, but rain moved E to affect most areas by midnight, with some thunder over NW extremities of Ireland. Gusts up to 60 kn were reported from NE England, and by the evening bridges in Cumbria and Newcastle, along with the Forth Road Bridge, were among those closed to high-sided vehicles. (Guernsey 13C, Aviemore 0C, Strathallan 39mm, Hastings 8.1h.) Information supplied courtesy of Roger Brugge, Climatological Observers Link. Notable Weather Events in Northamptonshire The following reports are taken from the weather station's web site 7 February Sunniest day since 12 October 1998. 5.3 hours recorded (5.9 hours on 12 Oct). 8 February Second significant snow of the winter recorded at Pitsford Hall. Intensity: beginning light around 0900 hours, turning moderate by 1400 hours. Maximum air temperature: 0.7C. 9 February Depth of lying snow at 0830 hours: 2cm. Rainfall equivalent: 2mm. Slight snow flurry again at 1730 hours lasting 15-30 mins. Coldest night of the year. Overnight minimum recorded at -4.4C. 21-22 February Strong winds batter the county. Maximum gust recorded at Pitsford Hall 52mph on 22nd. Highest maximum gust so far this year. Station Notes The Digitar wind speed and direction system was repositioned during February from the rooftop enclosure to the top roof of Pitsford Hall. The new position increases the level of exposure of the anemometer considerably allowing more accurate readings to be obtained. Work was completed on the erection of masts for the MO wind vane and cup-counter anemometer at the rooftop site. The cup-counter anemometer is used for the calculation of 24-hour mean wind speeds and 10-minute mean wind speed at observation. This data will be added to the climatological record from the beginning of March. The existing re-positioned Digitar system will continue to be used for the determination of maximum gusts. Readers should be aware that all wind speed measurements at this station are corrected for effective height. Servicing of the station's Fortin mercury barometer has suffered a number of set-backs. It is anticipated that the instrument will be back in service by the end of March. Current calibration of the micro-barograph is made against adjacent MO auxiliary synoptic stations. There have been delays in the commissioning of the ground enclosure due to waterlogging. The site has been established, but the ground staff are waiting for the site to dry out sufficiently before the erection of fencing, setting of the concrete slab and cutting of the bare earth plot. Presently, only grass and concrete minima are being recorded from a temporary site. An increasing number of subscribers have been added to the mailing list of the daily weather report, thanks largely to the station's participation in MetLink International. During February, the station obtained a contract to supply data to Loughborough University, bringing the total number of university subscribers to 4 (with Reading, Birmingham and Cranfield). Around 50 schools, colleges and companies currently subscribe to the daily and monthly weather report via e-mail or facsimile. Appendix Weather Station Inventory (including equipment in active use as of 31 January 1999) Rooftop Enclosure and Office Standard Stevenson screen containing Mahogany mounted maximum and minimum thermometers (Casella type) Wet and dry bulb hygrometer Large pattern Stevenson screen containing Sheathed pattern maximum and minimum thermometers (UK Met Office with calibration certificates) Sheathed pattern wet and dry bulb thermometers (UK Met Office with calibration certificates) Thermograph (UK Met Office) Hair Hygrograph (UK Met Office) Campbell-Stokes Sunshine Recorder (UK Met Office MKII) Snowdon-type pattern raingauge (UK Met Office) British Association pattern raingauge (for recording rainfall acidity) Tilting syphon rainfall recorder (UK Met Office MKI) Wind vane (UK Met Office) Totalising Cup-Counter Anemometer (UK Met Office, mounted on 5m mast) Digital wind direction system (Digitar, for determination of maximum gust) Fortin-pattern mercury barometer (currently being serviced) Open-scale micro-barograph (UK Met Office) High resolution digital pH meter (Hanna) Two PC's with modem links and dedicated fax/phone line Ground Enclosure (scheduled to be commissioned towards the end of February) Soil thermometers (5cm, 10cm, 20cm, 30cm) (UK Met Office and Casella types) Grass and concrete minimum thermometers (UK Met Office with calibration certificates) At the time of going to press the weather station is contemplating the acquisition of a Hooks type evaporimeter.