Weather Watch
| NORTH YORKSHIRE |  | | | CLEVELAND | | | COUNTY DURHAM | | |
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Late rainfall brings end to driest autumn in 25 years
THE late summer and
autumn dry spell lasted
until November 17.
Up until then, most
parts across our region had
received just one-tenth of the
month's ration of rain.
However, substantial falls
during the next five days, as
well as on November 30, saw
accumulations rise to about
those expected. There was
only about two-thirds the
usual rainfall during the autumn.
Typically, here at Carlton,
near Stokesley, with 126mm
(5in), it was the fourth driest
autumn in my 25-year
record, that of 1997 being the
driest with 102mm (4in).
The first ten days of November
were especially mild, with
the mean maximum over 4C
(7F) above average. Two or
three days saw temperatures
topping a marvellous 60F
(15.5C). November 2 was my
second warmest day in any
November at Carlton, with
16.5C (61.5F). This was marginally
short of the previous
highest, 16.8C (62F), which
also occurred on November
2, only two years ago.
The rest of the month was
cooler than normal but this
wasn't enough to stop the
month ending up on the mild
side, thanks to the relatively
lofty daytime temperatures.
High pressure controlled our
weather for much of the time
again, with the cells sitting
chiefly in the vicinity of the
South-West Approaches. The
resulting mainly westerly
airstream originated from
close to the tropics at the
start of the month giving
those balmy mercury levels.
After this, it arrived from
more northerly latitudes.
The highs also weakened any
fronts that crossed the country
and restricted the formation
of any showers, hence
the lack of significant rain.
This was particularly so to
the east of the Pennines,
where additionally we enjoyed
more than our fair
share of sunshine.
This was very true even on
November 9, when a very intense
depression ran southeast
close to the Shetlands
and into the Baltic. Most of
us, therefore, wondered what
all the fuss was about when
severe flood warnings were
issued along the East Coast.
The north-westerly behind
that low reached storm force
in the Norwegian and northern
North Seas. This caused a
surge in sea level, which almost
coincided with a very
high tide, as it advanced
southwards. Fortunately, it
wasn't as bad as expected.
It could have been far worse,
as happened on January 31,
1953. Then, Britain suffered
one of its greatest peace-time
disasters with 307 lives lost in
the extensive flooding along
the coast and another 177
deaths out at sea.
The major deviation from
November's general weather
pattern began on Saturday,
November 17, when the resident
anticyclone moved
away into the continent.
While its replacement was
building in mid-Atlantic, an
active front took advantage of
the gap and swung southeastwards
later on the Sunday.
A depression developed
on this front over northern
England and then ambled
south.
This brought the front to a
halt over central Britain, giving
us strong, cold, southerly
winds and prolonged rain,
heavy at times, with snow
over the hills at first. It was
the wettest day in parts of our
region since July and with
more rain than in the whole
of October.
The last high was also retreating
south by the end of November,
yielding to a very
deep depression heading east
near Iceland. This invigorated
the westerly flow and gave us
that wet final day.
November temperatures and
rainfall at Carlton-in-Cleveland:
Mean Maximum: 10.2C,
50.5F (+1.0C, 2F); Mean Minimum:
3.9C, 39F (+0.0C, 0F);
Highest Maximum: 16.5C,
61.5F, 2nd; Lowest Minimum:
-1.9C, 28.5F, 24th; Total Rainfall:
67mm, 2.65ins (-1.5mm,
0.05ins); Wettest Day: 16mm,
0.65ins, 17th and No of Rain
Days, with 0.2mm (0.01ins)
or more: 13 (-4).
(Figures in brackets show the
difference from the 24-year
mean, 1983-2006)
12:23pm Friday 14th December 2007
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