This week’s snowfall captured by rainfall radar

The rainfall radar network is a great way of looking back at how weather systems affect the UK.

Here we see rainfall radar imagery from 00:00 GMT on Sunday 10 March to 09:00 GMT on Tuesday 12 March. It shows snow showers affecting much of the UK while an area of heavier snowfall affects northern France, the Channel Islands and the far south-east of England.

What’s particularly interesting is that it shows really well how the showers and the heavier snowfall across the south were moving in totally different directions. The snow showers can be seen moving in from the North Sea on north-easterly winds. Meanwhile, the heavier and more persistent snowfall was moving in from the south-west as an area of low pressure tracked across France. You can see how these two systems collided over Sussex and Kent, resulting in the heavy snowfall here.

At the very end of the sequence the wind changes direction again over the north of the UK, with the snow showers being blown across Scotland from the north.

You can see current observations from our rainfall radar on our website.

Statistics for December and 2012 – is the UK getting wetter?

Provisional statistics from the Met Office show 2012 was the second wettest year in the UK national record dating back to 1910, and just a few millimetres short of the record set in 2000.

The exceptionally wet year was characterised by a dry start which quickly gave way to very wet weather, with April and June both being the wettest on record.

Unsettled weather continued through to the end of the year, with December being the 8th wettest on record for the UK.

Throughout the year, accurate forecasts and warnings from the Met Office have helped everyone across the UK plan and prepare for the worst impacts of the extremely wet weather we have seen.

The persistent wet weather resulted in total 2012 rainfall for the UK of 1330.7 mm, which is just 6.6 mm short of the record set in 2000.

Looking at individual countries, 2012 was the wettest year on record for England, third wettest for Wales, 17th wettest for Scotland and 40th wettest for Northern Ireland.

This adds to a high frequency of wet years since 2000 in the UK – with four of the top five wettest years occurring since then.

Top five wettest years in the UK
1. 2000 – 1337.3mm
2. 2012 – 1330.7mm
3. 1954 – 1309.1 mm
4. 2008 – 1295.0mm
5. 2002 – 1283.7mm

We have always seen a great deal of variability in UK rainfall because our weather patterns are constantly changing. However, preliminary evidence suggests we are getting slightly more rain in total and it may be falling in more intense bursts.

Looking at annual rainfall for the UK, we can see the country as a whole getting wetter in recent decades.

Long-term averages of 30-year periods show an increase in annual rainfall of about 5% from 1961-1990 to 1981-2010:

Annual average UK rainfall according to 30-year averages
1961-1990: 1100.6mm
1971-2000: 1126.1mm
1981-2010: 1154.0mm

Preliminary research from the Met Office also suggests we may have seen a change in the nature of the rain we get, with ‘extreme’ rainfall becoming more frequent.

An analysis of 1 in 100 day rainfall events since 1960 indicates these ‘extreme’ days of rainfall may have become more frequent over time.

The above graphic shows the frequency of what climate averages tell us should be roughly 1 in 100 day heavy rainfall events in each year. Over time, this gives a view of the frequency of ‘extreme’ rainfall.

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2012 Provisional stats
	Mean temperature ( °C)		Sunshine duration (Hours)		Precipitation (mm)
	Actual	Difference from 1981-2010 average	Actual	% of 1981-2010 average	Actual	% of 1981-2010 average
Regions
UK	8.8	-0.1	1356.4	99	1330.7	115
England	9.6	-0.1	1470.2	98	1123.2	131
Wales	9.1	0	1355.7	97	1716.2	118
Scotland	7.3	-0.1	1187.6	100	1602.6	102
N Ireland	8.9	0	1239.1	99	1153.7	102
England & Wales	9.5	-0.1	1454.4	98	1205	128
England N	8.8	-0.1	1360	99	1288.1	133
England S	10	-0.1	1528.5	98	1036	130
Districts
Scotland N	6.9	-0.2	1124.9	104	1599.5	93
Scotland E	7.1	-0.1	1217.1	96	1313.2	111
Scotland W	8.1	0	1239.1	99	1917.1	107
Eng E & NE	8.8	-0.1	1420.3	100	1064	137
Eng NW & Wales N	8.8	-0.1	1305	97	1614.1	122
Midlands	9.4	-0.1	1439.2	100	1074.6	135
East Anglia	10.1	-0.1	1538.1	98	804.1	129
Eng SW & Wales S	9.8	-0.1	1457.3	96	1574	125
Eng SE & Central S	10.3	-0.1	1601.5	98	999.7	127

Is 2012 the wettest year on record?

We announced last week that 2012 is already the wettest year for England in our records dating back to 1910, but we’re still waiting to hear whether it’s the wettest on record for the UK.

The latest figures we have for 2012 go from 1 January to 26 December, and show that during that time we’ve had 1291.2 mm of rain for the UK – meaning it is currently the 4^th wettest year on record.

It’s 46.1 mm short of the record of 1337.3 mm, set in 2000, so if 46.2 mm of rain falls between 27-31 December we will have a new record.

It’s likely to be fairly close-run, but it’s impossible to say whether 2012 is a UK record for rainfall until all the data come in from our weather observation sites around the country.

This information should come in on the 1^st and 2^nd of January, then all the data will need to be processed and we expect to have a provisional answer on Thursday, 3^rd January.

We’ll post the news here on our blog as soon as all the provisional statistics for 2012 come in.

How wet has 2012 been? Is it a record breaker?

Provisional figures from the Met Office from 1 January to 26 December 2012 show that some parts of the UK have already had their wettest year on record.

New records have been set in England (1095.8 mm), northern England (1253 mm), E and NE England (1042.1 mm), Midlands (1048.2 mm), and East Anglia (788 mm), in a series that goes back to 1910.

A further 46 mm of rain is needed from 27 to 31 December for this to be the wettest year on record for the UK overall – the UK has had 1291.2 mm of rain from 1 January to 26 December. The wettest year on record for the UK is 2000 with 1337.3 mm.

2012 rainfall anomaly 1 Jan to 26 Dec

In terms of temperature and sunshine the year as a whole is set to be unremarkable, both being around normal. However, overall 2012 is set to be cooler than 2011, but warmer than 2010.

	mean temperature		sunshine duration		precipitation
1 January to 26 December 2012	Actual	Difference from 1981-2010 average	Actual	Percentage of 1981-2010 average	Actual	Percentage of 1981-2010 average
	degC	degC	hours	%	mm	%
UK	8.7	-0.1	1354.1	99	1291.2	112
England	9.5	-0.1	1467.1	98	1095.8	128
Wales	9.1	-0.1	1354.0	97	1649.5	113
Scotland	7.3	-0.1	1186.8	100	1546.3	98
N Ireland	8.9	0.0	1234.0	98	1134.8	100
England & Wales	9.5	-0.1	1451.5	98	1172.2	125
England N	8.7	-0.1	1357.0	99	1253.0	129
England S	9.9	-0.1	1525.4	98	1012.6	128

More about the record breaking year of 2012

Infographic: 2012 weather review of the year

Hover over the image to link through to more detail on the UK weather in 2012.

Persistent rainfall across the UK

We all know the UK sees a good deal of rainfall, but it’s not often you cannot see the country at all on a rainfall radar image like the one below.

Rainfall radar image from 6.50 am this morning

As you can see from the picture, taken from 6.50 am this morning, rain is falling widely across a large part of the UK.

Some places have seen persistent rain since the early hours of yesterday (Wednesday) morning, with some fairly high rainfall totals.

Rainfall totals in the table below are from 00:00 am on 19 December to 10:00 am on 20 December

Station	Area	Rainfall (mm)
Plymouth, Mountbatten	Devon	55
Cardinham, Bodmin	Cornwall	54.6
Camborne	Cornwall	49.2
Tredegar, Bryn Bach Park	Gwent	44.8
Thorney Island	West Sussex	43.6
Hurn	Dorset	42.8
Cardiff, Bute Park	South Glamorgan	42
Shoreham Airport	West Sussex	41
Usk	Monmouthshire	40
Ballypatrick Forest	Antrim	39.8

More rain is expected to fall over the next few days, which is likely to cause localised flooding and disruption to travel in the run up to the festive period.

During this period of unsettled weather we’d advise people to stay up to date with the Met Office’s weather forecasts and warnings.

If heading out on a journey, check local traffic updates and allow additional time for potential for delays.

UK rainfall over the last eight days

After a dry start to the month, the last eight days have seen some very wet weather affect the UK, causing widespread flooding and disruption. So just how much rain has the UK seen and where has been wettest? The following maps show the full picture.

UK rainfall from 19-27 November 2012

The darkest blues on the map above show the areas that have seen the most rainfall, with South West England, Wales and parts of Northern England being particularly affected. How do these totals compare with the monthly average for November?

Eight day rainfall totals compared to whole November average

This map shows that areas from North East England through the Midlands to South West England have seen above average rainfall during the last eight days. However, parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland have seen very little.

As always, we have worked closely with the Environment Agency throughout the recent weather and have issued a series of accurate and useful forecasts and warnings which have helped emergency responders, county councils and members of the public stay informed about the latest developments.

Assistant Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police, Paul Netherton, said: “I would like to formally thank and recognise the hard work of the Met Office over the past week. The information provided was invaluable and enabled the responders in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to prepare and respond effectively to assist our communities.”

For the rest of this week it looks as though there will be some respite from the rain with much drier conditions forecast. It will be colder though, with an increased risk of frost, fog and even ice towards as we head through the next few days.

Rainfall totals update

The table below shows total rainfall from midnight on the 20th November until 7.00 am this morning. Some areas have had over 90 mm of rain over the last three days.

Location	Total (mm)
Exeter Airport	92
Tyndrum	91
Westonbirt	79.2
Shap	73.2
North Wyke	72
Usk	69.6
Filton	67.6
Libanus	67.6
Winchcombe	65.8
Capel Curig	65.6
Tredegar	64.4
Brize Norton	63.6
Skye: Lusa	63.4
Little Rissington	62.8
Liscombe	62.6
Yeovilton	60.8
Cardiff	60.8
Cluanie Inn	59.8

Further rainfall is expected over the weekend. Keep up to date with weather warnings from the Met Office and flood warnings from the Environment Agency.

Satellite and rainfall radar showing the weather from midnight Tuesday 21st November to the morning of the 23rd November.

Top ten: wettest counties in the UK

The wettest areas of the UK are in the north of the west of the country, particularly where there is high ground.

The prevailing warm moist westerly winds mean that the west of the UK is more likely to receive rainfall from Atlantic weather systems. These weather systems usually move from west to east across the UK and as they do so the amount of rainfall they deposit reduces. This is because the mountains in the north and west of the UK cause lots of the rainfall to fall in those locations as the clouds are too ‘heavy’ to move over the higher ground.

The table below shows the average annual rainfall for the top ten wettest places in the UK.

	Area	Average annual rainfall (mm)
1	Argyllshire	2218.7
2	Dunbartonshire	1985.9
3	Inverness	1970.2
4	Merionethshire	1883.6
5	Ross and Cromarty	1799.8
6	Carnarvonshire	1793.1
7	Buteshire	1721.3
8	Kirkcudbrightshire	1638.1
9	Brecknockshire	1608.3
10	Westmorland	1604.2

You can find out more about rainfall in the UK including how much it rains and what causes rain on our website. Or you may be interested in our video which explains how we measure rainfall.

Awards rain down on weather observers

Last week, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Met office honoured some unsung heroes, as Scotland’s longest serving rainfall observers were presented with awards at a ceremony in Glasgow.

The event hosted at the city’s Royal Concert Hall saw 14 volunteers, from across the country, recognised for their long term contributions to data collection for the national rainfall archive.

SEPA and the Met Office honoured a group of unsung heroes as Scotland’s longest serving rainfall observers were presented with their awards in Glasgow.

The volunteers measure rainfall on a daily basis and send the accumulated figures to SEPA to be included in its database and the Met Office rainfall archive.

The observers have clocked up an impressive 509 years service between them!

Among those honoured included Peter Kennedy who has recorded rainfall at the Doonholm gauge in Alloway, Ayrshire, for 37 years, carrying on a family tradition which began back in 1898 – over 114 years ago. Also picking up awards were Jim and Susan MacColl, of Dunlop in Ayrshire, who have recorded rainfall in memory of Mrs MacColl’s late brother, Alasdair, a trained meteorologist and dedicated rainfall observer.

James Curran, SEPA Chief Executive, said: “The information the observers collect is crucial to a number of nationwide services and the awards are a way of showing our appreciation to the longest serving observers. Some have carried out their duties for nearly half a century and we hope they continue to show the same enthusiasm in the service they provide.”

Christine Duffy, Rainfall Data Manager of the Met Office, said: “The Met Office and SEPA work closely together throughout the year to help minimise the risk that weather and flooding can bring. The rainfall observers provide an invaluable service to both ourselves and SEPA and this is a fantastic event to recognise their commitment and dedication.”

For more information on becoming a rainfall observer, please visit the SEPA website.