As the unsettled UK weather continues this week, the Met Office’s National Climate Information Centre have looked at statistics for this winter so far (from 1 December to 10 February).
These add to previous facts and figures we put out earlier this week, and show a picture of continuing exceptional rainfall across many areas.
Looking at regions around the UK, these provisional figures suggest the region of SE and Central S England has already exceeded its record winter rainfall in the series back to 1910. It is currently at 439.2mm*, less than 2mm above the previous record set in 1915 with 437.1mm of rain.
For the UK as a whole, and also for Wales, both are fairly close to their respective record wettest winter levels in the national series dating back to 1910. Average rainfall for the rest of the month would likely see those records broken.
All countries across the UK have already exceeded their typical average rainfall for the whole winter (according to the 1981-2010 long-term averages). Normally at this stage of the season, you’d expect to have seen only around 80% of that whole season average.
All areas are also on target for a significantly wetter than average winter, with typically around 130-160% of normal rainfall if we get average rainfall for the rest of February.
All countries and areas are also on target for a warmer than average winter.
Current record wettest winters:
| Country | Year | Rainfall | Winter 2014 to date* |
| UK | 1995 | 485.1mm | 429.2mm |
| ENGLAND | 1915 | 392.7mm | 328.0mm |
| WALES | 1995 | 684.1mm | 618.7mm |
| SCOTLAND | 1995 | 649.5mm | 558.5mm |
| NORTHERN IRELAND | 1994 | 489.7mm | 360.0mm |
*These are provisional figures from 1 December 2013 to 10 February 2014 and could change after final quality control checks on data.
Official blog of the Met Office news team 
Reblogged this on Old School Garden.
“Sunday’s joint report from the Met Office and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, entitled The Recent Storms and Floods in the UK, points out that the 12cm (4.7in) rise in sea level over the 20th century has exacerbated coastal flooding. It says a further rise of between 11cm and 16cm is expected by 2030, two-thirds of which is attributable to the effects of climate change.”
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/feb/13/climate-change-policy-britain-at-risk-ed-davey-environment-secretary?CMP=twt_fd
Will someone be issuing a corrective post for this article?
Hello
THe sea level rise information is from Wahl et al. 2013: Observed mean sea level changes around the North Sea coastline from 1800 to present.Earth-ScienceReviews, 124, 51– 67
It says a further rise of between 11cm and 16cm is expected by 2030,
This is incorrect in the article, the rise is from a base of 1990 not present. Dr Richard Betts has confirmed this on Twitter but you have not raised a correction for the Guardian artticle. Correcting articles in the Mail seems to happen naturally.
Reblogged this on CraigM350.
Dear Met. I’ve noticed that so far this year the CET has not been updated from the end of 2013. I could be wrong but, as a running mean anomaly have you not, other years, just simply progressed into the new year? Do you know when this will be updated? It does serve as an interesting integrator of local (UK) temperature stats. Thanks.
Hello Geoff
As far was we can tell the data is available on http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadcet/cet_info_mean.html