The latest rainfall update from the Met Office National Climate Information Centre shows that this has been the UK’s wettest winter on record in the national series going back to 1910.
These provisional rainfall statistics for the winter so far (from 1 December 2013 to 19 February 2014) show new records for the UK, Wales, east Scotland, southwest England & south Wales alongside the record already set for southeast & central southern England.
Rainfall precentage of average 1 Dec 2013 – 19 Feb 2014
With just over a week to go until the end of the season:
- The UK has now received 486.8mm of rain, narrowly above the previous record of 485.1mm set in 1995.
- Wales has seen 691.8mm of rain, beating the previous record of 684.1mm in 1995.
- East Scotland has seen 514.5mm of rain, beating the previous record of 482.2mm in 1915.
- Southwest England and south Wales has seen 632.5mm of rain beating the previous record of 610.7mm in 1990.
- Southeast and central southern England has seen 492mm beating the previous record of 437.1mm set in 1915.
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 | 2014 | 486.8mm | New record |
| ENGLAND | 1915 | 392.7mm | 370.4mm |
| WALES | 2014 | 691.8mm | New record |
| SCOTLAND | 1995 | 649.5mm | 634.3mm |
| NORTHERN IRELAND | 1994 | 489.7mm | 434.5mm |
*These are provisional figures from 1 December 2013 to 19 February 2014 and could change after final quality control checks on data.
Official blog of the Met Office news team 
I don’t want to challenge your rainfall statistics I’m sure they are spot on!
But to claim that this is the wettest winter across the ENTIRE UK is obviously not correct. One look at the map and you can immediately see large parts of NE Scotland, Merseyside, Eastern England & Norfolk drier than average. It just doesn’t look right!
Surely in the days of GIS you could analyse the map square kilometer by square kilometer, add up each grid point anomaly and calculate an anomaly/sq km value that represented a more accurate assessment.
A part from that, claiming that Scotland is set to break the winter record with a good part of the NW Highlands either near or below average looks odd too.
Hello Bruce
You can see an explaination of how our rainfall records are compiled and what they mean here https://metofficenews.wordpress.com/2014/02/14/met-office-rainfall-records-how-far-do-they-go-back-and-what-can-they-tell-us/
Reblogged this on xmetman and commented:
I don’t want to challenge your rainfall statistics I’m sure they are spot on!
But to claim that this is the wettest winter across the ENTIRE UK is obviously not correct. One look at the map and you can immediately see large parts of NE Scotland, Merseyside, Eastern England & Norfolk drier than average. It just doesn’t look right!
Surely in the days of GIS you could analyse the map square kilometer by square kilometer, add up each grid point anomaly and calculate an anomaly/sq km value that represented a more accurate assessment.
A part from that, claiming that Scotland is set to break the winter record with a good part of the NW Highlands either near or below average looks odd too.
The nice graphic is a bit rubbish as it uses percentages and the explanation and “new records” data underneath uses millimetres.
My Home Weather Station based in West Berkshire has recorded 339.6mm of rain for this winter and your data here gives me no way to compare this to your professionally produced stats.
Not sure why I”m ‘liking’ this — it’s all a bit grim and foreboding.
Your article begins:
“The latest rainfall update from the Met Office National Climate Information Centre shows that this has been the UK’s wettest winter on record in the national series going back to 1910.”
And yet at the main Met Office website mainpage there is not a single mention of “Climate Change”.
That’s despite the page title being displayed in the browser as “Met Office: Weather and Climate Change”.
Have a look?
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/
The closest we get is a Menu option drop-down for “Climate Guide”.
The words CLIMATE CHANGE do not appear at all.
And even though those words do not appear in the content of the main page (at metoffice.gov.ok) that web address is returned when one searches for “british weather climate change”.
Furthermore, under the menu Item “Climate Guide” there is a further option called “Climate News”. Maybe something in there? No. Last entry is back in December 2012 – two months ago. It’s just a general page, which says “On these pages you’ll find the latest news from the Met Office on climate change issues, impacts, science and more.” Err, no you don’t – not if it hasn’t been updated for two months.
That seems a very poor response.
I came looking to glean some basic and simple information – which I might pursue further. Yet I am left with the impression that perhaps the Met Office really isn’t interested in providing information.
To find this blog demanded I click NEWS from the MetOffice menu, then click CONTACT THE PRESS OFFICER, then scroll to the bottom of the page and click another link (!!!!)
Very poor.
Hey, Sherlock! What do you think the most asked question about climate in the UK is at the moment?
You should do much better to address it.
FWIW I’m quite appalled at your seeming invisibility on this.
Reblogged this on The Daily Dom and commented:
It is only the wettest winter in certain parts of the UK. In parts of North West Scotland, it has been relatively dry.