A question....

[Snowly does it]

Can anyone let me know what the coldest daytime maxima recorded in England is in the last 100 years (say 1900 for the sake of argument)?

[MAF]

Courtesy of BBC

Temperature Facts

The highest temperatures recorded in the UK was 38.5°C in Brogdale, near Faversham, Kent, on 10 August 2003. The lowest temperature recorded in the UK was -27.2C at Braemar in the Grampians, on January 10 1982 and Altnaharra, Highland on 30 December 1995.

Highest and Lowest

The highest temperature recorded in the world was 58C at El Azizia in Africa, on September 13, 1922

Edited September 19, 2006 by Mick

[Weather-history]

There were some very low daytime maxima during December 1981, places like Shawbury only recorded

-12C on the 12th of December 1981

[Nick H]

The lowest maximum recorded in Britain is -19.1C in Braemar, Aberdeenshire on 10 January 1982. That very same morning Braemar also recorded the lowest ever minimum in Britain, -27.2C.

Edited September 19, 2006 by Nick H

[Essan]

Lowest maxima I can find for England is -11.5c at Burton-on-Trent on the 3rd January 1979.

On the 12th January 1987 -9.1c was the maxima at Warlingham, South London and much of Southern England saw maximas around -6c to -8c making it overall the coldest 'day' of the century.

That's from a quick flick through the pages on Trevor Harley's excellent website

http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~taharley...#extremeweather

Edit: I forgot to look at the December temps ..... !

Edited September 19, 2006 by Essan

[Snowly does it]

Thanks everyone!

I knew that we had gone well below -20 at night but just wasn;t sure how cold the daytime had ever been, links very useful too!

[Weather-history]

Very low maxima or the lowest maxima that can happen will occur after exceptionally low minima under calm conditions over a deep snow cover such as what happened with Shawbury in December 1981 and again in January 1982. Freezing fog can be an aid to keep the maxima down.

[Nick H]

Very low maxima or the lowest maxima that can happen will occur after exceptionally low minima under calm conditions over a deep snow cover such as what happened with Shawbury in December 1981 and again in January 1982. Freezing fog can be an aid to keep the maxima down.

Indeed. Also, RAF Shawbury being in both a frost hollow and the most rural county in England (Shropshire) helped too.

[Summer of 95]

Indeed. Also, RAF Shawbury being in both a frost hollow and the most rural county in England (Shropshire) helped too.

I know it's rural and gets some low temps (even compared with here less than 10 miles away) but it isn't a frost hollow is it? Shawbury is in the flattest part of Shropshire, basically the southern extension of the Cheshire plain. I always thought it was the lack of any large urban areas nearby and perhaps soils or something that were responsible for Shawbury's minima.

I've always found it amazing that Shawbury is often 3-4 degrees C cooler than the outskirts of Shrewsbury on clear nights: one night in early March this year Shawbury recorded -10 when the northeast edges of Shrewsbury (6 miles or so distant) only got down to -6.

There are a lot of likely frost hollows in south and west Shropshire (the Clun valley, Hope Valley, Ashes Hollow) which you'd think would get colder than Shawbury but never seem to.

[Nick H]

I know it's rural and gets some low temps (even compared with here less than 10 miles away) but it isn't a frost hollow is it? Shawbury is in the flattest part of Shropshire, basically the southern extension of the Cheshire plain. I always thought it was the lack of any large urban areas nearby and perhaps soils or something that were responsible for Shawbury's minima.

I've always found it amazing that Shawbury is often 3-4 degrees C cooler than the outskirts of Shrewsbury on clear nights: one night in early March this year Shawbury recorded -10 when the northeast edges of Shrewsbury (6 miles or so distant) only got down to -6.

There are a lot of likely frost hollows in south and west Shropshire (the Clun valley, Hope Valley, Ashes Hollow) which you'd think would get colder than Shawbury but never seem to.

Hi So95,

I'm not sure tbh, I've seen it referred to as a "frost hollow", e.g. by the BBC, and you're right that North Shropshire is particularly flat in general. As a Salop native I'm sure you know the area as well as anyone (btw I was born in Shifnal nr Bridgnorth and spent the first five years of my life there, sadly I don't get back there as often as I like but it's definitely one of my favourite places in England and I have relatives in Herefs).

If you look at this picture of RAF Shawbury it does look like the station is situated in some sort of "bowl" at the base of hills/valley, so may be conducive to cold air pooling?

http://www.deltaweb.co.uk/eagles/shows/shaw_arrival2.jpg

Edited September 19, 2006 by Nick H

[Summer of 95]

Hi So95,

I'm not sure tbh, I've seen it referred to as a "frost hollow", e.g. by the BBC, and you're right that North Shropshire is particularly flat in general. As a Salop native I'm sure you know the area as well as anyone (btw I was born in Shifnal nr Bridgnorth and spent the first five years of my life there, sadly I don't get back there as often as I like but it's definitely one of my favourite places in England and I have relatives in Herefs).

If you look at this picture of RAF Shawbury it does look like the station is situated in some sort of "bowl" at the base of hills/valley, so may be conducive to cold air pooling?

http://www.deltaweb.co.uk/eagles/shows/shaw_arrival2.jpg

That's Grinshill on the one side, I don't think it lies in a bowl because there isn't any notable hill on any other side (it's certainly flat towards Shrewsbury and there's no hills going up towards Market Drayton); the river Roden runs nearby but isn't in a valley. Perhaps even that limited relief is enough to have some effect though- however there are scores of more obvious frost-hollow locations around Shropshire I can think of. Similarly the Newport reading of Jan 82- I think it was at Harper Adams which if anything is even flatter than Shawbury. I wonder if there are any readings from Cosford or Tern Hill (certainly have or had weather stations at various times, latter would be particularly useful as it's only just up the road from Shawbury), or even the Long Mynd gliding base to compare?

[JRMcLeod]

On a slightly different note but still kinda relevant to this type of topic! Does anyone know what the coldest temp EVER in the Uk including windchill is i.e. top of Cairngorm etc?? And what the fastest windspeed ever recorded at the top is?

[Snowyowl9]

There were some very low daytime maxima during December 1981, places like Shawbury only recorded

-12C on the 12th of December 1981

Shawbury`s Not very far from here, the river severn now that would be even colder as unofficial readings,as I remember it frozen that year.

Edited September 24, 2006 by Snowyowl9

[summer blizzard]

The lowest maximum recorded in Britain is -19.1C in Braemar, Aberdeenshire on 10 January 1982. That very same morning Braemar also recorded the lowest ever minimum in Britain, -27.2C.

It looks like there was a surface inversion on top of existing snowcover..