Winter is over after sunniest February since records began

[Guest guest]

From The Times

Spring has come early this year. This was the sunniest February across the UK since sunshine records began in 1929. By February 28, the average total of sunshine was 106.1 hours, easily beating the previous record of 94.4 hours set in 1970. The new record was largely thanks to a powerful high-pressure system that kept skies clear and dry.

February also has been warmer than usual. In fact, average temperatures over the whole winter in the UK were 1.1C (2F) above the norm, largely thanks to a warm January and February. This bore out the Met Office’s long-range prediction for a warm second half to the winter, thanks to an intense La Niña, a cooling of tropical seas in the Pacific.

Other winter forecasters were less accurate, however. Last year there were warnings to expect a severe winter freeze, one of the coldest on record. It was feared that power stations would not be able to keep up with demand, with the possibility of power-cuts leaving homes cold and dark. Luckily the warm weather helped to prevent that, but there is no room for complacency. Even though our climate is growing warmer, there is always the possibility of a truly shocking cold winter sometime in the future.

Peter H

 

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