Sunday 11 March 2012

Spring - Full steam ahead


Just when it looked as Spring was going to be late this year the weather changed and Spring is accelerating forward. It has not been unusual in recent years for nature to get a big boost from March warmth. In the last 23 years the mean temperature for March has been 8.0 Celsius. Prior to 1989 this figure had been exceeded on only 13 occasions since the year 1900. Since 1989 there have been 14 occasions when March has had a mean temperature higher than 8.0 Celsius. So far this March (excluding today) the mean temperature has been 8.2 Celsius but the forecast charts suggest it may eventually be much higher than that. To claim a 'top ten' position the mean temperaturee has to be 8.7 Celsius or higher. This figure was last exceeded in March 2003 with a mean temperature of 9.0 Celsius. This placed March 2003 at number 6 in the list dating back to 1900. The one to beat is March 1957 (9.9C). On this day in 1957 the temperature in London exceeded 19 Celsius and even the coldest day of the month had a maximum temperature above 9 Celsius. The month was not frost-free, though. On the morning of the 4th a temperature of minus 1 Celsius was recorded.

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