February 2002
February 2002
Temperatures
(all temperatures in degrees Celsius; all averages 1961 – 1990)
Mean daily maximum: 9.4
Difference from average: +3.1
Mean daily minimum: 2.8
Difference from average: +2.5
Mean air temperature: 6.1
Difference from average: +2.9
Absolute maximum: 13.1 (2nd)
Absolute minimum: -1.0 (14th)
Mean grass minimum: 1.2
Absolute grass minimum: -4.1 (14th)
Number of ground frosts: 11
Number of air frosts: 3
Mean soil temperature at 30cm depth: 5.1
Mean soil temperature at 100cm depth: 6.4
Rainfall
(all totals in millimetres; all averages 1961 – 1990)
Total for the month: 87.6
Difference from average: +46
Percentage of the average: 211%
Wettest day: 23 (26th)
Number of rain days (>0.1mm): 24
3-month total rainfall to: 157
Difference from average: -0.9
6-month rainfall total to: 312.3
Difference from average: -15.6
12-month rainfall total to: 547.4
Difference from average: -101.6
Humidity
(Averages for 09:00 hours GMT)
Relative Humidity: 79.8%
Sunshine
(all averages 1961 – 1990)
Total for the month: 86.8 hours
Difference from average: +21.4
Percentage of the average: 132%
Mean daily sunshine: 3.1 hours
Difference from average: +0.8
Sunniest day: 7.7 hours (23rd)
Number of days with no recorded sunshine: 3
Wind
The mean wind speed: 21.4km/h [11.6kt]
Difference from average: +8.0km/hr
The highest gust: 100km/h [54kt] from 220° at 15:06 GMT on 1st
ISSN1350-483
Comments on February 2002
February was a very mild month, the 5th equal warmest since 1850, exceeded only by 1903, 1990, 1945 and 1998 (by far the warmest February on record with a mean air temperature of 7.6°C). It was the 20th warmest winter record, a cool December bringing down what might otherwise have been a very warm winter. It was also a wet month: the 9th wettest February on record, though less wet than in 2001 and far less wet than 1941 when 152.5mm was recorded. However, the 12-month rainfall total remains well below the long-term average, while 3-month and 6-month totals are close to average. Despite the rain, it was sunnier than usual and also a windy month with a gust of 100km/hr on the 1st.
Professor Tim Burt
Department of Geography
Durham University