WEATHER

As said before, today will be history tomorrow, and it is sometimes very difficult to remember what happened one day to another. Especially when talking abut THE WEATHER - we all love talking about it; we all know how the general weather pattern affects the crops, our vegetable and flower gardens, the flora and fauna around us - our whole life! We can probably remember outstanding weather-related events, but, here in an Ashwellthorpe garden, daily recordings have been taken for the last thirteen years and they give a factual summary of what has been going on.  Jane Wareham has been recording temperatures and rainfall from her home at 1 Jubilee Cottages, New Road, Ashwellthorpe ,using a rain gauge and two thermometers.
Plastic rain gauge
Plastic rain gauge
Maximum temperature thermometer in deep shade by gate
Maximum temperature thermometer in deep shade by gate
Minimum temperature thermometer on shed
Minimum temperature thermometer on shed

Over that time, Jane's daily temperatures and rainfall readings recall short-term weather patterns as well as enabling her to make acute observations on longer-term climate behaviour. The chart below details the rainfall amounts in millimetres, month by month and year by year from 2010 up to and including 2022. It can be seen that although we will always remember 2022 to have been a year of drought and high temperatures, it has not been the driest year - that was in 2011 nor did it have the driest month - that was April 2021. But 2022 did have the hottest daytime and night-time temperatures in Ashwellthorpe - on 19 July, with 36C and 21.7C respectively. 

Other notes or photographs of particular weather events over these years can be seen below the chart.

NOTES from JANE WAREHAM

2022  The hottest year on record. This year was marked by 7 months of low rainfall and the hottest day- and night-time temperatures on record, on 19 July. No rain 9 April to 4 May, No rain 3 to 30 July. No rain 1 to 24 August. Driest July since 1935. July to August - worst drought since 1958.

2021  6 cms snow from 8 to 14 February - very cold 

Flock of fieldfare 8 February 2021
Flock of fieldfare 8 February 2021

2020  23/24 December - Heavy rain; 59mm in 2 days Houses flooded. See Investigation Report into the Flooding in South Norfolk District in Winter 2022/2021, Report FIR066 on https://www.norfolk.gov.uk

Flooded garden 24 December 2020
Flooded garden 24 December 2020
Gravel Pit Hill
Gravel Pit Hill

2018  25 February to 3 March - very cold with cold wind. 1 March deep snow 26cms with light dusting of snow on 17 to 19 March

Icicle at 5 Greenwood Close
Icicle at 5 Greenwood Close

2018  Driest and longest dry spell in June and July since 1976. 23 July - 31C. Hottest summer on record in England.

2017  Very dry and cold April with NE winds. 17/18 June Very hot 29C 

2015/2016  Warm December 2015 and early January 2016. 4 February warm winter. Early May - unseasonably warm weather with 22.5C day-time high.

2014  Wettest winter since records began and a warm winter.

2013  Snow from 13 to 26 January with 13.5 cms on 15 January.

2012  Warm in early January but snow on ground from 5 to 12 February.

2011  Hottest April in East Anglia since records began in 1910 with only 5% of average rain in May.

2010  31 December (2009) to 14 January - longest period of snow and ice for 29 years. From 21 February wintry showers and cold spell ending c. 12 March. Coldest winter for 31 years. Sharp frost on 13 May - several plants killed in garden. June - long dry period. 24 November to 4 December cold with deep snow on 29 November. Cold, icy weather from 16 to 28 December - much of the country under snow.