Category: Climate change and gardening


Met Office figures show we are on course for coldest March in over 50 years

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28/03/2013

Met Office Press Office's avatarOfficial blog of the Met Office news team

This March is set to be the coldest since 1962 in the UK in the national record dating back to 1910, according to provisional Met Office statistics.

From 1 to 26 March the UK mean temperature was 2.5 °C, which is three degrees below the long term average. This also makes it joint 4th coldest on record in the UK.

The table below gives details of statistics up to the 26 March for broken down by the counties used to compile climate statistics.

 mean temperatureprecipitation
 Actual  (deg C)Difference from 1981-2010 average (deg C)Actual (mm)Percentage of 1981-2010 average (%)
Regions    
UK2.5-3.062.265
England2.9-3.363.499
Wales2.8-3.086.274
Scotland1.6-2.550.336
N Ireland3.0-2.978.983
England & Wales2.9-3.366.694
England N2.0-3.554.072
England S

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Cold Weather Alert Service extended to help support

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27/03/2013

Met Office Press Office's avatarOfficial blog of the Met Office news team

With cold weather forecast across the UK as we head through the Easter weekend and into the start of April, the Cold Weather Alert Service, which usually finishes at the end of March, has been extended for an additional two weeks.

winter-fogThe Cold Weather Plan, which has run successfully since 2011, has been developed by the Department of Health, Met Office and Health Protection Agency, and supported by AgeUK.

The purpose of the Cold Weather Plan is to help raise awareness of the dangers of cold weather on health with both the general public and professionals alike. It spells out what preparations both individuals and organisations could make to reduce health risks and includes specific measures to protect at-risk groups.

The Cold Weather Plan has been supported again this winter by the Met Office Cold Weather Alert Service, which notifies frontline staff across the health, social care, community and…

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PicPost: Spring not sprung

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Filed under: Climate change and gardening, PicPosts- great photographs, This and that — Leave a comment
21/03/2013

PicPost: Spring not sprung

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Filed under: Climate change and gardening, Wildlife and Nature — Leave a comment
20/03/2013

Nature lies dormant ahead of first day of spring

UK Spring Weather : Icicles on the side of a road in South Derbyshire

‘Conservationists report lack of budding plants, animals returning to hibernation and migrating birds held back by wintry weather

One hundred years ago, on the official first day of spring, the Anglo-Welsh war poet and naturalist Edward Thomas set off from Clapham Common in London to cycle and walk to the Quantock Hills in Somerset. The record of his journey, called In Pursuit of Spring, became a nature-writing classic, telling of exuberant chiffchaffs and house martins, daffodils and cowslips in full flower and “honeysuckle in such profusion as I had never before seen”.

Had Thomas taken the same route today, he might not have seen very much wildlife – and could well have frozen. Mist and fog, rain, a bitter north wind, and temperatures just above freezing are forecast for , the first “official” day of spring…’

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January catch up

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Tony's avatarnaturestimeline

Looking back at January 2013, were my local climatic conditions much different to that of 2012?

Firstly, in the United Kingdom, 2012 began as “the year of the drought” * with recorded precipitation totalling 32.8mm in my neck of the woods. By comparison, January this time around looked like this.

In total, we received 61.6mm, which is still below the revised 1981 to 2010 mean by approximately 25% or so. What about the Air Temperatures?

January 2012 was mild in comparison with some 11 double-digit Fahrenheit Maximums being achieved back then and unsurprisingly a mean of 0.8cabove the long-term average, mentioned previously. This time around, January2013 saw the following daily Air temperature trend.

Due to almost two-thirds of January 2013 being in the cold to very cold category, it is unsurprising that the mean return of 4.0c was below the long-term average by 0.6c. As a result…

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Filed under: Climate change and gardening, Four Seasons in One Day- series on climate change and gardening, Wildlife and Nature — Leave a comment

Four Seasons in One Day – survey on climate change and the garden

The Royal Horticultural Society needs your help! They’ve partnered with the University of Reading, asking Britain’s gardeners to share your view on climate change and whether it will influence your choices and plans in the garden. Please complete the survey: http://blogs.reading.ac.uk/crg/climate-change-and-gardening

My next article on climate change and the garden will look at how we can be prepared for the unpredictable weather patterns that come with climate change – due out Monday 25th March.

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Filed under: Climate change and gardening, Pests and diseases, Wildlife and Nature — Leave a comment
19/03/2013

Aphids forecast to fly considerably later this year

‘…Dr Susannah Bolton, HGCA Head of Research and KT, said, “Average temperatures in January and February can be used to forecast the first aphid flights. As this winter was colder than the long-term average throughout the country it means that aphid flights are expected to occur much later this year.”

In the southern half of the country, as average temperatures were between 1oC and 2oC below normal, the first aphid flights are expected to be two to four weeks later than average.

In the northern half of the country, as average temperatures were less than 1oC below normal, the first aphid flights are expected to be up to two weeks later than average….’

Latest news from the Home Grown Cereals Board (UK)

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Four Seasons in one week

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10/03/2013
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