Wanstead Village Directory
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unseas © Geoff Wilkinson
Though we still have a few weeks of the year left, 2014 is likely to end as one of the warmest years on record.
A double rainbow seen over Wanstead in October
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very month this year, apart from August, has been warmer than average – that means being over 10C warmer every month. If this continues, the mean temperature for 2014 will be 12.50C, which is just 0.30C short of the warmest year in 2011. The number of days with thunder is also high. Up to 9 November, thunder has been heard in Wanstead on 19 days. In an average year, we can expect thunder on only 12 days. Rainfall, however, is less remarkable, although the year has certainly been wetter than average. The estimated total of 750mm would put it in the top 18% of years for rainfall since 1797. The year began where 2013 left off: wet. Depressions whistling in off the Atlantic brought incessant rain and the wettest January for 130 years. The total, 131mm, which was two-and-a-half times the average for January, beat the previous record set in 1988 by just 2.8mm. The most notable day was probably 25 January, when what started as a bright, fine day quickly changed around 4pm as a strong squall with heavy rain blew through with associated thunder and lightning and a 60C fall in temperature in an hour.
The warm January was followed by an even warmer February, with a complete absence of air frost – very unusual for what is commonly the coldest winter month. The conveyor belt of storms off the Atlantic also calmed, though not before a storm on the evening of Valentine's Day caused widespread damage. The sheer quantity of rain brought flooding problems around the local area. It was also the first winter ever where no snow falling or lying was observed. The warmest March for 74 years brought lots of gloriously sunny days, a welcome relief from the run of seemingly endless wet months. Just 25.8mm of rain fell over the 31 days – that's 63% of the average. The most notable weather occurred on the 26 March, when the temperature fell from 100C at 1.30pm to 40C by 3pm. Heavy showers accompanied what was an utterly foul day. The cold pool persisted into the next day, with towering thunder clouds surrounding Wanstead, north, east and south. The month ended with warm, sunny weather – the southerly flow bringing Saharan dust that deposited on cars. April continued this year's theme of being mild; the mean temperature of 120C was 2.20C above
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