Yorkshire's lowest rainfall in 90 years as temperature to soar
As Yorkshire prepares for what is expected to be the hottest day of the year so far, records show the region has endured its driest combined February, March and April for almost 90 years.Just 78mm (3in) of rainfall has been recorded at Sheffield's Weston Park weather station since the start of February - the lowest since 1938. Typically we would expect to see around 184mm (7in) and, by contrast, the same period in 2024 was the sixth wettest on record, when 300mm (11.8in) fell.Temperatures could reach as high as 26C (79F) later - the average for late April is 14C (57F) - and though they are expected to fall later in the week there is little, if any, rain in the forecast as we head into May.
But, while the warm weather may be a boon to sunbathers and holidaymakers alike, it's not universally welcomed.Take Dr Nick Wilson, an arable farmer in the Vale of York, who specialises in crops such as wheat and barleyHe said he had only recorded 20mm (0.7in) of rain at his farm in the last 10 weeks. The contrast with last year when his crops were sitting in flooded fields couldn't be more stark."It's a crucial time of the year for the development of crops," he tells me."And with the lack of rainfall we are already looking at a 15% drop in crop yield."More worryingly, if we don't get any rain in the next week or 10 days, the yield could drop to potentially more than 20%."Inevitably, this is likely to mean higher prices in the shops later in the year.And farmers like Nick haven't recovered from the disastrous spring floods last year, which lead to another poor UK harvest"We've been hit from every side at the moment, whether it's politically, economically or financially," he says."And this could just be another nail in that proverbial coffin. It's not good and farmers' mental health is really suffering."
Jim McQuaid, from the Department for Earth and Environment at the University of Leeds, tells me no-one should be surprised by these increasingly frequent weather extremes.In recent years we have seen numerous records broken in the UK - the most notable one in July 2022 when 40C was recorded for the first time - a temperature which scientists believed would have been impossible were it not for climate change."This is what the weather models have been telling us for a number of years, but now we're actually seeing it with our own eyes," Dr McQuaid says.And there's evidence to suggest that the jet stream - so crucial in determining weather in the UK - is being impacted by our warming planet, leading to longer periods of the same weather.It's a ribbon of fast-moving air high up in the atmosphere, formed by the clash between cold air in the Arctic and the much warmer air in the sub-tropics.But the Arctic is becoming less cold - it is the fastest warming place on earth – and this is weakening the temperature contrast with the sub-tropics, which is so crucial in determining the strength of the jet stream.This may be causing the jet stream to meander in the Atlantic - becoming slower-moving and so becoming stuck – leading to longer periods of either rainfall like we saw last spring or dry weather that we have seen since February.And for farmers like Nick, who are desperate for some rainfall, the long range forecast doesn't offer much in the way of hope, with the first half of May expected to see a continuation of the drought.I've been a meteorologist for 30 years, and there can be no doubt we are seeing patterns of weather becoming more extreme, not just the intensity of events, such as more rainfall, but the length of time these types of weather last.The flooded fields with crops under water last year and the same fields this year with crops struggling to survive the drought illustrates our changing climate, with projections suggesting these patterns are only likely to become more extreme over time.
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Why hottest May on record for Greenland and Iceland is bad news for the world
A recent analysis indicates that human-caused climate change amplified Iceland and Greenland 's temperatures during a record-setting May heat wave, raising concerns about the global implications of melting Arctic ice. During the heat wave, the Greenland ice sheet melted at an accelerated rate, with some areas in Iceland experiencing temperatures over 10°C (18°F) above average, and setting a May record of 26.6°C (79.9 F) at Egilsstadir Airport. Scientists warn that the melting Greenland ice sheet could disrupt global climate and weather patterns by slowing down the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, an ocean current that influences weather in the Northern Hemisphere. The May heat wave, which increased the length of the melting season, also threatens Indigenous communities in Greenland due to dangerous travel conditions caused by thawing sea ice, impacting access to hunting locations. Amidst discussions about Greenland 's future, Greenland 's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has asserted that Greenland will never be a property for sale, emphasizing the importance of addressing climate change and its impacts on the territory.
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Humidity - all you need to know
Muggy, sultry, clammy, sweaty - all words used to describe a hot and humid humidity can often make people feel uncomfortable and you may find it difficult to sleep. And humid weather is sometimes accompanied by thunderstorms and heavy rain. What is humidity? Humidity is a measurement of the amount of water vapour in the air. Warmer air can hold more water vapour than cooler air, if there is plenty of water available. The tropics are very warm and also very humid and the air there contains lots of water vapour. Conversely, there is very little water vapour over the cold Arctic and Antarctic or the deserts of the Sahara, therefore humidity would be much lower. It's all relative We tend to measure humidity in terms of Relative Humidity (RH). This looks at how much water vapour there is in the air compared to how much there could be at that temperature. You can find the RH for where you are on the BBC Weather app. If it's 100% then it is fully point temperature is also a measurement of humidity. This is calculated by cooling a surface to the point at which the air condenses and looks like the dew seen on grass in early mornings when the temperature has dropped over night. Is dry heat better than high humidity? While there are health effects from low humidity - including dry skin and itchy eyes - our bodies tend to find it more difficult to cope with high humidity. When we get hot, our bodies sweat to help cool us down but high humidity makes it more difficult for your sweat to evaporate into the air and this can leave you feeling hot and sticky. Combine high humidity with high temperatures and for some people this can lead to dangerous levels of overheating and heat stress. Where does humid air in the UK come from? In the UK, humid weather tends to happen when winds are coming from the south. That can be from a tropical maritime airmass bringing moisture laden air from the Atlantic, but, a tropical continental airmass can bring a more dramatic change in humidity and weather. Our highest temperatures of the year come with a southerly wind and usually with high humidity. Often, this muggy air gives way to thunderstorms and heavy rain and once they pass, the air that follows is usually cooler, less humid and more 'comfortable'.
Daily Record
05-06-2025
- Daily Record
Scotland's highest hills turn white as weather expert gives verdict on June snow
The Cairngorms National Park was dusted with snow, a spectacle more typical of winter months Scotland is well used to experiencing a mixed bag of weather regardless of the time of year. Scots are a resilient bunch - but there is no doubt that seeing snow during the summer will always feel a little odd. Meteorological summer is here but it hasn't stopped the elements from acting up. Despite no rain for the first 23 days of May, four weeks' worth of rain fell in just three days last week, pushing it into wetter-than-average territory. Snow has now entered the picture, too. The white stuff covered Scotland's highest hills and mountains on Wednesday (June 4) including Cairngorm, showing how the freezing level of polar air dropped across the country overnight. Photos showed the wintry-looking road to Cairngorm Ski Centre with fresh snow above 3,2000ft. BBC Scotland weather presenter Judith Ralston gave her verdict on the frosty sight just as British Summertime approaches and how it fares to previous years. "Snow on the hills of Scotland is not unusual in early June," the expert explained. "The colder air has come down from Iceland and, with the strength of wind, it reached Scotland before getting much time to warm up." Even so, Neil Cuthbert, Conservative councillor in Edinburgh couldn't hide his amazement, writing on X: "Pretty amazing to think it's the first month of summer and we have snow in the mountains of #Scotland." Some of Scotland's mountains, including the Cairngorms, had snowfall around this time last June. In 2010, more than 100 skiers took advantage of ski tows being open at the Cairngorm Mountain resort near Aviemore for the first time in midsummer. People were previously able to ski in the Cairngorms at this time of year but they had to trek to where the snow was. Cairngorm Mountain, along with Scotland's other mountain ski centres, had benefited from lengthy periods of freezing conditions over the winter. This most recent bout of snowfall was unexpected because it follows a period of unusually warm weather. Just a couple of weeks ago, Scotland basked in a 'mini-heatwave,' with temperatures soaring to 25C. However, a dramatic shift in weather patterns brought widespread rainfall and even snow to the Highlands. Meteorologists attribute this sudden change to a cold front moving south from the Arctic, bringing freezing temperatures to parts of Scotland. "Overnight lows dipped below freezing in exposed northern regions, and daytime temperatures remained well below seasonal averages," explained. "This sharp contrast to the preceding warmth underscores the volatile nature of Scotland's weather." But is there more snow to come in Scotland? The Met Office hints at such, but stressed that long range forecasts are not as reliable as their shorter range forecasts and due to the "the chaotic nature of the atmosphere," the weather could change on a dime. "Our forecast says a cold front is responsible for the change in the UK's weather, which is seeing a shift to wetter and windier weather on Tuesday and into Wednesday," a weather agency spokesperson revealed. "This could indeed see a mixture of snow and rain over the high ground of Scotland over the next couple of days, but this isn't the weather the vast majority of people will experience and isn't unheard of, even at this time of year." The Met Office long range forecast from June 8-17 throws weight behind this prediction of changeable weather across the UK, but more with showers or some longer spells of rain spreading in from the Atlantic. In terms of the rain, the heaviest and most prolonged bouts will probably be across parts of the north and northwest, with the southeast likely driest. Temperatures are expected to be near normal or slightly below.
