October 2008 United Kingdom cold wave

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The October 2008 United Kingdom cold wave was a spell of unseasonable weather that affected the United Kingdom during the final week of October 2008. The event set new low October temperature records across areas in England, Scotland, and Wales and brought the first recorded October snowfall to some areas of the country in more than 70 years. The cold wave caused disruptions to power supplies and transport in southern England, and led to the postponement of several sporting fixtures.

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Snowfall

Snow in north London on 29 October 2008 Early snowfall in London N14 - geograph.org.uk - 1028886.jpg
Snow in north London on 29 October 2008

Snowfall was widespread on 28 October, with lying snow also widespread. For parts of south-eastern England it was the first October snowfall for decades, with London having last experienced such early snow in 1934. [1] There was more snow on the 29th. The conditions marked the first time since 1887 that snow had settled on the ground prior to November in Surrey. [2]

Temperatures

The cold front brought lower than average temperatures to many parts of the United Kingdom, with several areas setting new records for October. The United Kingdom as a whole saw its lowest October maximum temperature over 28-29 October with 5.6 °C (42.1 °F), breaking the previous record set in 1974. On 28 October Scotland observed its lowest ever October maximum temperature with 3.3 °C (37.9 °F), with Wales and Northern Ireland following suit on 29 October with identical records of 4.7 °C (40.5 °F). England's maximum temperature of 6.4 °C (43.5 °F) on the same day was the second-lowest recorded in the country in October since 1960. [3]

A number of Met Office stations across the United Kingdom additionally set new local temperature records for the month over 28-29 October. Leuchers, Aberporth, Watnall, and Shawbury, as well as Ronaldsway on the Isle of Man, all observed their lowest maximum October temperatures on record, while stations in Coningsby, Lyneham, and Tiree registered their lowest minimum temperatures for October. [3]

Overnight on the 28-29 October temperatures dropped to −4 °C (25 °F) in eastern England, while Manchester registered a daily high of just 5 °C (41 °F) on 28 October, 5°C lower than normal. [4]

Impact

Cables damaged by the cold conditions left thousands of households across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire without power, with engineers unable to undertake repairs due to the inclement weather. [4] There were disruptions at Luton Airport with twelve departing flights cancelled [1] and seven incoming flights diverted to Birmingham and Stansted in order for the runways to be cleared of snow. [4] Several football matches set to be played on the evening of 28 October in England and Wales were also abandoned or postponed due to the weather. [5] [6]

Related Research Articles

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The United Kingdom straddles the higher mid-latitudes between 49° and 61°N on the western seaboard of Europe. Since the UK is always in or close to the path of the polar front jet stream, frequent changes in pressure and unsettled weather are typical. Many types of weather can be experienced in a single day.

A cold wave is a weather phenomenon that is distinguished by a cooling of the air. Specifically, as used by the U.S. National Weather Service, a cold wave is a rapid fall in temperature within a 24-hour period requiring substantially increased protection to agriculture, industry, commerce, and social activities. The precise criteria for a cold wave are the rate at which the temperature falls, and the minimum to which it falls. This minimum temperature is dependent on the geographical region and time of year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winter of 1962–1963 in the United Kingdom</span> Severe winter in the UK

The winter of 1962–1963, known as the Big Freeze of 1963, was one of the coldest winters on record in the United Kingdom. Temperatures plummeted and lakes and rivers began to freeze over.

The winter of 1894–1895 was severe for the British Isles with a Central England temperature (CET) of 1.17 °C or 34.1 °F. Many climatologists have come to view this winter as the end of the Little Ice Age and the culmination of a decade of harsh winters in Britain. Whereas the average CET for the 10 winters from 1885–1886 to 1894–1895 was 2.87 °C or 37.2 °F, no winter with a CET under 3.0 °C or 37.4 °F followed for 22 years and no month as cold as February or January 1895 until 1940. In contrast, between 1659 and 1894, no spell with every winter CET above 3.0 °C or 37.4 °F had lasted longer than 12 winters.[b]

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winter of 2009–10 in Europe</span> Severe 2009/2010 winter conditions in Europe

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winter of 2009–10 in Great Britain and Ireland</span> Winter season in Great Britain and Ireland

The winter of 2009–10 in the United Kingdom was a meteorological event that started on 16 December 2009, as part of the severe winter weather in Europe. January 2010 was provisionally the coldest January since 1987 in the UK. A persistent pattern of cold northerly and easterly winds brought cold, moist air to the United Kingdom with many snow showers, fronts and polar lows bringing snowy weather with it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1987 United Kingdom and Ireland cold wave</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winter of 2010–11 in the British Isles</span> Severe 2010–2011 winter conditions in the UK and the Republic of Ireland

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Early 2012 European cold wave</span> Cold wave in Europe in January 2012

A deadly cold wave started in Europe on January 27, 2012, and brought snow and freezing temperatures to much of the continent. There were more than 824 reported deaths in both Europe and North Africa. Particularly low temperatures hit several Eastern and Northern European countries, reaching as low as −42.7 °C (−44.9 °F) in Finland. The heaviest snow was recorded in the Balkan region. The cold weather was a result of an extensive area of very high pressure located over the north east of the continent in northern Russia, which circulated cold air from the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weather of 2013</span>

The 2013 extreme weather events included several all-time temperature records in Northern and Southern Hemisphere. The February extent of snow cover in Eurasia and North America was above average, while the extent of Arctic ice in the same month was 4.5% below the 1981–2010 average. The Northern Hemisphere weather extremes have been linked to the melting of Arctic sea ice, which alters atmospheric circulation in a way that leads to more snow and ice.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 North American winter</span> Weather summary

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">March 2013 United Kingdom winter storm</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019–20 North American winter</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 North American winter</span> Winter season in North America

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022–23 North American winter</span> Winter season in North America

The 2022–23 North American winter was an unusually warm winter for the east and an unusually cold winter for the west in North America, as it occurred across the continent from late 2022 to early 2023. The winter season in North America began at the winter solstice, which occurred on December 21, 2022, and it ended at the March equinox, which occurred on March 20, 2023. The first day of meteorological winter began on December 1 and unofficially ended on February 28; winter storms may still occur outside of these limits.

References

  1. 1 2 Walker, Peter (29 October 2008). "London has first October snow in over 70 years". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. ISSN   1756-3224. Archived from the original on 15 February 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  2. Hurrell, Wendy (30 October 2008). "Weather Stories: How strange is snow in October?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 9 February 2009. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Snow and low temperatures - 28-30 October 2008" (PDF). Met Office. 26 October 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 Bailey, Charlotte; Jamieson, Alastair (29 October 2008). "Snow covers parts of England as winter weather sets in". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Archived from the original on 29 October 2008. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  5. "Cold snap blamed on Arctic air". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 28 October 2008. Archived from the original on 29 October 2008. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  6. Large, Heather (28 October 2019). "Flashback to 2008: An autumn whitewash". Express & Star. Midland News Association. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2020.