Fair-weather February could be warmest ever
MILD weather which has sent spring flowers blooming could make this the warmest February on record.
So far this month, the average daily high of 9.2C (48.6F) already makes it the ninth-warmest February since records began in 1910, and puts it on a par with southern European capitals including Madrid and Rome.
And with warmer days ahead – tomorrow could reach 17C (62.6F) – by the end of the month the final average figure could beat the 1998 record of 10.3C (50.5F).
Last February’s average was just 5.7C (42.3F) due to the ‘Beast from the East’ storm, which brought freezing conditions towards the end of the month.
Grahame Madge, from the Met Office, said: ‘February 2019 is poised to be one of the warmest and is already in the top ten. We are in the middle of very benign conditions, with an area of high pressure in charge, keeping weather systems at bay. The air flow is coming from the Azores and the Canary Islands, which is bringing unseasonably mild temperatures.’
Mr Madge said the highest temperature ever recorded in February – 19.7C (67.5F) in 1998 – is unlikely to be reached over the coming days, but figures of 17C (62.6F) are possible tomorrow, which is likely to be the month’s warmest day. But he added that despite mild daytime temperatures, it will remain chilly overnight, with morning frost and fog possible.
He added: ‘Because of clear skies and the heat radiating back from the ground, the difference between day and night temperatures is likely to be quite high.’