United Kingdom weather records

The United Kingdom weather records show the most extreme weather ever recorded in the United Kingdom, such as temperature, wind speed, and rainfall records.

Boscastle after flooding in 2004

Records

As of 16 October 2020, the records, as recorded by the Met Office are:[1]

Highest temperature by nation
Province or Territory
 Temperature
 Date
 Place(s)
England 38.7 °C /
101.7 °F		 July 25, 2019[2] Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Wales 35.2 °C /
95.4 °F		 August 2, 1990 Hawarden Bridge, Flintshire
Scotland 32.9 °C /
91.2 °F		 August 9, 2003 Greycrook, Scottish Borders
Northern Ireland 30.8 °C /
87.4 °F		 June 30, 1976 Knockarevan, County Fermanagh
July 12, 1983 Shaw's Bridge, Belfast, County Antrim

Top 5 highest temperatures[3]
Rank Temperature Date Place(s)
138.7 °C / 101.7 °FJuly 25, 2019Cambridge University Botanic Gardens
238.5 °C / 101.3 °FAugust 10, 2003Faversham
337.8 °C / 100.0 °FJuly 31, 2020Heathrow
437.1 °C / 98.8 °FAugust 3, 1990Cheltenham
536.1 °C / 98.1 °FJuly 1, 2015Heathrow

Lowest temperature by nation
Province or Territory Temperature Date Place(s)
Scotland −27.2 °C /
−17.0 °F		 February 11, 1895 and January 10, 1982 Braemar, Aberdeenshire
December 30, 1995Altnaharra, Sutherland
England−26.1 °C /
−15.0 °F		January 11, 1982Newport, Shropshire
Wales−23.3 °C /
−9.9 °F		January 21, 1940Rhayader, Radnorshire
Northern Ireland−18.7 °C /
−1.6 °F		December 24, 2010Castlederg, County Tyrone

Rainfall
Duration Amount Place(s) Date
Highest 5-min total 32 mm (1.3 in) Preston, Lancashire 10 August 1893
Highest 30-min total 80 mm (3.1 in) Eskdalemuir, Dumfries and Galloway[4] 26 June 1953
Highest 60-min total 92 mm (3.6 in) Maidenhead, Berkshire 12 July 1901
Highest 90-min total 117 mm (4.6 in) Dunsop Valley, Lancashire 8 August 1967
Highest 120-min total 193 mm (7.6 in)[5] Walshaw Dean Lodge, West Yorkshire 19 May 1989
Highest 155-min total 169 mm (6.7 in) Hampstead, London 14 August 1975
Highest 180-min total 178 mm (7.0 in) Horncastle, Lincolnshire 7 October 1960
Highest 24-hour total (1800-1800) 341.4 mm (13.44 in) Honister Pass, Cumbria 5 December 2015
Highest 24-hour total (0900-0900) 279 mm (11.0 in) Martinstown, Dorset 18 July 1955
Highest 24-hour total (UK national average) 31.7 mm (1.25 in) UK (national average)[6] 3 October 2020
Highest 48-hour total (0900-0900) 405 mm (15.9 in) Thirlmere, Cumbria 4 to 5 December 2015
Highest 72-hour total (0900-0900) 456.4 mm (17.97 in) Seathwaite, Cumbria 17 to 19 November 2009
Highest 96-hour total (0900-0900) 495 mm (19.5 in) Seathwaite, Cumbria 16 to 19 November 2009
Highest monthly total 1,396.4 mm (54.98 in) Crib Goch, Snowdon 1 to 31 December 2015

Sunshine
Record Duration Location Date
Highest monthly total (UK national average)[7] 266 hours UK (national average) May 2020
Highest monthly total (England)[1] 383.9 hours Eastbourne, Sussex July 1911
Highest monthly total (Northern Ireland)[1] 298 hours Mount Stewart, County Down June 1940
Highest monthly total (Scotland)[1] 329.1 hours Tiree, Argyll & Bute May 1975
Highest monthly total (Wales)[1] 354.3 hours Dale Fort, Pembrokeshire July 1955

Wind speed
Ground Level Wind Speed Location Date
mph km/h knots
Low level 142 228 123 Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire 13 February 1989
High level 173 278 150 Cairn Gorm, Scottish Highlands 20 March 1986

Shetland holds the unofficial British record for wind speed. A gust of 197 mph (317 km/h) was reported on 1 January 1992. An earlier gust in 1962 was recorded at 177 mph (285 km/h), both at RAF Saxa Vord.[8] However, it is expected that higher gusts than those reported would have been achieved as during both storms the measuring equipment was destroyed by the extreme weather.[9]

A wind gust of 194 mph (312 km/h) was recorded at Cairn Gorm on 19 December 2008.[10]

Snowfall
Amount Location Date
Highest daily total in an inhabited area[11] 173 cm (68 in) Huntingdon Warren, Dartmoor 16 February 1929
Greatest depth in an inhabited area[12] 211 cm (83 in) Forest-in-Teesdale, County Durham 14 March 1947

Atmospheric pressure
Record Level Location Date
Highest 1,053.6 mbar (31.11 inHg) Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire 31 January 1902
Lowest 925.6 mbar (27.33 inHg) Ochtertyre, Perthshire 26 January 1884

References
  1. "UK climate extremes". Met Office. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  2. "Hottest UK day on record confirmed". BBC News. 29 July 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  3. "UK sizzles as temperatures reach 36C". BBC News. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  4. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. The UK Met Office expresses "reservations" about 193 mm on 19 May 1989 at Walshaw Dean Lodge (West Yorkshire).
  6. McGrath, Matt (16 October 2020). "Extreme weather: October downpour sees UK's wettest day on record". BBC News. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  7. Harrabin, Roger (1 June 2020). "Climate change: May was sunniest calendar month on record in UK". BBC News. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  8. "Unst". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
  9. "A History of RAF Saxa Vord". Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  10. Britten, Nick (6 January 2009). "Highlands mountain claims strongest UK wind". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  11. "Trevor Harley monthly weather extremes for the UK". Trevor Harley. p. 1. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  12. Eden, Philip (2 February 2009). "Snow Britain: Wrong kind of snow strikes again". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
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