Since the onset of winter on December 1st, what can we expect for the rest of the cold season? Will January and February be cold and wet? Or mild and dry?
Remember! Snowfall returned significantly across several counties at the start of December, leading to farmland blanketed in snow, road blockages, and challenging access to villages... In some places, more than 20 cm of snow fell in the first few days of the meteorological winter. Cumbria was particularly hard hit.
WOW, over a foot of #snow reported from Coniston, Cumbria, UK this afternoon and the snow continues to fall this evening. Quite the snow event taking place tonight. #severeweather #uksnow
— WEATHER/ METEO WORLD (@StormchaserUKEU) December 2, 2023
Video via @R3Cooper pic.twitter.com/891yI5CdYf
However, commencing winter with snow doesn't assure a full season of cold and snow throughout. MetOffice weather experts suggest that while the conclusion of winter may remain slightly colder than December, it's anticipated to be drier. This scenario is predicted by the seasonal forecasts for a large part of Northern Europe.
When this natural phenomenon occurs, climatological data indicates that winters in the UK generally lean toward being colder. However, it's essential to note: that this refers to a probability or possibility, not a certainty. The correlation between the observation of El Niño and a consistently colder end to winter isn't robust enough to predict with certainty what will follow after our winter. The jet stream (violent winds at high altitudes blowing from west to east in the northern hemisphere) may also play a role in whether or not winter conditions return to our farms.
According to the latest weather models, there's a chance of snow returning to Scotland around Christmas, potentially resulting in a few centimetres of ground cover.
The El Niño phenomenon manifests in the South Pacific Ocean, marked by unusually high water temperatures. Typically, in this region, the prevailing winds known as Trade Winds move from East to West. Consequently, the water temperature tends to be higher along the American coast and in Peru. When El Nino returns, the opposite happens, as this planisphere shows, representing the El Nino phenomenon in 1997.
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Weather conditions and forecasts play a key role in every decision taken during the cultivation process. Are the conditions right for ploughing and sowing? Is there a risk of disease or pests? When should I spray to ensure maximum effectiveness and protection? When do my plants need to be irrigated?
Autumn is a crucial time for autumn cereals. As the cereals begin to grow, conditions are often favourable for weeds to emerge, which can compete strongly with existing crops. Along with diseases and pests, they are one of the biggest risks to crops. Weeds are still young and underdeveloped, which
Used to abnormally mild (and sometimes hot) temperatures, the United Kingdom had its coolest summer in 9 years. Find out more about the summer weather. Summer 2024 is the coolest in 9 years! According to official climate data, temperatures were cooler than normal, on average, over the three summers combined: