Meteorological Records for Rothamsted

The table below shows for selected variables the long-term mean value* ; the highest and lowest mean value recorded for each month and year since records began; and the year that it was recorded. Those values achieved this year are highlighted in Red.

 

Variable

Air Temperature

Soil Temperature

Total Rainfall

Total Sunshine

Maximum
Minimum
Mean**
10cm under bare soil
20cm under bare soil
30cm under Grass
 
 
Units
°C
°C
°C
°C
°C
°C
mm
hours
Year Measurement Began
1878
1878
1878
1931
1931
1931
1870
1891
 
Value
Year
Value
Year
Value
Year
Value
Year
Value
Year
Value
Year
Value
Year
Value
Year
January
Long-term Mean
5.8
0.3
3.1
2.5
3.1
3.4
61.4
52.6
Highest
9.5
2007
4.3
1921
6.8
1921
5.5
2007
5.9
2007
6.9
2007
136.7
1988
90.9
1984
Lowest
-0.6
1963
-6.1
1963
-3.4
1963
-1.6
1940
-0.3
1940
-0.4
1940
12.8
1997
22.2
1996
February
Long-term Mean
6.4
0.3
3.4
2.5
3.1
3.3
47.4
68.5
Highest
10.2
1990
4.0
1926
7
1990
5.3
2002
6.0
2002
6.8
2002
122.5
1900
145.2
2008
Lowest
-0.9
1947
-6.3
1895
-2.7
1947
-0.5
1942
0.1
1942
0.0
1943
0.9
1891
22.5
1940
March
Long-term Mean
9.1
1.4
5.3
4.0
4.5
4.7
50.3
114.0
Highest
14.1
1938
5.1
1981
8.9
1957
6.8
1957
7.2
1957
7.8
1997
129.2
1979
234.4
2011
Lowest
5.7
1917
-2.0
1883
2.0
1883
1.7
1955
2.2
1955
0.0
1956
1.2
1929
45.2
1984
April
Long-term Mean
12.2
3.3
7.7
7.2
7.3
7.5
46.6
150.3
Highest
17.6
2011
6.1
1993
12.2
2011
11.1
2011
11.4
2011
10.8
2011
132.5
2000
270.1
1893
Lowest
9.1
1917
0.4
1917
4.7
1917
5.0
1986
5.4
1986
5.6
1986
2.7
1938
84.7
1966
May
Long-term Mean
16.0
6.2
11.1
11.4
11.1
11.2
49.9
192.9
Highest
19.0
1947
8.8
2008
13.5
1964
14.7
1989
13.5
1999
13.7
1990
135.8
2007
297.3
1989
Lowest
12.8
1941
4.0
1879
8.5
1879
9.3
1941
8.6
1941
9.0
1941
1.5
1990
116.9
1981
June
Long-term Mean
18.9
9.1
14.0
15.3
14.9
15.0
52.1
198.4
Highest
23.7
1976
11.3
2007
17.2
1976
18.3
2003
18.0
2003
17.6
1976
153.6
1936
289.1
1975
Lowest
14.9
1916
7.2
1916
11.0
1916
12.5
1977
12.3
1977
12.5
1977
2.5
1925
115.2
1909
July
Long-term Mean
20.8
11.2
16.0
17.0
16.8
16.8
56.3
191.9
Highest
26.1
2006
14.5
2006
20.3
2006
20.7
2006
20.3
1983
20.1
1983
141.9
1889
314.9
1911
Lowest
17.2
1919
9.4
1907
13.4
1919
14.4
1980
14.5
1980
14.4
1980
4.1
1921
90.8
1965
August
Long-term Mean
20.5
11.0
15.7
16.1
16.2
16.4
60.3
180.1
Highest
25.0
1995
14.5
1997
19.5
1997
20.4
2003
20.3
2003
19.4
2003
164.5
1879
279.7
1995
Lowest
16.9
1912
9.2
1885
13.2
1912
13.5
1956
13.7
1956
14.4
1931
1.7
1947
75.8
1894
September
Long-term Mean
17.8
9.1
13.5
13.3
13.8
14.0
54.3
142.6
Highest
22.2
1929
13.4
2006
17.4
2006
16.6
2006
16.9
1949
17.1
2006
194.5
1896
228.7
1895
Lowest
14.5
1931
6.3
1986
11.0
1952
10.9
1952
11.5
1986
12.0
1931
3.5
1959
32.6
1894
October
Long-term Mean
13.5
6.2
9.8
9.3
10.1
10.7
69.5
103.4
Highest
26.7
2011
10.6
2001
13.4
2001
12.7
2006
13.2
2006
14.5
2006
198.7
1987
163.9
1997
Lowest
9.7
1974
2.4
1888
6.7
1919
6.5
1974
7.4
1974
8.1
1974
1.1
1947
46.3
1976
November
Long-term Mean
9.0
2.8
5.9
5.5
6.3
6.8
68.5.
62.6
Highest
12.1
1994
7.4
1994
9.7
1994
9.2
1994
9.6
1994
10.8
1994
192.4
1940
114.4
1989
Lowest
5.3
1919
-0.8
1910
2.5
1923
3.2
1952
4.3
1952
5.5
1965
8.9
1945
26.5
1962
December
Long-term Mean
6.7
1.2
4.0
3.5
4.2
4.6
68.8
45.1
Highest
9.9
1912
5.5
1934
7.7
2002
6.5
1934
7.0
1953
7.9
1994
190.9
1914
87.0
1962
Lowest
0.5
1890
-4.3
1890
-1.9
1890
0.3
1933
1.1
1933
2.2
1962
10.6
1926
6.1
1890
Year
Long-term Mean
13.1
5.2
9.1
9.0
9.3
9.5
685.5
1502.3
Highest
14.8
2003
7.1
2006
10.8
2006
10.7
2006
11.0
2006
11.5
2006
973.2
2000
1872.3
1989
Lowest
10.8
1879
3.7
1887
7.2
1879
8.1
1963
8.4
1963
8.4
1962
380.1
1921
1149.2
1968

**Mean air temperature is calculated daily as the maximum air temperature (Max) plus the minimum air temperature (Min) divided by two i.e. (Max+Min)/2

*The Long-Term Mean is averaged over the following periods
Variable
Number of Years
From : To
Maximum air temperature
Minimum air temperature
Mean air temperature
Total Rainfall
Total Sunshine
100
1891 to 1990    
Soil temperature at 10cm under bare soil
Soil temperature at 20cm under bare soil
60
1931 to 1990    
Soil temperature at 30cm under bare soil
48

1931 to 1990 (1)

(1)Excluding 1945 - 1956