UK meteorology

chrisbell said:
It's too hot here already, Johnny, and it's due to get into the 30s Celcius tomorrow!
Click to expand...

Chris, do you have any data on windspeed over time in the UK?

This short heatwave notwithstanding, has it always been so bloody windy in the UK? Spring was freezing because the wind stayed in the North and East and rarely seemed to drop below 15mph.

My father-in-law visited recently. We're both fishermen - him offshore from a small boat and me fly fishing in rivers. He commented that there had been very few days when he could safely get out of the harbour due to the incessant wind. I've had a similar problem. Get into a river and the wind makes casting all but impossible, whilst takes are impossible to detect on the windblown surface. I'm certain it never used to be like this, even in the South West, where I am.

Is it getting windier?
 

I don't have such data on hand, I'm afraid, though there is a weather history expert on Netweather who might be able to provide some evidence. My own feeling is that the synoptic patters that have dominated the last couple of years seem to have led to longer periods of cool winds, which are more noticeable and memorable to us due to the windchill effect than a warmer breeze would be. It's really all to do with where the Jet Stream and accompanying surface (cold) low pressure areas and upper (warm air) or, over the cold northern Eurasian landmass in winter, surface (cold air) high pressure areas, as the circulatuion around and betewween them is responsible for the wind strength and direction. If the set-up that predominates leads to a feed of air from north of a given line of latitude, it will be cooler and generate more wind chill.
 
Met Office have a Level 3 heatwave alert for today and tomorrow in much of southern England:
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/heat-health/#?tab=heatHealth

 
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