UK has a warm autumn
2 December 2011 - This November and the autumn have been the second warmest on record in the UK, provisional Met Office figures show.
Statistics for November show that parts of the country have seen monthly temperatures of up to 3.0 °C above the long-term average.
Records that go back to 1910 show this November is ranked second warmest for the UK with an average temperature of 8.7 °C, just 0.1 °C off the record set in 1994.
The mild temperatures this November follow a relatively mild September and October, which were the 6<SUP>th</SUP> and 8<SUP>th</SUP> warmest on record respectively.
This has added up to a warm autumn, with provisional figures showing the UK average temperature was 11.2 °C - making it the second warmest on record, behind 2006 when the mean temperature was 11.4 °C.
<TABLE class=classicgeneralzebra cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 summary="UK temperature and rainfall figures for the UK in April 2011"><TBODY><TR class=classicodd><TH class=classictopleft vAlign=top rowSpan=2>Location</TH><TH class=classictopcenter vAlign=top colSpan=2>Average temperature for autumn</TH><TH class=classictopcenter vAlign=top colSpan=2>Sunshine for autumn
</TH><TH class=classictopright vAlign=top colSpan=2>Average rainfall for autumn</TH></TR><TR class=classiceven><TH class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>Actual (°C)</TH><TH class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>Difference from 1971 to 2000 average (°C) </TH><TH class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>Actual (hours)</TH><TH class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>Percentage of 1971 to 2000 average</TH><TH class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>Actual (mm)</TH><TH class=classicmiddleright vAlign=top>Percentage of 1971 to 2000 average</TH></TR><TR class=classicodd><TD class=classicmiddleleft vAlign=top>UK</TD><TD class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>11.2 °C</TD><TD class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>2.1 °C</TD><TD class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>281.6 hrs</TD><TD class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>103%</TD><TD class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>326.7 mm</TD><TD class=classicmiddleright vAlign=top>97%</TD></TR><TR class=classiceven><TD class=classicmiddleleft vAlign=top>England</TD><TD class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>12.2 °C</TD><TD class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>2.2 °C</TD><TD class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>331.1 hrs</TD><TD class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>110%</TD><TD class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>166.0 mm</TD><TD class=classicmiddleright vAlign=top>69%</TD></TR><TR class=classicodd><TD class=classicmiddleleft vAlign=top>Northern Ireland</TD><TD class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>10.8 °C</TD><TD class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>1.6 °C</TD><TD class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>219.5 hrs</TD><TD class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>86%</TD><TD class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>446.7 mm</TD><TD class=classicmiddleright vAlign=top>140%</TD></TR><TR class=classiceven><TD class=classicmiddleleft vAlign=top>Scotland</TD><TD class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>9.7 °C</TD><TD class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>2.0 °C</TD><TD class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>212.5 hrs</TD><TD class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>93%</TD><TD class=classicmiddlecenter vAlign=top>569.1 mm</TD><TD class=classicmiddleright vAlign=top>121%</TD></TR><TR class=classicodd><TD class=classicbottomleft vAlign=top>Wales</TD><TD class=classicbottomcenter vAlign=top>11.5 °C</TD><TD class=classicbottomcenter vAlign=top>2.0 °C</TD><TD class=classicbottomcenter vAlign=top>274.1 hrs</TD><TD class=classicbottomcenter vAlign=top>99%</TD><TD class=classicbottomcenter vAlign=top>338.2 mm</TD><TD class=classicbottomright vAlign=top>78%</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
It was also the 2nd warmest autumn in the series for England and Scotland, again behind 2006 when the mean temperature was 12.4°C and 9.7°C respectively.
For Wales and Northern Ireland it was the equal warmest autumn in the series, shared with 2006.
Once again there has been a marked contrast in rainfall across the UK this autumn.
It has been the second wettest autumn for Northern Ireland, only 2000 was wetter with 464.3mm. In contrast, in East Anglia just 81.3mm of rain has fallen, making it the fourth driest autumn in the records