The weather this February has certainly been a mixed bag in the UK – ranging from ice and snow at the beginning of the month to warm sunshine and blue skies towards the end.
The odd mix of weather can partly be attributed to the fact that February is somewhat between seasons, coming as it does between the end of winter and beginning of spring.
Typically, February tends to be quite chilly; temperatures in London will only reach a high of 8°C (46°F) and can fall to 2°C (36°F) at night, with just four hours of sunshine every day.
Because London is a metropolis, it tends to have its own micro-climate and is therefore usually slightly warmer than the rest of the UK. For instance, temperatures in Edinburgh, which is much further north in Scotland, can experience highs of just 6°C (43°F), with evening temperatures falling to 0°C (32°F). There is also just three hours of sunshine each day.
February weather can extremely diverse; in 2012, the highest temperature recorded in the UK was 18.7°C, with the coldest being -12°C – just over a week before!
So, of course this can become confusing – you’ll need hats, gloves and scarves on minute and t-shirts and shorts the next!
But, while it is pleasant to experience warm, sunny weather, the prolonged dry period of the last couple months has brought with it the threat of drought conditions in the south east of England as reservoirs run dry.
And this weather looks set to last into March, with high pressure retaining the mild weather and rain being concentrated in the north and north-east.
