Rothamsted Highs and Lows

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
176.2
2014
90.9
1984
Lowest
-0.6
1963
-6.1
1963
-3.4
1963
-1.6
1940
-0.3
1940
-0.4
1940
8.1
1855
22.2
1996
February
Long-term Mean
6.4
0.3
3.4
2.5
3.1
3.3
47.4
68.5
Highest
10.9
2019
4.7
2024
7.0
1990
5.3
2002
6.0
2002
6.8
2002
141.9
2014
145.5
2008
Lowest
-0.9
1947
-6.3
1895
-2.7
1947
-0.5
1942
0.1
1942
0.6
1942
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
6.9
2017
7.4
2017
8.0
2017
129.2
1979
205.7
1907
Lowest
5.2
2013
-2.0
1883
2.0
1883
1.7
1955
2.2
1955
2.4
1962
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
6.7
2011
12.2
2011
11.1
2011
11.4
2011
10.8
2011
168.6
2012
270.1
1893
Lowest
9.1
1917
0.4
1917
4.7
1917
5.0
1986
5.4
1986
5.6
1986
1.6
2021
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
9.6
2024
13.7
2024
14.7
1989
14.3
2020
13.7
1990
135.8
2007
308.6
2020
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
12.0
2017
17.2
1976
18.5
2017
18.0
2003
17.6
1976
166.5
2012
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
20.9
2018
20.9
2018
20.1
1983
167.2
1855
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
25.2
2022
14.5
1997
19.6
2022
20.4
2003
20.4
2022
19.4
1975
172.0
2020
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
22.5
2023
13.4
2006
17.7
2023
16.7
2023
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
0.9
1865
32.6
1894
October
Long-term Mean
13.5
6.2
9.8
9.3
10.1
10.7
69.5
103.4
Highest
17.7
1921
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
2.5
1919
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
12.4
2011
7.4
1994
9.7
1994
9.2
1994
9.7
2011
11.0
2022
192.4
1940
114.1
1989
Lowest
5.3
1919
-0.8
1910
2.5
1923
3.2
1952
4.3
1952
5.5
1965
4.0
1867
26.5
1962
December
Long-term Mean
6.7
1.2
4.0
3.5
4.2
4.6
68.8
45.1
Highest
12.5
2015
7.3
2015
9.9
2002/2015
8.4
2015
8.9
2015
9.5
2015
190.9
1914
94.7
2014
Lowest
0.5
1890
-4.3
1890
-1.9
1890
0.3
1933
1.1
1933
1.4
1933
8.8
1857
12.3
1956
Year
Long-term Mean
13.1
5.2
9.1
9.0
9.3
9.5
685.5
1502.3
Highest
15.5
2022
7.4
2014
11.2
2022
11.0
2022
11.7
2022
11.8
2022
1059.2
2012
1912.5
2022
Lowest
10.8
1879
3.7
1887
7.3
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