THE WEATHER IN READING DURING 2012 



Roger Brugge 



National Centre for Earth Observation, Department of Meteorology, University of Reading 

 (Averages and anomalies mentioned in this report refer to the climatological period 1981-2010.) 

 (Temperatures are formatted as °C, temperature differences are formatted as degC) 



2012 was a year in which precipitation and its impacts were uppermost in the minds of most 

 people. With 821 mm of rain falling at the University of Reading, it was the wettest year since 2000 

 when 852 mm fell. The only other wetter years since 1917 at the University were in 1951 (when 

 896 mm fell), 1927 (858 mm) and 1960 (with 841 mm). After a dry end to 2011 and following a dry 

 start to 2012, no sooner had drought orders been implemented than the rains started - seemingly 

 continuing for most of the year. Overall, temperatures were slightly lower than normal (by 0.2 

 degC) making it the coldest year since 2010 (which was 0.7 degC colder). Sunshine totals came 

 out at just above average - largely thanks to the sunny months of March and September. In fact 

 there was little to choose, sunshine-wise, between any of these seven months. 



January 



This was the first of three consecutive dry months. The 3'"'^ and the 5'^ were rather windy with some 

 damage to trees and fences as winds gusted to almost 50 kn. There was only one day when snow 

 was seen to fall. It was the warmest January since 2008 with 13.2 °C being recorded on the 21^', 

 the driest January since 2006 and the sunniest since 2003 with a remarkable 72.3 h of bright 

 sunshine. 



February 



February was slightly cooler than average. The air temperature fell to -10.1 °C on the 11"^ - the 

 lowest February air temperature since 1986; the grass minimum temperature fell to -11.6 °C and 

 then to -11.0 °C the next morning. In records from 1919 the lowest temperature ever recorded at 

 the University in February was -12.8 °C in 1929. Snow fell on the 4'^ and 5"^ and on the 9'^ and 

 10'^ leading to five mornings with lying snow - to a depth of 7 cm on the 5**^. On the 23^'' the air 

 temperature rose to 16.4 °C - the highest February temperature since 1998 and not far below the 

 highest February temperature on record, 17.2 °C in 1959. It was the driest February since 1998 

 with about three-quarters of the precipitation falling as snow. 



March 



March was another dry month, although slightly wetter than in 2012. High pressure dominated for 

 much of the month, leading to sunny conditions which, coupled with light winds, gave some very 

 warm afternoons from the 22""^ onwards. Of particular note were the 23^^ and 24'^ (when 20.1 °C 

 was reached each day) and the 28"^ (when 21.4 °C was recorded. The latter date came close to 

 passing the highest March temperature on record at the University in 1965, when a reading of 22.8 

 °C was noted. The same clear skies that gave us long sunny spells also allowed the temperature 

 to drop sharply overnight; the daily range in temperature of 22.7 degC on the 28'^ was remarkable 

 - the greatest daily temperature range in March since before 1960. With 176 h of bright sunshine 

 this was also the sunniest March since 2007 and the third sunniest March since sunshine records 

 began at the University in 1939. There were 8 mornings with fog at 9 a.m. during the month - the 

 average figure for March is about one morning with fog, while since 1960 only the seven days with 

 fog in March 1969 came close to this month's total. 



April 



Reading experienced more than double the normal rainfall for April, with 119.9 mm of rain falling, 

 making it the wettest April since 2000, which in turn was the wettest April since 1918 in Reading. 

 After a mild March, April turned out to be rather cool; cooler than March by about 0.6 degC. 

 However, such a reversal in temperature between these two months is not so unusual - at the 

 University in 1 989 March was remarkably 1 .2 degC warmer than April. The highest temperature of 

 the month, 18.9 °C on the 30'^, was lower than the highest in March. There was also less sunshine 



64 



