February 2016 becomes the driest one in 93 years

The Met Office has confirmed that February broke two records held since 1923, with a mere 2.6 mm of precipitation and a mean temperature of 15.3°C.

These figures made last month the driest and warmest February in 93, and almost half of February’s precipitation was registered on one day of the month; the 7th, while another 0.6 mm was registered as dew.

Temperatures were unseasonably high throughout February, but a warm spell was experienced between the 12th and the 15th to plenty of picnickers’ delight, the office adds.

“During this period the temperature peaked at 23.6°C, with temperatures this high usually experienced towards the beginning of summer,” the statement reads, adding that this peak was the mean temperature recorded for June 2015 and that even sea temperatures were also higher than usual by 1.5°C.

According to records, February also presented just over 200 hours of sunshine, with over ten hours of sunshine recorded on the 19th, ending the third work week in February on an exceptionally bright note.

“At the other end of the spectrum, the 16th was remarkably dull, with the sun not making an appearance at all. Cloud cover for this month was similar to the norm at 4 oktas.”

The Met Office added that February was also windier than usual, with gusts measuring over 34 knots observed on six days, and the maximum gust recorded reaching 48 knots, equivalent to storm conditions on the Beaufort scale.

Fog occurrences were also observed on two separate days, when the minimum visibility was 900 m and 50 m respectively.