1994/95 was certainly a pretty wet winter here as far as I recall, although there were more instances of snow and frost that winter in my area than has been the case this time. I recall the weekend of Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th December 1994 very well as a slow miving atlantic weather front got stuck over Scotland that weekend and delivered copious amounts of rain in the west; there was quite a lot of flooding not far from where I live.

 

I don't remember it, either.

Although, in this region I don't think this winter's been especially wet. It certainly hasn't felt that way. I know to the end of Jan, the MetO data confirmed this.

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1994/95 was certainly a pretty wet winter here as far as I recall, although there were more instances of snow and frost that winter in my area than has been the case this time. I recall the weekend of Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th December 1994 very well as a slow miving atlantic weather front got stuck over Scotland that weekend and delivered copious amounts of rain in the west; there was quite a lot of flooding not far from where I live.

 

I don't remember it, either.

Although, in this region I don't think this winter's been especially wet. It certainly hasn't felt that way. I know to the end of Jan, the MetO data confirmed this.

It would be great if this year's summer is something along the lines of 1995; that would certainly go some way towards helping all those communities in the south that have been affected by flooding recently to recover from it, to some degree anyway.

I fear though that some people's homes and businesses in the worst affected areas recently may have been damaged beyond repair, especially those who have farmland.

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Although even if it does get to the top there are quite a few similarly wet Winters, so not "unprecedented" at all.

If it gets to the top of the list of wet winters it WILL be unprecedented in terms of wet winters

Because that's what the defintion of unprecedented is

The definition of un-precedented is nothing similar having preceded it. The list shows several similarly wet winters occurring throughout the 150-odd years recorded.

If it gets to the top of the list by, say, 10 or 15 cm, then everyone would agree it's a record, but few people would feel they'd experienced something they'd never experienced before (a lousy, wet and windy UK winter with flooding on a very minor scale compared with e.g. 2007 in Yorkshire or 1919 or 1703 on the Somerset Levels).

If it gets to the top by 100 or 150 cm, then perhaps we'd see effects without precedent, because the next 12 days would have to have been, well, unprecedentedly horrendous. 

But so far we've seen nothing of that scale. Just weather consistent with the English climate and nothing inconsistent with the English climate.

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Although even if it does get to the top there are quite a few similarly wet Winters, so not "unprecedented" at all.

If it gets to the top of the list of wet winters it WILL be unprecedented in terms of wet winters

Because that's what the defintion of unprecedented is

The definition of un-precedented is nothing similar having preceded it. The list shows several similarly wet winters occurring throughout the 150-odd years recorded.

If it gets to the top of the list by, say, 10 or 15 cm, then everyone would agree it's a record, but few people would feel they'd experienced something they'd never experienced before (a lousy, wet and windy UK winter with flooding on a very minor scale compared with e.g. 2007 in Yorkshire or 1919 or 1703 on the Somerset Levels).

If it gets to the top by 100 or 150 cm, then perhaps we'd see effects without precedent, because the next 12 days would have to have been, well, unprecedentedly horrendous. 

 

 

But so far we've seen nothing of that scale. Just weather consistent with the English climate and nothing inconsistent with the English climate.

As we may well have already passed the winter rainfall record for Emgland and Wales and if that is the case it has been achieved in just over 2 months, (there was very little rain before mid December), then I think it would be hard to find a precedent for this in wintertime.

1994/95 was certainly a pretty wet winter here as far as I recall, although there were more instances of snow and frost that winter in my area than has been the case this time. I recall the weekend of Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th December 1994 very well as a slow miving atlantic weather front got stuck over Scotland that weekend and delivered copious amounts of rain in the west; there was quite a lot of flooding not far from where I live.

 

I don't remember it, either.

Although, in this region I don't think this winter's been especially wet. It certainly hasn't felt that way. I know to the end of Jan, the MetO data confirmed this.

 

I remember winter 1994/95 very well as I was at Uni and got a casual job as a Royal Mail Postie on top of my bar work to try and earn some extra cash to go traveling in the summer  I was only contracted to do Fridays and Saturdays I recall but always seemed to be peeing down, add to that the shoddy bike they gave me! As a rule I don't quit but to be honest I thought there has to be a better way to earn some more cash so jacked it in and got more bar work instead. So that bad wet winter ended my brief Royal Mail career lol

Although even if it does get to the top there are quite a few similarly wet Winters, so not "unprecedented" at all.

If it gets to the top of the list of wet winters it WILL be unprecedented in terms of wet winters

Because that's what the defintion of unprecedented is

The definition of un-precedented is nothing similar having preceded it. The list shows several similarly wet winters occurring throughout the 150-odd years recorded.

If it gets to the top of the list by, say, 10 or 15 cm, then everyone would agree it's a record, but few people would feel they'd experienced something they'd never experienced before (a lousy, wet and windy UK winter with flooding on a very minor scale compared with e.g. 2007 in Yorkshire or 1919 or 1703 on the Somerset Levels).

If it gets to the top by 100 or 150 cm, then perhaps we'd see effects without precedent, because the next 12 days would have to have been, well, unprecedentedly horrendous. 

 

 

But so far we've seen nothing of that scale. Just weather consistent with the English climate and nothing inconsistent with the English climate.

As we may well have already passed the winter rainfall record for Emgland and Wales and if that is the case it has been achieved in just over 2 months, (there was very little rain before mid December), then I think it would be hard to find a precedent for this in wintertime.

But wet and windy is the default weather for England and Wales in winter. We haven't even experienced any intense deluges. Just steady rain.

When the historically and seasonally most common type of weather persists for a couple of months without interruption, that's surely about as "precedented" as you can get.

If you want to use the term "unprecedented" about this winter, you could describe it as one of unprecedented climatic stability, I suppose, with the complete absence of even a single day hinting at climatic change.

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Wettest winters on record for England and Wales
423.0 1914-15
420.9 1989-90
418.3 1876-77
415.8 2013-14 Up to 15th February

Wettest seasons on record for England and Wales: W for winter, S for summer, A for autumn
A 502.7 2000
A 455.8 1852
A 438.6 1960
A 424.1 1935
W 423.0 1914-15
W 420.9 1989-90
W 418.3 1876-77
W 415.8 2013-14 up to 15th February

Wettest February on record for England and Wales (mm)
158.6 1833
152.7 1923
143.6 1950
143.2 1990
143.2 1977
142.1 1937
132.0 1916
131.7 1900
130.0 1848
129.6 1966
129.1 1768
124.2 1925
123.5 1915
116.0 1918
115.3 1812
115.1 2002
114.9 1995
114.1 1851
114.0 1823
113.5 1776
112.1 1904
111.6 2007
109.1 1881
107.7 1883
107.4 1866
105.8 1974
105.4 1879
105.3 2001
104.9 1826
103.7 1813
103.5 1893
103.4 1910
102.6 1774
102.5 1935
101.6 1997
100.9 1941
100.7 1957
99.2 1775
98. 2014 up to 15th February

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Away from the pedantry in this thread, its pretty clear that the weather this winter has been exceptional, especially in the south and west, and more notably in the synoptic detail that has occured over the last 2 months. Whilst I agree unprecedented over the history of earths climate is an unknown with regard to detail, I think its pretty obvious what people mean when they use such phrases, i.e. "in our lifetime"

Wettest winters on record for England and Wales
423.0 1914-15
420.9 1989-90
418.3 1876-77
415.8 2013-14 Up to 15th February

Wettest seasons on record for England and Wales: W for winter, S for summer, A for autumn
A 502.7 2000
A 455.8 1852
A 438.6 1960
A 424.1 1935
W 423.0 1914-15
W 420.9 1989-90
W 418.3 1876-77
W 415.8 2013-14 up to 15th February

Wettest February on record for England and Wales (mm)
158.6 1833
152.7 1923
143.6 1950
143.2 1990
143.2 1977
142.1 1937
...

98. 2014 up to 15th February

Looking at http://www.wxmaps.org/pix/prec4.html suggests a rather uneven distribution of rain for the coming week, but perhaps 20mm averaged over the country as a whole; and taking a proportion of the second week, another 20-25 mm. So wettest winter looks to be a cert; 3rd wettest February a decent shot; and probably 2nd wettest season.

I'd suspect that the previous records have had a higher proportion of their rainfall further north.

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Hi Kevin,

Just wanted to thank you for putting these stats up. It's really interesting so see this winter in context. 

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Hi Kevin,

Just wanted to thank you for putting these stats up. It's really interesting so see this winter in context. 

I echo that.  Thanks Kevin, much appreciated.

---

Wettest winter on record (back to 1910) in SE & Central S England already; 439.2mm to Feb 11, previous record 437.1mm in 1914-15.

MetO figures quoted in The Times

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Hi Kevin,

Just wanted to thank you for putting these stats up. It's really interesting so see this winter in context. 

I echo that.  Thanks Kevin, much appreciated.

---

Hi Kevin,
Just wanted to thank you for putting these stats up. It's really interesting so see this winter in context.

IMAGE. Members enable at bottom of page

I echo that.Thanks Kevin, much appreciated.

IMAGE. Members enable at bottom of page

Thanks for your comments.

I rather not have to do it but the weather seems determined. Been doing it too often in recent years.

No change thanks to the largely dry day on Sunday.

Looks a slow rise this week compared to recent weeks.

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Wettest winters on record for England and Wales
423.0 1914-15
420.9 1989-90
419.8 2013-14 Up to 17th February

Wettest seasons on record for England and Wales: W for winter, S for summer, A for autumn
A 502.7 2000
A 455.8 1852
A 438.6 1960
A 424.1 1935
W 423.0 1914-15
W 420.9 1989-90
W 419.8 2013-14 up to 17th February


Wettest February on record for England and Wales (mm)
158.6 1833
152.7 1923
143.6 1950
143.2 1990
143.2 1977
142.1 1937
132.0 1916
131.7 1900
130.0 1848
129.6 1966
129.1 1768
124.2 1925
123.5 1915
116.0 1918
115.3 1812
115.1 2002
114.9 1995
114.1 1851
114.0 1823
113.5 1776
112.1 1904
111.6 2007
109.1 1881
107.7 1883
107.4 1866
105.8 1974
105.4 1879
105.3 2001
104.9 1826
103.7 1813
103.5 1893
103.4 1910
102.6 1774
102.5 1935
102. 2014 up to 17th

---

Just 4mm to go now for the wettest winter on record.

 

---

Wettest winters on record for England and Wales
423.0 1914-15
421.8 2013-14 Up to 18th February

Wettest seasons on record for England and Wales: W for winter, S for summer, A for autumn
A 502.7 2000
A 455.8 1852
A 438.6 1960
A 424.1 1935
W 423.0 1914-15
W 421.8 2013-14 up to 18th February

Wettest February on record for England and Wales (mm)
158.6 1833
152.7 1923
143.6 1950
143.2 1990
143.2 1977
142.1 1937
132.0 1916
131.7 1900
130.0 1848
129.6 1966
129.1 1768
124.2 1925
123.5 1915
116.0 1918
115.3 1812
115.1 2002
114.9 1995
114.1 1851
114.0 1823
113.5 1776
112.1 1904
111.6 2007
109.1 1881
107.7 1883
107.4 1866
105.8 1974
105.4 1879
105.3 2001
104.9 1826
104. 2014 up to 18th February

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This really has been a total nightmare of a "winter"; I feel so sorry for all those poor folk that have been hit by flooding at some point in the last couple of months. They must all be wondering when the hell is all this wet weather going to end.

---

Wettest winters on record for England and Wales
423.0 1914-15
421.8 2013-14 Up to 18th February

Wettest seasons on record for England and Wales: W for winter, S for summer, A for autumn
A 502.7 2000
A 455.8 1852
A 438.6 1960
A 424.1 1935
W 423.0 1914-15
W 421.8 2013-14 up to 18th February

Wettest February on record for England and Wales (mm)
158.6 1833
152.7 1923
143.6 1950
143.2 1990
143.2 1977
142.1 1937
132.0 1916
131.7 1900
130.0 1848
129.6 1966
129.1 1768
124.2 1925
123.5 1915
116.0 1918
115.3 1812
115.1 2002
114.9 1995
114.1 1851
114.0 1823
113.5 1776
112.1 1904
111.6 2007
109.1 1881
107.7 1883
107.4 1866
105.8 1974
105.4 1879
105.3 2001
104.9 1826
104. 2014 up to 18th February

Cheers Kevin - Not far to go now and also I note that we have passed the 100mm total for February which makes that a very wet month not surprisingly.

 

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Well, provisional rainfall statistics suggest it's been the wettest winter on record for the UK, and with 8 days to go, how much more rain is going to fall? 

http://metofficenews.wordpress.com/2014/02/20/winter-so-far-20th-february-rainfall-update/