UK weather: New February high of 20.8C in Porthmadog
Written by News on 26/02/2019
Record-breaking high temperatures are being set across Britain with the current highest recorded in Porthmadog in Wales where it reached 20.8C (69.5F).
One year ago today, Sky News reported on the coldest February in five years, with yellow and amber weather warnings in place across the country and predictions of anywhere between five and 15cm of snow.
But different kinds of records are being broken this week, with the UK’s first ever recorded winter temperature of more than 20C (68F), and it could get hotter.
Records have been broken in England and Wales, as temperatures edged towards 21C (69.8F).
The Met Office confirmed that temperatures hit 20.8C (69.4F) in Porthmadog, Gwynedd, at 1.22pm on Tuesday.
And 20.7C (69.2F) was recorded around 30 minutes later in Teddington, south west London.
On Monday, temperatures reached 20.6C (68.5F) at Trawsgoed in Ceredigion, West Wales, the highest recorded in February which beat the previous record of 19.7C (67.4F) in Greenwich, south-east London, in 1998.
Some parts of the country on Tuesday were hotter than popular holiday destinations, beating Malibu, Athens and Barcelona.
Anyone hoping to bask in sunshine in Crete will be disappointed, with the island seeing 1.2in (300mm) of rain on Monday and a maximum temperature of 13C (55.4F) forecast for Tuesday.
Green Party MP Caroline Lucas issued a warning, though, saying: “This isn’t some jovial Guinness World Record. This is a climate emergency. Ministers must get off their sun loungers and introduce a #GreenNewDeal.”
Met Office meteorologist Luke Miall said that while climate change could be the cause of the drastic difference in conditions, “we can’t directly relate it”.
“This time last year it felt bitterly cold,” Sky News weather presenter Isobel Lang said.
“Easterly winds were dragging cold air across the UK from Siberia. Many places at the turn of the month recorded maximum temperatures of about 0C (32F) or below. In the wind, it felt like minus 10C (14F).”
She added: “A year later and we are seeing temperature records broken up and down the country.
“The Scottish, Welsh, English and the UK February temperature records have all been broken. Yesterday saw London hit 20.4C (68.7F), and Trawsgoed in west Wales peaked at 20.6C (69F), setting a new UK record.”
It is the first time in the UK’s meteorological records that temperatures have topped 20C (68F) during the winter (1 December to 28 February).
On Wednesday, however, highs will be nearer 15 to 18C.
The previous winter record was 19.7C (67.5F), which was recorded in 1998 in Greenwich, southeast London.
Friday is the first day of meteorological Spring, and will be mostly dry.
Here are some pictures from last year and this year – just days apart.
(c) Sky News 2019: UK weather: New February high of 20.8C in Porthmadog
