March 2018:
March 2018, apart from 2013 at the average
temperature of 4.4°C, was the coldest March since 6.0°C was recorded in
March 1996. In 2018 the average temperature was 6.1°C.
It was the wettest March, with 120.9 mm, since 1982 when 130.3 mm was
recorded.
The monthly average pressure of 1001 mb was the lowest for March since this
data started in 1994.
It was the 2nd dullest March, with respect to solar radiation at 32.8% of
the maximum, since since records began in 2006.
It has been the snowiest March at this site since data started in 1995 with
respect to counting up snow falling and snow lying.
The first of March
was an exceptionally cold day. The minimum temperature of -5.3°C was the
coldest for March since -6.0°C was recorded in 1976.
The lowest daily maximum of -1.8°C on the same day was the coldest March day
recorded in Bristol since this data started in 1960.
The high daily maximum for the month of 14.2°C on the 25th was the lowest
since 14.0°C was recorded on 8th March 1994.
The dullest March day on record occurred on the 2nd when only 1.29 MJ/m2
milliJoule per square metre were noted. This data began in 2006.
Annual 2017:
The annual average temperature of 12.1°C in 2018 was 0.8°C above the 30 year
average for Bristol. This makes 2017 the 3rd warmest year (equal with 1989,
1990 and 1997). Continuous records for average temperature having been found
since 1891 in Bristol.
The Total rainfall for 2017 was 751.0 mm. This is 138.9 mm less than the 30
year average for Bristol and the driest year since 2011 when only
723.1 mm was recorded. 2017 was the 39th direst year in Bristol in 165 years
of continuous annual data for the city.
It was the dullest year on record since this data started in 2005 with a
annual average 0f 37.7% of maximum sunshine. The average is 40.0%..
The
2017 Annual summary is here:
http://www.bristolweather.org/weather2017annual.htm
For the full monthly summary please go here:
http://www.bristolweather.org/weather2018mar.htm
The
Meteorological site is situated in an urban housing area approximately one
mile to the south of the Centre of Bristol.
This area is in a district called Totterdown.
Statistical correlations with the Bristol
Meteorological Office site, that was
less than two miles to the North and was
situated on top of a City Centre office block, were generally good with
rainfall and barometric data particularly close.
The site of the station is approximately 34 metres above sea level with the
manual instruments mounted in a Stevenson screen. The screen is sited
centrally in a small concreted garden area. A Snowdon
rain gauge is mounted correctly in the ground but does not have the full open
space required around it. A Davis
Vantage Pro2 Plus automatic weather station (AWS) was
added in May 2005 and this is mounted 4 feet above a concrete shelter. The
wind data is gathered automatically from a Davis Vantage Pro2 Plus anemometer which is
sited 3.3 metres (10 feet) above the house top.
Manual observations are still taken at approximately 09:00 hours GMT every
day for rainfall and cloud cover. Rainfall manually recorded in the Snowdon rain gauge is entered for the previous day. The
wind data is constantly logged and automatically reset at 24:00 hours GMT
every day (in the summer BST -1 hour. The Davis rainfall tipping bucket was recalibrated in November 2005 and is now
consistently under 3% under recording (an improvement from installation in
May 2005 when 10% was more
typically the norm).
Since the arrival of the Davis
Vantage Pro2 Plus equipment in May 2005 temperatures, humidity and barometric
pressure are recorded from the new equipment. These figures will be more
accurate and will be taken at exactly 09:00 GMT (in the summer BST -1 hour)
as the data is now logged to a computer.
By default the Davis
equipment records every parameter for the 24 hour period 00:00 to 23:59 BST
or GMT. Data analysis will enable manual data extraction of temperatures and
rainfall to 09:00 GMT (adjusted in the summer). Due to the 0.2 mm (tipping
bucket) measurements of precipitation recorded by the Davis equipment the
Snowdon rain gauge will still be used due to its greater accuracy (see
above).