Weather
At the
Blencathra Centre
Published by:
Field Studies Council
Blencathra Centre
The Blencathra Field Centre
The Blencathra Centre has been recording the weather every day since
1993 when the old sanatorium became a Field Studies Council centre.
The data are collected and sent off to the Met Office and added to their
long term records. It is used to check and improve the accuracy of their
forecasts. Our records only span 21 years and as such just give a flavour
of the weather experienced on the south western slopes of Blencathra.
20.0
180
18.0
160
16.0
140
14.0
120
12.0
100
10.0
80
8.0
60
6.0
40
4.0
20
2.0
0
0.0
Rainfall mm
200
Rainfall / mm
Average Max temp
Temperature C
Climate Averages (1993-2013)
Average Min Temp
Temperature
The average monthly temperatures show that, as would be expected,
July and August are the warmest months with average maximums of
18°C and average minimum of around 10.8°C and the coldest months
being December to February with average maximums around 6.5°C and
minimums of only 1°C.
The warmest month on record was July 2006 with an average maximum
of 22.5 °C and the coldest month January 2010 with an average
minimum of -2.5 °C.
Rainfall
Although situated in the Lake District and under 10 miles from Seatoller and
Seathwaite which recieve 3-4000 mm of rain a year, the Blencathra Centre
records significantly less rainfall. On average, around 1548mm of rain
annually. This demonstrates how variable rainfall is within the National Park
dues to the influence of the mountains creating orographic (relief) rainfall.
In comparison, the driest place in the UK, St Osyth in Essex, has just 513mm
annually.
The data show that April and May are the driest months, on average they
receive 91mm and 92mm respectively, with the wettest month being
November receiving, on average, 179mm per month.
25
350
20
300
250
15
200
10
150
5
Rainfall mm
Temperature c
2013
100
0
50
-5
0
Total Monthly Rainfall
Average Maximum Temperature
Average Minimum Temperature
After an average start in January, 2013 turned very cold in February and
March with very heavy snowfall at the end of March and 15
consecutive nights of sub zero temperatures. The year was notably dry
with only 1360mm of rain. Only May, October and December received
more than the average rainfall expected. July was particularly warm
with 21 days reaching over 20°C. The year closed with a succession of
winter storms bringing 328.4mm of rain in December
The hottest day was in July with a maximum of 27.2°C and the coldest
temperature was in March with a minimum of -4.5°C. The wettest day
was 23rd December with 48.8mm of rain.
Data Trends
Annual average extremes of
temperatures / oC
The rainfall data are highly variable
year to year with a difference of
over 1 metre between the driest
year of 1996 with only 984mm and
the wettest year of 2000 with
2041mm. Over the life of the
Blencathra Centre records there is
no overall increase or decrease in
annual rainfall.
2250
2000
1750
1500
1250
1000
750
500
250
0
Annual total rainfall / mm (19932013)
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
16.0
14.0
12.0
10.0
8.0
6.0
4.0
2.0
0.0
In 20 years it is difficult to
identify any long term trends
or climate change. The data
shows that there has been
small increase in the average
annual maximums, with two
recent cold winters (’09 &’10)
perhaps affecting the average
data, and a slight overall rise
in annual average minimums.
Event
Record
Date
Warmest Month (Mean max.)
Warmest Year (Annual mean max.)
22.5°C
Jul 06
2003
Coldest Month (mean Min.)
Coldest Year (annual mean min.)
13.6°C
-2.5°C
Dec ‘10
2010
Wettest Month
Wettest Year
3.9°C
486.4mm
2041mm
Driest Month
Driest Year
5.6mm
984mm
Oct 96
1996
Mean Annual Maximum
Mean Annual Minimum
11.9 °C
‘93 – ‘13
‘93 – ‘13
Mean Annual Rainfall
5.4 °C
1548mm
Nov ‘09
2000
‘93 – ’13