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The highlands of Wales and other uplands like the Chilterns create a distinct rainshadow in much of Southeastern England. Despite London's lowish rainfall, it falls on close to 160 days a year, and often drizzles, hence it's greeness and wetness.
There are days with drizzle, especially in winter, but most rainy days are showery. We probably only get about 20 days where it rains for most of the day.
It would amuse me for a resident of Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney or Canberra
that assumes Australian summer heat was more oppressive, and their humidity formidable
to visit Toronto during a heatwave;
they would probably discover sweat-glands they never knew existed!
The average dewpoint in London in summer is about 16C, and usually gets to 20C-21C most years. I think the highest dewpoint on record in the UK is about 23-24C.
It surprises me that London usually reaches dewpoints of 20-21 C most years,
but it stuns me that the record dewpoint for all of the UK is "only" 23-24 C. (73-75 F)
I know I've seen several dewpoints of 28 C, (82 F)
and a Canadian record dewpoint of 30-31 C (86-88 F), maybe 32 C (89-90 F) shouldn't be out of the question.
It surprises me that London usually reaches dewpoints of 20-21 C most years,
but it stuns me that the record dewpoint for all of the UK is "only" 23-24 C. (73-75 F)
I know I've seen several dewpoints of 28 C, (82 F)
and a Canadian record dewpoint of 30-31 C (86-88 F), maybe 32 C (89-90 F) shouldn't be out of the question.
Even when I lived in Lincoln, Midlands, we had dewpoints up to around 20C / 68F in July 2008 and it tends to get near that every year. Buxton though keeps an average dewpoint of only 12C in summer due to its elevation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ColdCanadian
but it stuns me that the record dewpoint for all of the UK is "only" 23-24 C
Don't see why. The thing with maritime climates unlike your continental climate is the homogenity in annual temperature range and humidity. We can have dewpoints as "high" as 10C/50F in January, February or as "low" as 10C/50F in July, but over all the lack large temperature contrasts here and coolness of the Atnatlitc means we don't really get very high dewpoints, but they remain consistent. On the day with 20C dewpoint in Lincoln, it was very cloudy and only 23C then there were torrential thunderstorms.
Don't see why. The thing with maritime climates unlike your continental climate is the homogenity in annual temperature range and humidity. We can have dewpoints as "high" as 10C/50F in January, February or as "low" as 10C/50F in July, but over all the lack large temperature contrasts here and coolness of the Atnatlitc means we don't really get very high dewpoints, but they remain consistent. On the day with 20C dewpoint in Lincoln, it was very cloudy and only 23C then there were torrential thunderstorms.
Well that the UK record is almost identical to what London usually experiences every summer!
Are you saying there are no surprises in UK summers, ever?
Each summer has roughly equal amounts of "crap" and "heat"?
I'm used to some summers are impressive, with formidable heat and humidity, continuous heat warnings that can last for weeks, maybe a few heat-related deaths
and some summers are "duds"; almost spring-like with no "real" hot weather, few-to-no heat warnings, ice cream vendors and water parks have a very bad year.
Last edited by ColdCanadian; 04-09-2010 at 02:35 PM..
Well that the UK record is almost identical to what London usually experiences every summer!
Are you saying there are no surprises in UK summers, ever?
Each summer has roughly equal amounts of "crap" and "heat"?
I'm used to some summers are impressive, with formidable heat and humidity, maybe a few heat related-deaths
and some summers are "duds"; almost spring-like with no "real" hot weather, ice cream vendors and water parks have a very bad year.
The record dewpoint in the UK is 24C, the average for the south-east in July actually closer to 12-14C, according to some further research I have done regarding Heathrows stats. I think it's fairly similar across the UK, just it gets cooler further north, and more "relativley" humid. So in that sense the record dewpoint is somewhat further from the average dewpoint.
Example, leek thorncliffe elevation of 300m has an average July dewpoint of 11C and average temperature of 14C for an RH of 82% as indicated by statistics, whereas London has an average dewpoint of 13C and average July temp of 17C for an RH of 77%. So the dewpoint across England is fairly homogenous.
The record dewpoint in the UK is 24C, the average for the south-east in July actually closer to 12-14C, according to some further research I have done regarding Heathrows stats. I think it's fairly similar across the UK, just it gets cooler further north, and more "relativley" humid. So in that sense the record dewpoint is somewhat further from the average dewpoint.
To breathe our record dewpoint
it would have that probably feel a thousand times thicker than the air our driest summer dewpoint
and 10-100 times thicker than "average" summer dewpoint. (it sometimes shocks long-time local residents too, even me )
I took a look at the daily observations of Sydney, NSW this past summer...
I was amazed that whenever it's 30+ C, (86+ F) the humidity was ALWAYS under 50%.
(they had 9 am and 3 pm records for each day )
And Sydney is supposed to be very muggy? Hot and humid even?
Looks to me like Sydney in summer is either "warm and sticky" or "hot and not-muggy" if not "hot and dry"
Toronto by contrast has about a 1-in-2 chance of seeing humidity above 50% when the temperatures pass 30 C.
30+ C often occurs with dewpoints at 20+ C here.
30+ C occuring with 60-65% humidity (dewpoints at 23+ C?) is not too unusual here either.
It depends on the direction of the wind. When it's over 30oC, it's normally accompanied by a hot and dry NW wind blowing in from the interior which explains the low humidity. When it's under 30oC, winds blow from the N-NE which brings high levels of humidity so yes for me, our summers, especially, early mornings can be quite humid as there is no wind and humidity in the 70-90s, the strong sun makes it even worse.
It depends on the direction of the wind. When it's over 30oC, it's normally accompanied by a hot and dry NW wind blowing in from the interior which explains the low humidity. When it's under 30oC, winds blow from the N-NE which brings high levels of humidity so yes for me, our summers, especially, early mornings can be quite humid as there is no wind and humidity in the 70-90s, the strong sun makes it even worse.
You're muggy conditions under 30 C can be experienced by Toronto, if it's been stormy.
No chance of a stiff northerly bring high temps with high humidity?
When highs are below 30 C the humidity is very high? Yuck!
(I dislike cool summer days and usually dislike afternoon humidity above 65%; double-grossness)
If I lived in Sydney, I would probably want every summer day to be 30+ C; less sweaty.
Last edited by ColdCanadian; 04-09-2010 at 03:05 PM..
To breathe our record dewpoint
it would have that probably feel a thousand times thicker than the air our driest summer dewpoint
and 10-100 times thicker than "average" summer dewpoint. (it sometimes shocks long-time local residents too, even me )
Precisely, hence the point regarding the difference between continental (changeable) climates and the homogenity of Britain's maritime climate.
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