1926

1926 saw a January cold snap, a September heatwave, a very dry December, and an early warm spell in March. Winter 1925-26 was one of the sunniest on record.

January. Generally mild and unsettled but with a severe cold snap midmonth. 85mm of rain at Treherbert (South Wales) on the 1st. 16C at Aber (North Wales) on the 10th. Then easterly winds developed on the 13th, and then there was a persistent frost in the south from the 14-16th; -17 in Luton on the 17th followed a maximum of -6 in Lincs. the previous day. High pressure over Scandinavia and low pressure in the south brought snow to the south; depth of 30cm at Farnborough on the 16th. More snow on the 17th followed soon after by a thaw.

February. Dull. Very mild except for a brief spell of cold weather from 10th to 13th.

March. Very dry.

April. Very mild. It was a very warm Easter. 24C was recorded in many places on Easter Saturday, which fell on the 3rd.

May. Unsettled, sunny, but cold. There was snow in Scotland and the north of England on the 14th, reaching as far as the Midlands, with heavy rain in the south.

June. A cold beginning: it was only 11C in London on the 1st.

July. A severe thunderstorm in the SW on the 17-18th with damaging hail around Dorset.

August. Mostly dry, fine, and warm.

September. A warm month. 27C as reported on the 10th. Then there was a remarkable late heatwave. North London (Camden) reached 32.2C on the 19th - the latest date on which the magical 90F has been recorded, the latest date in the twentieth century when 30C has been reached, and also the latest date in the twentieth century in the year when that year's highest temperature was attained (but see September 1895).

October. A cold month overall (CET 8.1C). The month started off nice and warm (23.5C at Worksop on the 4th), with a thundery breakdown on the 5-6th. It was then wet and windy. The month turned much colder from the 14th with frosts, and snow fell almost daily from the 19th. There was sleet on the 21st as far south as the Isle of Wight. Gales and heavy ran on the 24-25th; about 125 mm of rain near Keswick. Further snow on the 28th gave 5cm in London (Hampstead). At Harrogate there was morning snow cover for three consecutive days. Snow was a foot deep at Dalnaspidal near Perth on the 28th. It was -10.5C at Braemar on the 27th, and snow eventually reached a depth of 30 cm over the Perthshire hills. Apparently the severe weather was blamed on the sun: either on the auroral display of the 14-15th, or on sunspot activity.

November. A very wet month. After a cold, snowy October the temperature fell to -12.8C at Balmoral and Braemar on the morning of the 1st.

December. The driest December of the twentieth century across England and Wales.Very foggy in the first half.