England and Wales
Scotland
Northern Ireland
November 2001 was mainly dry, mild and anticyclonic, especially dry and sunny in SE England. After a warm start, there was a little snow during the second week in eastern England. Mostly dull and gloomy the third week. Changeable, then becoming wet and unsettled last week. Very mild at close.
1st - 6th
Mainly dry, sunny and warm by day, especially in the south, with high pressure close to southern England. Low pressure over Scandinavia drove some weak cold fronts SE on the 3rd/4th and 6th. There was patchy mist or fog and slight frost at times overnight.
7th - 8th
Wet, especially on the 7th as a deep low tracked to Denmark. Cold northerly winds on the 8th brought some heavy thundery showers to north facing coasts, Weybourne/Norfolk recorded a gust of 56 kts.
9th - 10th
Mostly dry, sunny and cold with overnight frost under a ridge of high pressure. There were wintry showers over the east Midlands and counties adjacent to the North Sea. Bedfordshire received up to 3 cm of snow in parts, the earliest significant report of lying snow in southern England since 1980.
11th - 12th
Mainly dry at first but a cold front brought outbreaks of rain to most places on the 12th.
13th - 20th
An anticyclone covered the region for most of this period, later stretching across to the continent. The weather was generally dry apart from a little light rain or drizzle at times. There was also some patchy mist, hill and coastal fog from time to time. Mainly sunny at first in SE England and East Anglia with some overnight frosts, Benson fell to minus 5°C early on the 14th. However from the 16th increasing cloud established the traditional anticyclonic gloom and a little light rain or drizzle. Parts of England and Wales became brighter during the 19th/20th although there were still a few light showers affecting some areas.
21st - 24th
A Changeable situation gave alternating mild and cold days. Mild wet weather on the 21st gave way to drier conditions as a weak cold front cleared on the 22nd. After a frosty start on the 23rd, ( Shap in Cumbria fell to minus 5°C ) more cloud and rising temperatures spread back in thereafter.
25th - 30th
Mostly wet and unsettled as vigorous Atlantic lows pushed their fronts across the region. There were rain and showers at times from the 25th to the 29th, with a funnel cloud reported from Preston/Lancs on the 27th. After some overnight frost on the 26th and 27th the last two days became exceptionally mild, but still mostly cloudy with rain and drizzle at times and quite persistent hill fog. At Colwyn Bay and Hawarden the maximum temperature of 16.9°C on the 30th broke the UK record for the last day of the month.
This has been the driest November since 1989.
Statistical details
 |
| Central England Temperature (series begins in 1659). |
The mean value for the month was 7.5°C |
1.0°C above the 1961-90 normal of 6.5°C and is in the rather mild category.
Others:-
2000/7.0,
1999/7.9,
1998/6.2,
1997/8.4°C. |
| England and Wales Rainfall Series (series begins in 1766). |
The total for the month was 64 mm |
71% of the 1961-90 average and is in the dry category.
Others:-
2000/182,
1999/67,
1998/89,
1997/124,
1989/61 mm. |
| England and Wales Sunshine Series (series begins in 1909). |
The total for the month was 2.33 hours per day |
108% of the 1961-90 average and is in the near normal category.
Others: -
2000/2.08,
1999/2.65,
1998/2.74 hours per day. |
|
The period 1961 to 1990 is the current World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) period for taking climate statistics.
