Increasing annual rainfall

An opportunity to discuss climatic change. Particularly welcome might be contributions from members who have long term records and can offer data for their specific location, whilst qualifying these with respect to changes to their site and local environment.
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Len Wood
Posts: 102
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 8:41 pm
Location: 1 km from coast in Wembury, SW Devon

Increasing annual rainfall

Post by Len Wood » Sat Jan 09, 2016 10:04 am

The annual rainfall for 2015 in Wembury was 1071.1 mm, which was very close (102%) to the 2001-2015 average.

However the graph for 2001-2015 shows an increasing trend.

The standard deviation is +/- 156 mm which gives a measure of expected variability about the average.
The magnitude of the trend with a linear fit is 233 mm.
This is greater than the standard deviation and therefore can be considered significant.
Annual rain.jpg
Annual rain.jpg (77.49 KiB) Viewed 37659 times
Len
Wembury, SW Devon coast

83 m amsl

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Graham Easterling
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 8:03 pm
Location: Penzance
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Re: Increasing annual rainfall

Post by Graham Easterling » Sat Jan 09, 2016 8:14 pm

In Penzance, mean rainfall:-
1961-1990 1140.0mm
1971-2000 1189.3mm
1981-2010 1219.6mm
2010-2015 1245.1mm

So there seems to have been an gradual upward trend for the last 50 years!

I also noticed your post on USW about lack of warming in reccent years. In Penzance, whilst the temperature has been flat for the last 10 years, there was a distinct upward trend for a good time up until then.

Mean Annual Temperature
1961-1990 11.1C
1981-2010 11.6C
Graham Easterling
Penzance

Website http://penzanceweather.atspace.com/weather.html

Site Details
Grid Reference: SW464231
Altitude: 19 metres
Aspect: South-East

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Martin Rowley
Posts: 34
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 8:32 pm
Location: West Moors, East Dorset

Re: Increasing annual rainfall

Post by Martin Rowley » Sat Jan 09, 2016 9:14 pm

Graham Easterling wrote:In Penzance, mean rainfall:-
1961-1990 1140.0mm
1971-2000 1189.3mm
1981-2010 1219.6mm
2010-2015 1245.1mm

So there seems to have been an gradual upward trend for the last 50 years!
... Using Hurn data (ex. MetO web site) for the periods Graham quotes above:

1961-1990 790.1 mm
1971-2000 812.4 mm
1981-2010 835.2 mm
2010-2015 917.5 mm [ 6 years - skewed strongly by the two wet years 2012 & 2014]

Martin.
Martin Rowley
West Moors, East Dorset
Lat: 50deg 49.25'N, Long: 01deg 53.05'W
Height (amsl): 17 m (56 feet)
COL category: C1 overall/TRSHEUN=CC-A03-

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John Wilson
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 8:40 pm
Location: Mapperley Plains, Arnold, Notts.

Re: Increasing annual rainfall

Post by John Wilson » Sun Jan 10, 2016 2:45 pm

A graph of my annual rainfall from 1994 (when readings began) is very similar to that of Len's. So definitely a gradual but significant increase over a fairly short time (20+ years). Does this hold for the whole of the UK? Have some areas experienced a greater increase than others? A small research project for COL members!
My December rainfall was 82.6mm; 141% of long term average.
Regards to all
John

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