Daily data can be accessed here.
Winter 1997/98: A very mild winter with remarkably little snow- indeed, at 6.4C, the mildest winter recorded. Sunshine and rainfall were close to average.
January: Generally mild and changeable during the first two-thirds, with westerly winds, and the first third was particularly wet. Notable warm southerly incursion on the 9th/10th, with some hazy sunshine, when it felt positively springlike. A brief cold snap on the 19th/20th, with some snow showers, but the snow struggled to settle at the coast. The final third was dry, cloudy and fairly cold, although there was a sunny day on the 27th. Overall, the warmest January since 1993, and until 2004, this stood as the wettest January recorded.
February: Outstandingly warm- at 8.2C, comparably warm to the warmest March! It began fairly cold and bright, with some wet snow early on the 1st, then a sunny, increasingly warm week followed. The second week was mostly dull and exceptionally mild with overnight minima around 10C, but the sun came out on the 13th, sending the temperature up to 16.6C- the highest recorded in February. The second half continued exceptionally warm, but with more sunshine, resulting in some cooler nights. Cloudy weather returned around the 23rd-26th, followed by severe gales on the 27th, and then a day of snow showers on the 28th. The driest February since 1993. Sunshine was above average, but less so than in Februarys 1995 and 1997.
Spring 1998: At 9.2C, about as warm as Spring 1997. The wettest spring recorded, entirely due to the phenomenally wet April. There was a notable wintry spell in mid-April.
March: Mixed during the first 11 days, with mild dull wet weather alternating with cold bright showery weather. Significant snow on the 1st, but this melted during the afternoon. Some more snow early on the 6th, but again this didn't last long. Rainfall was close to average due to the exceptional wetness of the first third, but most of the rest of the month was dry, cloudy and mild, and extremely boring. Remarkable warm southerly incursion on the 28th, reminiscent of February's weather, with 18C reached. Overall, it was another warm March, and the wettest recorded up to 1998 due to the recent run of dry Marches. Sunshine was a little below average.
April: Exceptionally wet- the wettest April recorded, and the coolest since 1994. The first third was very dull and wet, with frequent persistent heavy rain, and just one brighter showery day (the 3rd). The 9th brightened up late in the day with evening rain showers turning briefly to snow, then after a day of sleety rain on the 10th, the next few days had sunshine and snow showers- there was even a snow cover early on the 12th. Dull wet weather returned on the 16th following early snow showers, and continued on the 17th. The rest of the month was quite warm with sunshine and showers. Sunshine amounts were well up to the average during the last two-thirds, but the dull first third meant the month as a whole had below average sunshine.
May: A rather boring month, though notable for its exceptional warmth- indeed the warmest May recorded. Changeable first 10 days, then a very warm, settled spell in the middle, with some good sunny spells at times, but sometimes with low cloud from the North Sea. It became cooler and unsettled during the final third, with a very dull wet end. Sunshine was close to average.
Summer 1998: The coolest since 1993, and probably the dullest since 1987, characterised by frequent low pressure and westerly winds.
June: A dull wet month (though less so than June 1997) with low maxima offset by high minima giving a near-average mean temperature. It did have its moments though. Exceptional cold day on the 2nd, with a maximum of only 9.6C- one of only two recordings of single-figure maxima in summer, and the minimum of 3.2C on the 4th was also a record low for June. Thunderstorms late on the 6th, followed by sun, showers, hail and thunder on the 7th. Notable cool spell again midmonth, but notable heatwave around the 20th, with 27C recorded. Sunshine and showers from the 25th to 29th, though often with prolonged 'showers' and not much sun.
July: The coolest July since 1993. The first third got off to a rather dull drizzly start, then had predominantly dry weather with a few showers and some sunshine. During the period 10-24 July, bright showery weather alternated with mostly dry cloudy weather. The last week was also characterised by sunshine and showers, but apart from a humid, thundery day on the 27th with decent sunny intervals, it was mostly a case of prolonged showers and not much sunshine. Some of the sunshine-and-showers days were quite dramatic, and there were significant thunderstorms late on the 20th. Overall, though, sunshine was slightly below average.
August: A very unineteresting month. Overall dry (the driest since 1995) and the coolest since 1994. Westerly winds persisted for most of the first two-thirds which were quite sunny and warm at times, though usually windy. The final third had frequent northerly winds and was mostly dry and cloudy.
Autumn 1998: Near-average temperature, about the same as Autumn 1996. The wettest since 1995.
September: Dull and dry, although it was statistically the wettest since 1995. The warmest September recorded up to 1998 (but beaten in 1999), due to the exceptional minima. The first third was mostly dull and dry, but it became bright and showery towards the 10th. Cool showery weather with NW winds around midmonth. It was warm and sunny around the 21st, but thereafter the weather was relentlessly cloudy, usually with low cloud from the North Sea.
October: Mostly cloudy first third with easterly winds, but thereafter the weather was sunny, showery and windy with frequent westerly and north-westerly winds, associated with persistent polar maritime air. The fifth successive sunny October, and the coolest and wettest since 1993.
November: Not a very exciting month, but with a notable cold snap near the beginning, which gave 'cold rain' at 3C (inland areas had snow). Mild around the 7th. Cold snap around midmonth, with the milder air not making it in until the 22nd, with some snow flurries on the 16th. The last week was changeable with average temperatures. Overall, a fairly cold November, with sunshine slightly above average.
December: Dull, mild weather dominated, but there were a couple of cold bright spells which brought sunshine up to the average. A wintry spell around the 5th with a dusting of snow, which stuck around for the weekend of the 5th/6th, and another brief wintry snap around the 20th. The middle of the month was outstandingly warm, with 15C reached.
Overall, the second consecutive year to reach 10.0C. It was the wettest recorded up to 1998, but beaten in 2000. The warmth was mainly due to high minima, the average minimum being the highest recorded until it was beaten by 2002, consistent with the mostly cloudy wet nature of the year. Snow, hail and frosts all below normal.
