Daily Data for Each Month of 2003

2003- Exceptionally sunny and dry, very warm by day

2003 was the driest year since 1989, and statistics from around the region suggested that it may have been even sunnier than 1989 and 1995.  The mean temperature was similar to many recent years, with warm days partly offset by closer to average nights, reflecting the frequent clear skies.  The summer was even warmer than 1995, but the warmth was consistent rather than outstanding, resulting in only 2 days of 25C and above as opposed to 1995's 13 days.  Meanwhile, the frequency of days with 20C or above, 58, beat the previous record of 54 set in 1995, and only one day in the entire summer failed to reach 15C.  The frequency of frost was near normal, but as in most recent years, snow was well below normal.  Thunder frequency was above normal, with 10 days of thunder, the highest since 1999.

Winter 2002/03 had slightly above average temperature, and near average rainfall, while sunshine was raised above average by an exceptionally sunny February.  Spring 2003 was exceptionally warm, dry and sunny- the driest since 1997, the warmest recorded up to 2003 (though Spring 2007 was subsequently much warmer) and probably the sunniest since 1990.  Summer 2003 was very warm, and probably the sunniest since 1996, while rainfall was near normal.  Autumn was exceptionally dry and sunny with slightly above average temperature, and the dry sunny theme continued during December.

January 2003- Long warm spell in the middle, cold beginning and end, big snowstorms on the 30th

It began dull and wet, then much colder brighter weather spread from the north-east.  There were hail and sleet showers overnight 2nd/3rd and some wet snow showers on the 3rd, and snow accumulated at around 7am on the 4th following a night of hail, sleet and snow showers.  There were more snow flurries on the 5th, but it turned warmer with sleet overnight 5th/6th as an east wind picked up.  There was a snow shower on the evening of the 7th, followed by a change to less cold weather.  There was a long, warm changeable stint through to the 27th when it became exceptionally warm with a minimum of 10.3C.  A northerly plunge with heavy blowing snow showers on the 30th gave the deepest snow since February 1991.

February 2003- Exceptionally dry and sunny, cold nights

The snow from late January melted on the 1st, but another cold snap followed with some wet snow showers on the 2nd and more snow overnight 3rd/4th.  After a warm, cloudy spell, and then some fog on the 12th, high pressure took charge and brought dry, sunny weather with cold nights.  It turned warm in the last week, the warmth emphasised mainly by day, and continued mainly dry and sunny.   It was the driest February since 1998, the coldest since 1996, and sunshine was exceptionally abundant- probably the sunniest February since 1970 or 1988.

March 2003- Exceptionally sunny, dry, some very warm days but also some cool nights

March 2003 began with 12 days of mostly changeable and warm weather with westerly winds.  The 12th itself had a half-hearted northerly outbreak followed by an exceptionally prolonged high pressure spell.  The high pressure was also exceptional for how clear of cloud the high was, resulting in day after day of warm sunshine, together with some cold nights.  Temperatures were close to average during the middle phase of the month, but from the 19th onwards daytime highs were consistently above normal.  It was a similar kind of month to the record-breaking sunny Marches back in 1929 and 1907- which of course were well before my records started.   It was the warmest March since 2000, and the driest since 1997.

April 2003- The second successive warm dry sunny April

April 2003 was warm, dry and sunny for most of the month.  Showery weather during the first two days was followed by a spell of dry warm weather with variable amounts of cloud, then the second week was mostly dry and sunny though there was a cold wet day on the 10th.  Dry sunny weather lasted for the most part through to the 19th, but the east coast missed out on the exceptional warmth on the 16th (it was 18.8C here, but at Durham it reached 24C!).  It turned cloudy for a few days, then the month ended bright and showery with warm southerly winds.  April 2003 was warmer than April 2002 but not quite as dry or sunny.  It was the warmest April recorded up to 2003, but subsequently blown out of sight by the warmth of April 2007.

May 2003- Cloudy windy showery first and third weeks, sunshine and showers in the second week, very warm end

The first week had a lot of cloudy wet weather and westerly winds, and it turned warm on the 4th with 18.9C.  Sunshine and showers and near or rather below average temperatures characterised the second week, when there were some generous sunny spells in between the showers but the showers were, at times, quite sharp.  The third week was also showery, but it was often cloudy and windy with warm nights.  There was distant thunder to the west on the 25th at the end of this cloudy windy spell.  A couple of dull humid days were followed by a spell of warm weather and hazy sunshine.  It was the warmest May since 1999.

June 2003- Exceptionally warm, plenty of sunshine, some showery/thundery outbreaks

The first two days were sunny and warm, then the rest of the week was changeable but still warm and sunny at times.  Distant thunder occurred to the west on the 8th, which had a big thunderstorm over Newcastle.  It was mostly sunny towards midmonth, with some showers on the 10th and 12th.  There were severe thunderstorms overnight 16th/17th, then a few days of cloudy weather followed.  TV forecasts uttered the immortal “hopefully north-east England will escape the storms” for the 22nd June, but come the day itself, thunderstorms rumbled for much of the morning.  After that, the 27th and 30th were dull and wet, otherwise it was mostly sunny.  Overall this was easily the warmest June that I have recorded, and it was the first June that had above average sunshine, remarkably, since 1996!

July 2003- Warm but wet, often humid, frequent south-westerly winds

One major feature of July 2003 was the frequent warm humid nights.  The first week was cloudy and quite cool, but after that it was always warm.  There was a warm, sunny second week, the warmth tempered by cooling sea breezes.  Thunderstorms hit early on the 17th.  The next few days were warm with sunshine and showers, and there was a very heavy shower with thunder on the afternoon of the 21st.  The 22nd onwards continued rather mixed, often with extensive cloud cover, and some rain at times.  It was the wettest July since before 1993, though only 1mm ahead of July 1998.  Sunshine was close to average (therefore making it the sunniest July since 1999), and it was the warmest since 1999.

August 2003- Very warm and dry, very sunny first third then increasingly cloudy later in the month

The first third was consistently warm, dry and sunny, often with near-unbroken sunshine, but it was not exceptionally hot like over many other parts of the country as the sea breezes kept it cooler.  Most days reached 22-25C.  The 10th was cloudy and humid and a prolonged thunderstorm hit around midday, followed by a torrential rainstorm, and some loud bangs of thunder.  The middle part of the month was modestly warm and continued very dry, with a fair amount of sunshine.  There was often a lot of cloud around between the 17th and 27th, then a couple of showery days were followed by a cool, sunny end to the month.  It was the warmest August since 1997 and the driest since 1995.  Sunshine wise it was not exceptional- probably about as sunny as August 2000.

September 2003- Dry and sunny, variable temperatures, warm days more than offsetting some cool nights

 This was a pretty interesting month and also contained a lot of pleasant weather.  The first five days were dry, generally sunny and increasingly warm, then a breakdown on the 6th featured some thunder in the early evening.  The second week was bright and showery with some cool nights, while midmonth it was very warm with hazy sunshine, and maxima of 23-24C were common.  After a few wet days, the 23rd saw an abrupt change to much cooler conditions, and the rest of the month was cool, particularly by night.  The mean diurnal range was unusually high for September- the maxima were the highest since 1999 but the minima were the lowest since 1997.  It was a notably sunny month but the Septembers of 1997 and 1999 were a little sunnier.

October 2003- Dry, sunny and cold

The first three days were warm and quite sunny, but a potent northerly on the 4th was followed by a notably cold night 4th/5th, which almost managed an air frost.  A changeable spell was followed by warm weather with some sunshine for a time, but cloudy easterlies prevailed around midmonth.  A potent northerly hit on the 20th/21st, not quite cold enough for snow, but very close.  Large hail occurred on the 20th, while after a cloudy and unusually cold day on the 21st, the evening of the 22nd had a prolonged thunderstorm.  The rest of the month was less cold but temperatures remained mostly on the low side, especially by night, and it was mostly sunny.  It was the coldest October since 1993.

November 2003- Warm and changeable, notable warm incursion on the 5th/6th, cold snap on the 22nd/23rd

The first week was mostly warm and cloudy but it was sunny and very warm on the 5th and 6th, with a high of 15.7C on the latter date.  Unsettled westerlies dominated during the second week and there was a severe gale on the 14th.  The 18th was exceptionally warm with a high of 15.8C.  An abrupt fall in temperature led to a cold frosty spell on the 22nd-24th, with sunny days and frosty nights, and the lowest November temperatures since 1996.  Mild and mixed weather returned by the 25th.  It was the warmest November since 1997.

December 2003- Another dry sunny month, warm days and cool nights

This was quite a variable month with fluctuating temperatures.  The first week started with a warm cloudy anticyclone, but towards the end of the week it turned cold bright and frosty.  It was mostly warm and cloudy in the second week, but a weak northerly on the 14th ushered in a spell of dry sunny weather, with average temperatures by day and frosty nights.  A northerly outbreak on the 20th-22nd was surprisingly lacking in potency temperature-wise- some sleet late on the 20th and sleety showers on the afternoon of the 21st- but heavy snow showers overnight 21st/22nd, accompanied by some thunder and lightning just out at sea, gave 4cm and a fair amount of drifting.  Christmas was dull and mild, but the month ended very cold and sunny.  New Year's Eve had a mix of rain and sleet, which temporarily gave a coating of slush on the ground, and the previous night's minimum was the lowest since the 4th March 2001.