HUDDERSFIELD folk can expect three seasons in a week.
The town hit high temperatures of 10.2°C on Tuesday and today we could see rain and sunshine as we feel the effects of tropical air.
Salendine Nook meteorologist and florist Paul Stevens warns that winter isn’t over yet – March could see a drop in temperature.
He also says rainfall has been above normal meaning we’re well away from drought status like many in the south east of England.
Paul said: “Tuesday’s temperature of 10.2°C was about 4°C above normal, but on Wednesday we expected gusts of up to 50 or 60 mph.
“Thursday is mixed – in the morning we’ll see drizzle and low cloud but for Huddersfield the key thing is we could see sunshine and brightness in the afternoon.
“It’s because of tropical air over the hills, it will be warm and dry in the east – the high temperatures of around 15°C is exceptionally mild for the winter, usually we see these sort of temperatures in April or early May. It’s around 7°C above the normal temperature.”
But Paul warns that the higher than normal temperature may not be around too long.
“There’s a hint that March will be unsettled, we’re expecting a cold spring and I’d say don’t discount winter as being over just yet.
“Until the end of March we always need to be careful because there’s a lot of cold air coming from the north and towards us.
“It’s a real mix of spring, summer and winter in a week.”
Higher than normal rainfall in the Pennines has meant that reservoir levels remain high, unlike some in the south which are at 50% of their capacity.
Paul explained: “We’ve had about 120% normal rainfall. Huddersfield has seen above normal rainfall over winter.
“But at the start of February it was exceptionally dry, we had 25mm of rainfall until yesterday morning.
“But we’re some way off a drought.”
Looking further ahead Paul predicted the first part of spring would be cold and wet with an unsettled summer which is wet and cool at times.
The prospect of hosepipe bans in the coming weeks was looming for parts of England as drought was officially declared in the south east.
The environment department (Defra) convened a summit of water companies, farmers and wildlife groups to discuss potential water shortages in England.
The south east has experienced the driest October to January in the region since 1992, with around 73% of the expected rainfall.
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said: “Drought is already an issue this year with the south east, Anglia and other parts of the UK now officially in drought, and more areas are likely to be affected as we continue to experience a prolonged period of very low rainfall.
“It is not just the responsibility of Government, water companies and businesses to act against drought. We are asking for the help of everyone by urging them to use less water and to start now.”
