Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Britain likely to see worst weather of the year in December, study says

Analysis of data identifies day when cold, wet and windy weather is most likely

Grant Bailey
Monday 16 December 2019 13:58 EST
Comments
Experts have analysed 30 years of data to work out which day is most likely to see undesirable weather
Experts have analysed 30 years of data to work out which day is most likely to see undesirable weather (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Britain will typically experience the worst weather of the year on 19 December, according to analysis of 30 years of weather data.

Experts have revealed the date is most likely to bring the coldest, wettest or windiest weather, with 21 July statistically blessed with the best conditions on average.

But the research found that the best weather day of the year varies in different cities, with Londoners likely to bask in the brightest conditions on 24 July and Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle all most likely to see ideal weather on the 23rd day of the month.

The dates were identified after a study of 2,000 British adults was conducted to find out the temperature and weather conditions which are considered to be the most comfortable.

The results were then compared against weather forecasts in each city over the last 30 years to find out when the most desirable conditions were most likely to occur.

A spokesperson for Andrews Sykes Heater Hire, which commissioned DTN weather forecasting company to carry out the research, said: “Complaining about the weather is part of our national identity.

“So we thought it would be interesting to flip the conversation on its head and see once and for all when the nation is most likely to be content with their lot.

“DTN’s massive data set of legacy weather data allowed us to pinpoint these days in some of the UK’s major cities - days which we hope Britons are marking in their calendars as some sure-fire good weather days.”

The study considered measured weather conditions such as temperature, rainfall, wind speed and cloud cover.

Of the cities highlighted in the study, Edinburgh and Glasgow preferred their weather coolest, choosing 20C as their ideal temperature, while people from Southampton and London opted for a warmer 23C temperature for their perfect day.

Overall, the ideal weather for British adults was a light breeze and mild temperatures of 22C.

July was considered to be the best month for weather, followed by June and August.

As the weather gets colder, two-thirds of respondents said they were worried about keeping warm in their homes.

SWNS

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in