A wet February?

[Len W]

My total so far to 23rd  is 60 mm compared to a 30-yr  average for Feb of 88 mm.

But, I have had a recordable amount of rain in my gauge everyday so far except on the 1st.

Small amounts mostly, 8 of the days below 1 mm.

Len

Wembury, SW Devon

83 m asl

[jack.h...@gmail.com]

I don't keep records (maybe I should) but this month seems to have been non-stop rain. 
Fields are flooded and small rivers fuller than I have seen them in the seven years I have lived here.

Just inland from Nairn, North Scotland.

Jack

[Nick Gardner]

Len, a little different here. Rainfall (1st - 24th) = 38.4 mm. Measurable rain has fallen on 9 of the last 24 days. My February average is 62 mm.

Sunshine also below normal with temperatures being above. None by that much.

 --
Nick Gardner
Otter Valley, Devon
20 m amsl
http://www.ottervalleyweather.me.uk  

[Freddie]

Wet in Shropshire, with 82.2 mm to 0900z on the 24th, including 4 days with 10mm+.  Rainfall currently running at 152% of average (54 mm).  Very mild too with mean temp 3.4 degrees above normal.

 --

Freddie
Alcaston
Shropshire
148m AMSL
http://www.hosiene.co.uk/weather/
Stats for the month so far: https://www.hosiene.co.uk/weather/statistics/alcaston/latest.xlsx

[Graham Easterling]

Up to the 24th in Penzance

Total 76.3mm, normal is 111.3mm

19  rain days, but 0.1mm on a further 2.

No measurable rain on 10th, 11th & 21st.

Graham

Penzance

On Thursday, 24 February 2022 at 12:12:01 UTC Len W wrote:

[jack.h...@gmail.com]

I take issue with you there Graham.

You say "normal" is 111.3mm.  That might be the average, or the mean, or the median.  I would have thought that your figure to date of 76.3mm is well within the "normal" range.

There is no such thing as "normal" temperature, rainfall, sun or what have you.  Average, median, etc. yes.

Jack (and I don't think I'm being a pedant)

[Graham Easterling]

Fair enough, but have you read Nick's post in this thread where sunshine is also normal! It's a word in common use/misuse. Sometimes used in weather forecasts.

I think forecasters talking about 'gale force gusts' (devalues the whole meaning of what a gale is) 'your temperatures' or 'temperatures where they should be' are subjectively worse.

However, I'll try to be more careful in future!

Graham

[Len W]

The weather presenters often talk about 'normal for the time of year'. It may sound woolly to you but

what they should say is that the temperature/sun/rain is within one standard deviation of the mean, that is assuming a normal (binomial) distribution.

The trouble is they just don't have the time and/or have never heard of a standard deviation.

And the public don't give a toss.

😁 😁

Len

Wembury

[Graham Easterling]

First I agree that you & Jack are correct in the meaning of normal, mean, average etc. & I could have been more careful in my use of words.

However, forecasters commonly use 'above normal' (which I actually don't mind, far better than 'above where they should be') with little disregard to whether it's within 1 standard deviation or not. However, to the average viewer, the term 'above normal' is fine. Cambridge dictionary definition https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/normal

I think we have a touch of the spindrifts here, where the Beaufort description limits to F8 or above, but common usage (and indeed the Oxford / Cambridge dictionary definitions) are totally different. 

Graham

Penzance

[jack.h...@gmail.com]

I suppose I am still recalling one or two things I learned for the Third Class degree in arithmetic that I got 62 years ago.

Jack

[Len W]

I did not mean to be critical of you Graham.

I was just having fun being overly correct and pointing out how a statistician might want to hear the use of normal.

Len

[Graham Easterling]

Don't worry Len - Absolutely no offence taken!

Graham