The last week of October 2008 delivered a northerly shot with air coming from the Arctic. This air was unusually cold by October standards in the UK and Ireland with the earliest snowfalls for some since October 2003 whilst the most widespread October snow in the south since 1880. Northern Ireland had its first October snow since 1934.
The 28/29 October 2008 were the coldest October days in the UK since 1974 with maximum temperatures widely over both countries below 10c throughout each of the days. Leuchars in Scotland had a maximum of only 4.5c on the 28th October beating its previous record low October max. of 4.7c on 30th October 1974 (records go back to 1957). Aberporth in Wales had a maximum of only 5.2c on the 29th October completely smashing its previous October record low of 7.4c on 22nd October 2003 (records go back to 1957). Both Wales and Northern Ireland had their lowest October maximums on record during this period with 2.2c on the 29th at Alwen (Wales) and 2.7c on the 28th at Killylane (Northern Ireland) respectively. The afternoon maximum at Dalwhinnie in the Highlands of Scotland on October 28th was 0.9c. Topcliffe in England recorded the lowest October minimum temperature in the UK since 2003 with -6.6c on the 29th.
In the Republic of Ireland, the lowest minimum temperature during the period was -3.0c at Casement Aerodrome, Co. Dublin on October 29th, its lowest October temperature since 1993 but for Ireland, this was only the lowest October minimum temperature since 2004 when -3.8c was recorded at Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim on October 20th.
Some notable low maxima recorded over Ireland during the period:
5.8c at Dublin Airport on the 28th and 6.3c on the 29th (both its lowest on record for October)
5.2c at Casement Aerodrome on the 28th and 6.4c on the 29th
5.6c at Phoenix Park on the 28th and 6.4c on the 29th
5.3c at Mullingar on the 28th
5.2c at Dunsany on the 28th and 6.4c on the 29th
5.5c at Derrygreenagh on the 28th
6.0c at Cork Airport on the 30th
6.3c at Moore Park on the 30th
6.4c at Oak Park on the 30th
5.8c at Slieve Bloom Mtns (Nealstown) on the 28th and 5.8c on the 30th
6.0c at Ardee (Boharnamoe) on the 28th
5.3c at Carrickmacross (Dunoge) on the 28th and 4.9c on the 29th
There was widespread lying snow on the night of the 28th/29th and the morning of the 29th October even as far south as London (see pictures below).
The reanalysis chart for 28 October 2008 below shows the winds coming from a north to northeasterly direction with air originating from Arctic. There is a 1040mb area of high pressure in the Atlantic only helping to force this abnormal pattern of weather that occurred at the end of October 2008.
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