UK Spring/Summer 2025 and wildfire season

[UK_Palms]

The first half of March is done and it has been VERY dry here. I have registered 0.8mm / 0.03 inches of rain so far this month, but many places have been even drier. Some places as little as 0.1mm / 0.003 inches. Temperatures have been a bit below average with some rather chilly nights due to all the clear skies, hence all the sunny dry weather this month...

 

On the Environmental Agency network, there are multiple stations in Devon and Somerset that have only recorded 0.1mm / 0.003 inches of rain this month so far. Presumably that is the driest first half of a March on record for these places, since this area isn't even generally renowned as being a 'dry' part of southern England either (unlike parts of Sussex, Kent, Essex etc in the southeast of England. As you can see the area has multiple EA rainfall gauges in the <1mm region up to 15/03/2025...

 

First 15 days of March... (official Met stations)...

Hurn (Bournemouth) - 0.4mm / 0.01 inches

Church Lawford - 0.4mm / 0.01 inches

Middle Wallop - 0.6mm / 0.02 inches

Yeovilton - 0.6mm / 0.02 inches

Manston - 0.8mm / 0.03 inches

Odiham - 0.8mm / 0.03 inches

Shoreham - 1.0mm / 0.04 inches

Larkhill - 1.0mm / 0.04 inches

Boscombe Down - 1.2mm / 0.05 inches

London Heathrow - 1.2mm / 0.05 inches

 

Consequently the wildfires have returned with some bad ones in recent days and weeks...

 

12 separate fire stations had to respond to the wildfire at Canford Heath earlier this week, which was likely arson...

 

 

Spring has started off pretty chilly and dry with abundant clear skies and sunshine. Some milder temperatures are returning next week. We are unlikely to see any rain until Friday 21st at least. Even then it doesn't look like it will be much, if anything.

 

Sunshine hours are also going to be at record levels for the first 3 weeks of March, come next weekend...

[UK_Palms]

Some short term upgrades to the temperatures later this week. Potentially 21-22C in London on Thursday now.

The dry spell continues here. Many places remain on less than 1mm / 0.03 inches of rainfall this month.

The Mourne Mountains are on fire tonight in Northern Ireland.

 

Wales has been hit as well…

The Met Office station at Bournemouth airport (Hurn) has recorded 0.9% of its average monthly rainfall, when it should be at around 55-60% by now (first half of March is typically wetter)…

 

Rainfall totals for the past 20-21 days (3 weeks) in parts of Devon are still 0.1mm / 0.004 inches. There won’t be any rain for another 5-6 days at least really now. There will probably be a lot of fires later this week with the warmer temperatures.

 

[ChrisA]

That’s frightening to see so much drought there.  I’m afraid this climate change is causing many of the droughts being seen all over the world. While some get a deluge others do not get a drop.  
 

I hope you get some good rains soon and that when they eventually come it’s not 4 months’ worth in 5 hours…

 

[Foxpalms]

8 hours ago, ChrisA said:

That’s frightening to see so much drought there.  I’m afraid this climate change is causing many of the droughts being seen all over the world. While some get a deluge others do not get a drop.  
 

I hope you get some good rains soon and that when they eventually come it’s not 4 months’ worth in 5 hours…

 

We have some rain forecasted next week though only 12mm of rain is forecasted for the rest of March.  The ground is very dry here however since it's only March and temps aren't too warm most days most plants won't be affected.  Those heavy rainfall type events luckily are uncommon here.

[UK_Palms]

Maximum of 21-22C yesterday here.

Still no rain, yet. Many areas have basically gone 3-4 weeks now without any measurable precipitation. This graphic only shows up to the 17th.

Severe fires are breaking out everywhere. Provisionally it looks like around 300-400 separate wildfires this week alone.

Saharan sand dust imports incoming today as well. That is a very heavy dust load in the atmosphere above England…

 

Some cooler temperatures and maybe a bit of rain over the next 7-10 days. Going into April I suspect the situation with the fires will remain pretty volatile.