Second wettest February in 30 years

In an average February, about 70mm of rain usually falls.

‘February will be best remembered for the rain and wind, with 23 rain days totalling 136.3mm, just short of double the 30-year average, making it the second wettest February, after 2014, since 1990,’ a Guernsey Met Office spokesman said.

‘It was also the second windiest February at 17.5 knots mean speed – 20.1 mph – after 2014, since 1990.

Despite all that wind and rain, sunshine was pretty much bang on the average and it was mild too, the tenth warmest February on record and sixth warmest at the airport.’

Storms Ciara, Dennis and Jorge all arrived during the month, leading to the UK’s wettest February since records began in 1862.

The month started wet and cold, but high pressure towards the end of the first week resulted in nearly nine hours of sunshine on 6 February – the sunniest day in the islands since 6 October last year.

Within days the weather deteriorated again as Storm Ciara arrived.

At around 10.25pm on 9 February a wind speed of 77mph was recorded at the airport – the highest recorded gust at the airport since 20 November 2016.

Storm Ines – named by Meteo France – arrived a few days later with heavy rain, and Storm Dennis came in just after Valentine’s Day. The end of the month continued to be wet, with some fog. On 29 February, the temperature dropped to 3.5C and there was hail and strong winds at Storm Jorge arrived.

‘Unsurprisingly, winter 2019/20 ended up considerably milder and wetter than average, some 1.4 degrees Celsius above the 30-year average, with the lowest temperature recorded being only 2.7 degrees Celsius,’ the Met office spokesperson said.

‘Rainfall was some three inches higher than the average too, though the winters of 2016 and 2014 were both wetter, but sunshine was very close to the long-term average.’