The run of very wet Februaries continued as an active Jet Stream provided a conveyor belt of areas of low pressure that became constant visitors to the UK during February, culminating in a very disturbed and stormy spell 16th to 21st. From the 10-24th the Jet Stream was at its most active and the period through to the 24th saw three named storms, Dudley, Eunice and Franklin, the whole period being very wet and windy.

  Impacts locally were mainly confined to trees being blown down, whilst slightly further away the West Coast Main Line saw various amounts of disruption due to trees bringing down overhead power-lines and there was some flooding at Low Newton.

  Whilst the highest temperature of the month was only 12.0°c, it was consistently mild throughout. Snow was virtually absent as was frost, although ground frost was still fairly prevalent, more so in the second half of the month. However, both the mean maximum and minimum temperatures finished with significant, positive, departures from the norm'

  The month opened on a quiet note, saw a little wintriness on the 4th and 6th, in between which the 5th was a wet day. There was a slight lull during the 7-11th, the latter date starting with a sharp frost as high pressure nosed in from Biscay - but now the rest of the month went downhill.

  Now the jet stream would become very active and the rainfall totals would quickly build.

  Rain arrived late in the evening on the 11th and would now be a constant companion through to the 25th. In that time only the 22nd and 24th would record less than 5mm of rain, the peak of the rainfall being 11-14th (10.4 mm - 18.5 mm - 16.0 mm - 10.4 mm) and the 19-20th (15.5 mm and 16.2 mm). By now the ground was truly saturated.

  The first storm 'Dudley' arrived on the 16th and brought gusts to 56 mph during the afternoon and with a brief and intense spell of torrential rain 1530-50hrs, although the day itself only recorded 9.1 mm. 'Eunice' followed on the 18th, but the winds fell short of 50 mph and was more impactful away from Cumbria.

 'Storm Franklin' on the 21st had seen winds gust to 50 mph during the evening of the 20th, but the night was terrible with a gale recorded in the early hours, maintaining a ten minute average of 40 mph and gusting to 62 mph. The day itself was one of sunny spells with the wind slowly abating.

  Either side of some snow showers in the morning and rain in the evening, the 24th was a reasonable day with sunny intervals and then at last, a couple of dry days, 25-27th as high pressure ridged in from Biscay.

  The 27th was also sunny, but rain arrived in the early hours of the 28th and whilst occasionally abating to drizzle, would remain throughout.

  MSLP of 1008.3 Mb was -5.6 MB below the local average for the month and overall a mean minimum of 2.31°c and a mean maximum of 8.35°c saw the temperature 1.6°c above the thirteen year average for this site.

  It was the warmest February since 2019 and since 2009 when the record began, one has been warmer and twelve have been colder - the highest maximum temperature recorded during the month being 12.0°c (16th), the lowest minimum -4.3°c (11th).

  Rainfall of 165.7 mm (Maulds Meaburn North 176.8 mm -- Castlehowe Scar 243.8 mm) was 145.7% of average for 2008-21, making it the driest February since 2019. In a record that commenced in 2008, ten have been drier and four have been wetter.

  During the month the following was recorded: snow fell on six days (but there were no days of lying snow) and hail fell on two - the wind speed averaged 11.36 mph, with a maximum gust of 62 mph (21st) and on the same day a gale was recorded when in the early hours a 10 minute mean wind speed of 40 mph was recorded.

  At the Met' Office site at Shap a mean minimum of 2.0°c and a mean maximum of 7.9°c saw the monthly mean temperature 2.2°c above the average and made it the warmest February since 2002. In a record back to 1995 (two missing years), along with 2019 it is the equal third warmest.

  Rainfall of 347.2 mm represents 209.8% of its average. It was the wettest February since 2020 and in a record that commenced in 1989, 26 have been drier and 7 have been wetter.

  At Appleby in Westmorland rainfall of 131.8 mm represents 194.4% of its average (1857-2021) and made it the wettest since 2020 - in a record that commenced in 1857, 149 have been drier and 16 have been wetter.

  Across the county rainfall was well above average everywhere, rising to 227.3% of normal at Seathwaite and even nearby at Orton, double the average was recorded. However, the south Lakes were that little bit wetter and this saw the percentage fall rise to 241.4% at Ambleside. Only a few locations had totals that fell below 150% of normal, Haresceugh Castle having the lowest pecentage fall at 140%.

  Figures from the Environment Agency’s rainfall sites were, (figure in brackets being the monthly average for 1961-90)   ‘Data kindly provided by the Hydrometry and Telemetry team of the Environment Agency (Penrith)’:

  Kirkby Thore 112.2 mm (60.7 mm)

  Haresceugh Castle (Kirkoswald) 106.55 mm (76.0 mm)

  Brothers Water 428.12 mm (270.4 mm)

  Orton (Shallowford) 294.2 mm (146.7 mm [average for 1967-2021]) - making it the wettest since 2020 and since 1967 when the record commenced, 50 have been drier and 5 have been wetter.

  658.4 mm at Seathwaite Farm (Borrowdale - 289.6 mm [average for 1845-2021]) - making it the wettest since 2020 and since 1845 when the record commenced, 6 have been drier and 171 have been wetter.

   We had 3 Air Frosts in the month (year 15)          --          Grass Frosts totalled 17 (year 41).

   The 1 foot soil temp ranged from a low of 4.5°c on the 12th        to      a high of 6.5°c on the 4th     --      with a monthly mean of 5.4°c

   The 1 meter soil temp ranged from a low of 6.2°c on the 14th      to      a high of 6.9°c on the 4-6th     --     with a monthly mean of 6.5#176c