Colder nights in the UK

[antontordy]

Is it my imagination or have the nights got colder since the 1990's? I never used to put the heating on at night in July but nowadays I do it regularly. What do the statistics say? Any one know? Does this mean the Gulf Stream is weakening? The nights are now like the nights in the Vendee France which is not embraced by the Gulf Stream.

They say that if the Gulf flow diminishes our climate will slowly get like that of eastern Canada(freezing in winter). How can this be? If the ice-caps are melting that means the sea is getting warmer. If the sea is getting warmer, howcome our nights are getting colder?

[Windguy]

Na, maybe your getting old.

But then again there has been an extended strong La Nina due to the excessive melting of the Arctic last year.

What you have said though can be correct since fresh water from melting ice can dilute the salinity of the ocean and stall the thermohaline current. If that happens, Europe could visit an ice age all on it's own.

[Besoeker]

For UK this is a good source of weather data.
Met Office: UK climate and weather statistics

[prashamk]

Donno about 90s but in last few years the part where I live in India, is experiencing better rainfall & colder winters. Moreover this year summer was also short and less hotter.

[antontordy]

Thanks to everyone for their inputs. Looking at the long-term statistics it seems that not much warming has taken place and that what has happened is more cylical than anything else but I don't really know.

It seems that sea temp is very important because as long as the temp of the north Altlantic remains virtually unchanged we in the UK will never get the climate of north-eastern Canada - Thank God for that! I am really looking forward to sailing over the North Pole. Think of the benefit that a clear NorthWest Passage will mean for shipping and commerce!

[forfismum]

Interesting item here on heating [but not the one I was looking for ] Note the conflicting opinions

Two weather predictions were presented with somewhat conflicting data, with the Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicting the 2007-08 winter to be 4 percent colder than 2006-07, but still 2 percent warmer than the 30-year average. On the other hand the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts this winter to be 2 percent warmer than last winter. The apparent conflict is based on the different models and the specific periods during which the statistics are derived.

I do think that you are correct in that this winter has been colder and for longer.I purchased an extra "fill " for a premises that I look after [1000lt ] and that is almost gone. There are many mentions of the longer heating season in the USA and elsewhere as being one of the factors in the high caost of road diesel.

Daily Update: Winter Heating Season Looks to be Colder, Costlier Than Last Year’s