The climate of the northern pennines: The coldest part of England

Abstract The northern Pennine moorlands comprise the most consistently elevated and chilly part of England. Very few observations are available however as regard temperature, although an interesting record, showing great extremes, was maintained near Alston from 18b1886. Rainfall is better known; other climatic features of especial note include occasional peculiarly violent thunderstorms and the well‐known “helm wind.” The writer has established a station at which temperatures have been taken in a standard screen since early in 1932; this is at a keeper's cottage on the exposed moorland of Upper Teesdale just to the south‐east of Crossfell. The altitude (1,840 ft.) makes the station the highest at which a continuous record has been kept in England. In general, although mean temperatures differ by about 5°.5F., no more than might be expected, from a group of Northern lon.land stations, the maxima are decidedly lower (7°. o) while the minima are not so much lower (3°. 3); and the mean daily range of temperature on the uplands is less than that in the valleys. This is to be expected; but exceptional extremes occur on particular occasions which appear to be due to the position of the moorland basin in which the station lies. As a whole the figures confirm the prevailing impression of bleakness associated with a windy and damp upland and correspond well with rccords at sea level in Southern Iceland.