IF YOU think it's getting wetter in Manchester, you'd be right. And if you go out on a Tuesday do yourself a favour and carry an umbrella - it's the wettest day of the week.
Research carried out for Manchester Science Festival shows rainfall in Manchester has increased by more than 10 per cent over the last 110 years. And the same research shows that it's now raining more at weekends than it did in the past.
Weather expert Dr Andy Russell of The University of Manchester sifted through 110 years' worth of data collected in the Whalley Range area to come to the conclusions that:
- Rainfall in Manchester has increased by more than 10 per cent over the last 110 years
- Saturdays are getting wetter in Manchester
- The largest increase in rainfall in Manchester has occurred over the last 30 years
- Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays were the driest days.
Dr Russell said: "These preliminary results are extremely interesting, although we need to do further work to assess how widespread this pattern is and the reasons behind it.
"To do this, more weather stations in the North West will be analysed and data from an interactive experiment we are running during Manchester Science Festival will be used."
Now Dr Russell wants people in Manchester to make their own rain gauges and help him investigate and verify his findings.
He said: "As a scientist I want to test the old theory that it rains more at the weekend, not only because rainy weekends ruin your social life, but to see whether cars, factories and industry, which are much more active during the week, affect our weather patterns,
"Good data collected during the Manchester Science Festival will shape the direction of the research and could unlock the answers."
Manchester Science Festival, which is now in its third year, is packed with more than 150 events, exploring anything and everything to do with science, technology, engineering and maths.
Dr Russell will be leading a special rain workshop event during the festival on Saturday, 31 October, at the Museum of Science and Industry from 11am to 3pm. The event is free.
Instructions on how to make rain gauges and take part in the data gathering during Manchester Science Festival 2009 can be found at www.manchesterrain.com .
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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
Mark, South Manchester (23/10/2009 at 11:48)
citycentre, manchester (23/10/2009 at 12:05)
Mad Welsh Scotsman, Cadishead (23/10/2009 at 12:21)
Is It Me? (23/10/2009 at 13:47)
Chapman (23/10/2009 at 14:33)
I am fairly sure these included Bristol,Plymouth,Glasgow,Cardiff etc.
People conveniently forget how much colder it is in the winter on the eastern side of the Uk and how little bad weather we actually get in Manchester and the North West.
I get sick and tired of the media obsession with the weather in this country whereby they have created a huge industry,particularly the BBC ,to fill in air time.
citycentre, manchester (23/10/2009 at 15:04)
Where did you read that global warming would stop rainfall? I would think as the temperature, of the seas especially, increases there would be more water vapour formed, so more rain in those areas that had rain before, such as Manchester and the west of the UK.
Rick D'alaglio (23/10/2009 at 15:16)
There is some theory - and I think this was the subject of some research in (possibly) LA a decade or so ago - that the wet weekends are the result of pollution which builds up during the week. There doesn't appear to be a direct connection to that idea made in this article but it is hinted at by the scientist towards the end.
Mersey Banker, Didsbury (23/10/2009 at 15:42)
Local lad, outsidethebox (23/10/2009 at 18:55)
Swansea is officially Britain's wettest city. whoever said it was Manchester?
towerblocktom, salford (23/10/2009 at 23:36)
Moschops of Manchester (24/10/2009 at 02:55)
I'd rather people concern themselves with how much unemployment, crime etc will hopefully fall to be honest (as if)
A bit of rain never hurt anyone.
bubbob, manchester (24/10/2009 at 07:37)
Local lad, outsidethebox (24/10/2009 at 10:42)
Mark, South Manchester (24/10/2009 at 10:54)
citycentre, well according to today's MEN maybe we should all move to the "Capital of Cool", eh?
Bendroflumethiazide, manchester (24/10/2009 at 11:14)
Harry Roberts , Oldham (24/10/2009 at 13:25)
tom morrow (24/10/2009 at 15:22)
Tom in Arizona, USA
Andanotherthing, Mcr (24/10/2009 at 20:47)
24/10/2009 at 15:22
As many buckets of Manchester Drizzle as you need Tom. We lack sun bleached cow bones and tumble weed on Market Street should you have any to spare.
I wonder what Killjoy Karney makes of chewin Bacca. I have another business idea lolling about in my head.
andy waytomakeacomment, Greater Manchester (25/10/2009 at 01:18)
Hands off the Manc rain there fella' !
There's an even greater surplus of rainfall in Bangladesh. It sure would be great if some arid environments, like in Arizona, could get some of their rains instead.
Salford Ken, Adelaide, South Australia (25/10/2009 at 05:58)
Oh well at least I have a sun tan.
Joe Pub, Manchester (25/10/2009 at 14:14)
MBLUED, UK (26/10/2009 at 01:49)
brian hawkes (26/10/2009 at 02:21)
Angie33 , Manchester (26/10/2009 at 07:48)
James Yates, Hyde, Cheshire (26/10/2009 at 13:39)
Manchester has 185 rainy days each year. Unbelievable isn't it, for a city in north-western Europe where it does rain more that in Australian or North American desert regions. However, other north-west European cities also get rained on:
1. Copenhagen, Denmark 251
2. Oslo, Norway 232
3. London, UK 226
4. Brussels, Belgium 220
5. Amsterdam, Netherlands 214 i
6. Helsinki, Finland 203
Another interesting fact: most of these other European cities have average temperatures in winter of below freezing; not above freezing like mild Manchester, yet people do not die in their homes. They have heating in their homes for winter and they actually switch it on all day and night in winter. Aren't they clever these continentals?