Bampton - Local ClimateThe weather in the south west is one of the mildest in the UK, warmed by the Gulf Stream. Indeed, some areas on the south coast have micro-climates enabling the growing of some exotic species of plants. You will find, for instance, palm trees growing on the south Devon coast in Torquay! By contrast, on the top of Exmoor or Dartmoor, the weather is significantly cooler and wetter. |
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Bampton, in mid Devon, benefits from being just off the south east edge of Exmoor, being significantly drier and warmer than just a few miles away. The long-term climate figures shown below are from data for Exeter given on the UK Met Office website (the Met Office has now moved to Exeter). The figures are averaged from 1961-1990.
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Actual rainfall figures are given below. The average figures are as above, based on Exeter 1961-1990
| Average | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. | 93 |
177 |
74.5 |
29.5 |
147.5 |
157.5 |
|
| Feb. | 71 |
21.5 |
54.7 |
71 |
156.5 |
47 |
|
| March | 61 |
81 |
67.0 |
117.5 |
91.5 |
140.5 |
|
| April | 50 |
80 |
84 |
36.5 |
16.5 |
85 |
|
| May | 44 |
46 |
58 |
127.5** |
169.5** |
99 |
|
| June | 47 |
51.5 |
62.5 |
105 |
42.5 |
144.5 |
|
| July | 45 |
110 |
64 |
67.7 |
48.5^ |
201 |
|
| Aug. | 54 |
17 |
131* |
58 |
57.5 |
81.5 |
|
| Sept. | 57 |
14 |
68 |
68 |
74.5 |
60.5 |
|
| Oct. | 73 |
59.5 |
207 |
161 |
160.5 |
47.5 |
|
| Nov. | 72 |
102 |
65 |
135.5 |
175 |
77 |
|
| Dec. | 87 |
133.5 |
118 |
121 |
140 |
152.5 |
|
| Total: | 754 |
1121 |
1054.4 |
1080.5 |
1346 |
543 |
October 2006 - well over twice the average rainfall this month - and November rainfall has been nearly 2.5 times the average for the month, the last two weeks being very wet indeed.
*The Met. Office reports that in 2004 in the South West, it was the wettest August for 92 years! It was in this month that Boscastle in north Cornwall had its devastating flooding.
**The wettest May for over 20 years - and in 2007 the May rainfall was 385% of the average! June was 307% of the average for the month. July four and a half times the normal rainfall!
^The hottest July since records began! - but surprisngly, the rainfall was a little above average. All the rain fell at the beginning of the month and in the last three days.
2007: A wet year, with the total rainfall being 175% times the average. In February we had more than twice the average rainfall, in May and June more than 3 times, and July was an amazing four and a half times above normal! However, January was the mildest recorded since 1916. April 2007 was a remarkably dry month - only a third of the average rainfall (and most of that fell on just one day); it was also the hottest April since records began 350 years ago!
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Click button for updated weather forecast for Bampton area |
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Weather for gardeners - from the BBC |