| Rainfall recorded by the Scottish Crop Research Institute in Invergowrie showed that last month’s rainfall totalled 256.3 mm, drowning the previous record of 180.3 mm recorded in November 1984.
The amount is almost five times the 30-year average of 52.3 mm recorded by SCRI for August and more than 30 times the rainfall total of last August, which was just 8.3mm.
The flash floods and long periods of rainfall seen in the Dundee area in August were due to the tail end of Hurricane Alex.
Deputy team leader of meteorological services at SCRI, Jim Wilde, said that this meant the area saw tropical storms, which were warm and long, rather than usual rain which is more sporadic and light in nature. He said, “The rain the Dundee area saw in August was different from the sort of rain we are used to in Scotland.
“The rain was heavier, lasted for longer and the air was warmer since the storms were a remnant of Hurricane Alex.
“This has meant the average temperature for the month was one degree Celsius higher than is the average for August.
“But because of the rain, August saw less sunshine, 144 hours, which is 20 hours less than the 30-year average.”
The instances of thunder and lightning in the area during August was also much higher.
“Usually we see one or two instances of thunder storms a month during July and August — last month there were seven instances,” Mr Wilde continued. “The amount of rainfall collected during the month is simply unbelievable.
“During a three-day period between August 10 and 12, 130.4mm of rainfall was collected, which is more than twice the average for the whole month of August and almost as much as the entire rainfall for May, June and July combined.
A spokesman for the MET Office said the rainfall recorded in Fife last month was also an area record.
He was more upbeat about the month ahead, although predicted more rain in the next week.
“The Tayside and Fife area should see more rain and high winds in the next week although September as a whole will be dryer for sure,” he said. |
