The weather in 2017

The highs and lows of a year in which prevailing westerly winds brought unsettled weather to the north and west, and prolonged dry spells to the south-east

The most notable feature of 2017 was the prevalence of westerly winds across the UK. This was probably a factor in making it a year of below average sunshine. It was certainly a factor in giving some very unsettled weather in the north and west at times while the dry anomaly that started in south-eastern Britain in 2016 continued, with only brief interruptions. As in most recent years, temperatures were above average and Central England enjoyed the warmest spring in over 350 years of records. Although the cold snap and snow of early December aroused much interest, it was not exceptional. The most unusual weather event was probably the oddly coloured skies following the passage of Storm Ophelia across the country on 16 October, 30 years to the day after the Great Storm of 1987. The colours were caused by a combination of smoke from forest fires in Iberia and Saharan dust.