Introduction The Sefton Coast sand-dune system is the largest expanse of this rare habitat in England and one of the richest for flora and fauna in Northwest Europe. Much of this diversity is threatened by Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides), an invasive spiny shrub that was introduced here in the 1890s. For decades, it was kept...
In complete contrast to last year’s deluge, February 2025 was dry. The Met Office tells us that northern England had about half the normal rainfall due to a persistent Scandinavian high-pressure system. Rachael Parks kindly sent me confirmation with her rainfall data for Formby, which shows we had about 50% of the expected amount. Maybe...
According to the Met. Office, it was the fifth warmest December since records began in 1884. I don’t remember seeing any frost in Formby. The month was dull overall with rainfall a little above average in the UK. This fits with Rachael Park’s rainfall data from her garden in Formby. She recorded 121 mm in...
The Met. Office described November as: “A month of two halves.” The first fortnight was dominated by ‘anticyclonic gloom’; grey skies, mild and calm conditions caused by high pressure trapping a low-level layer of cloud. From mid-month, temperatures fell and unsettled weather prevailed, including a named storm and spells of rain. There was even an...