UK's warmest microclimates

[Conifers]

Thanks! Fuji Finepix through my 'scope (see wikipedia on Digiscoping for methods)

[weve]

Hi Nathan
Apart from the microclimate factors you mention, I did read that the Portsmouth/Southampton area has (usually) the highest average annual temperature in Britain, being (as you say) ideally situated between the cool summer/warm winter maritime influenced westcountry and the hotter summer/colder winter more continental influenced East.

Seems you get the best of both!
best
weve

[Nathan]

Hi Nathan
Apart from the microclimate factors you mention, I did read that the Portsmouth/Southampton area has (usually) the highest average annual temperature in Britain, being (as you say) ideally situated between the cool summer/warm winter maritime influenced westcountry and the hotter summer/colder winter more continental influenced East.

Seems you get the best of both!
best
weve

Indeed. That's one of the reasons someone came up with for the rapid growth of the Southsea Phoenix canariensis_CIDP's, they never seem to actually stop growing as the average temperature stays just within their active growth temperature, though I think they have probably stopped at the moment!

[JohnH]

One thing is for sure, it is not in Wiltshire.

[davidjonesUK]

the Wirral is very mild because were on a peninsula A.K.A surrounded by 3 sides of water
cheers DavidJonesUK

[stephenprudence]

Dave, I wouldn't say it was very mild, we are in general slightly milder than central areas of Britain usually, but we are easily attacked by extremes. In that case I'd say whilst in a normal winter we are relatively mild, in a cold winter we are average, if not one of the coldest areas in the UK.

'Average' may be the best way to describe Wirrals climate, I wouldn't go as far as mild..

Average can be enough to grow some of the hardier tropicals available.

I suppose in potential climate terms, Wirral is realistic a zone 8a in terms of minimum temperature because of the potential that lies with these extremes.

[Dave Brown]

Stephen have you moved You were living on the subtropical Island of Wirral last year

[Conifers]

Thing about the Wirral - south of it, you've got the broad lowland area stuck between the South Pennines (east), Wenlock Edge (south), and the Welsh Mountains (west). This is one big, bad frost hollow; remember the -25°C (and unofficially, -30°C) at Shawbury (Shropshire) and similar at Tatton Park (Knutsford, Cheshire) on 12 December 1981; at the latter, the rose garden and some large yew trees were killed by the extreme cold.

The only way out for this pool of cold air is to spill north out over the Wirral and into the Irish Sea. Watch out for it if you get a light S or SE wind during a spell of severe cold - the one direction you don't have any water protection from in the Wirral!

[stephenprudence]

Stephen have you moved You were living on the subtropical Island of Wirral last year

I've never said we are the mildest place in the country, I have stated we are relatively mild, but then so is everywhere

I'm not sure we have SE;lys very often, but then again I suppose northwesterly are potentially as bad, we'll have to wait for a record low and see what direction it comes from.

Heswall often does get away with extreme cold though because being on a hilltop it gets the breezes whereas places that dont get the breezes, suffer somewhat.

[Nathan]

Indeed this winter has shown that the north west is not always mild...