Alton Towers is a resort and theme park situated in the Western Midlands area of central England. The resort lies just north of the village of Alton in the county of Staffordshire. The city of Stoke-on-Trent is 26 kilometres to the east and Birmingham is 94.7 kilometres to the south.
Climate
The
climate of the Western Midlands is temperate maritime, like the rest of the United Kingdom. All four
seasons are present, and rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year.
The annual rainfall average is about 785 millimetres.
While extremes in temperature are rare, owing to its distance from the moderating influences of the Atlantic Ocean, the winters tend to be somewhat colder and the summers are slightly hotter and drier. The highest recorded temperature occurred in August of 1990 when the daytime high was 32.9°C. The lowest recorded temperature occurred on January 1963 when the nighttime low plummeted to -13.3°C.
Frost,
uncommon in the coastal areas, is quite prevalent during the winter months in
the Midlands. Two types of frost occur: air
frost and ground frost. Air frost happens when the temperature of the air
hovering at 1.25 metres above the ground drops under 0°C. Ground frost, on the
other hand, refers to temperatures on the surface of the grass dropping to
below 0°C.
There are roughly 40 days during the year when air frost occurs and between 100
to 125 days of ground frost. Although it is rare to have a bout of either air
or ground frost during the summer, it always remains a possibility.
The number of sunshine hours depends on the hours of daylight and by cloud cover. Since the days are shortest in December and longest in June, these are the months featuring the least and most sunshine. In addition to these factors, air pollution affects the amount of sunlight an area receives, as well. Since the passage of the Clean Air act of 1956, the Midlands have experienced an increase in the amount of sunshine it gets. On average, the Midlands receive about 1500 sunshine hours per year.
Unusual weather
There have been record breaking rainfalls and thunderstorm activity in the Midlands in recent years. The most recent occurred in June of 2012 when large hail storms pelted the region and torrential rain caused widespread flooding. In some areas, 22 millimetres of rain fell in only one hour, a full third of the average precipitation for the entire month of June. In addition, dozens of lightning strikes and funnel clouds were seen.
The wetter than normal summers of recent years may be caused by a considerable rise in the temperatures of the North Atlantic. Scientists who are monitoring this phenomenon say that there have been periodic shifts in the surface temperature of the water and that currently the United Kingdom is experiencing the warming phase portion of this. Apparently, the shift began during the 1990s. Scientists remain uncertain of how long it will last. The last warming phase spanned the decades from 1931 to 1960.
Spring
Spring in the Alton Towers
area is mild, with highs ranging from 7°C in March to 13°C in May. The nights
dip down to lows from 2°C in March to 6°C in May. Rainfall amounts are a
consistent 40 millimetres throughout this period, with about 9 rainy days per
month. The area stays humid during this period with values hovering between 75
and 85 percent.
Springtime average daily sunshine hours are a steady 5 hours per day, and fog occurs roughly 4 days out of the month. There may be as many as 5 snow days in March, dwindling down to zero snow days in May.
Summer
Not surprisingly, summer is the warmest season of the year at Alton Park. Daytime temperatures are mildly warm, ranging from 15°C in June to 18°C in July and August. Nights are pleasant, with lows staying around 11°C for most of the period. You can expect between 30 and 70 millimetres of rain, with the former occurring in June and the latter occurring in August. About 8 days out of the month stay wet during the summer, and humidity remains high at about 80 percent. There are 4 hours of sunshine per day, with fog occurring on 4 days out of the month.
Autumn
Autumn temperatures remain
mild with daytime highs of around 15°C in September and dropping down to 7°C in
November. Nighttime temperatures drop down to 9°C in September and start to get
chillier in November at about 3°C. Rainfall totals are about 60 millimetres
through the season and the number of rainy days ranges from seven in September
to nine in November.
Humidity stays right around 90 percent, and sunshine hours range from 3 in September to 5 in November. There are around 7 foggy days in autumn, and snow stays rare, with only 2 snow days occurring in November.
Winter
Winter is the coldest
season at Alton Towers. Daytime highs stay a chilly 4°C
for most of the period, and lows hover around the freezing mark at 0°C. Rainfall
totals are a steady 50 millimetres, with about 7 days out of each month being
wet. The air remains moist, with humidity staying at 90 percent.
Sunshine hours are a constant 5 per day
during the winter, with about 8 days of fog per month. The chance of snow
increases slightly but remains low, with possibly 7 days out of the month
having snow on the ground.
Despite the recent wetter than normal summers, the Alton Towers area enjoys a mild climate with no extremes in either temperature or precipitation. The best time to visit the area is during the summer and early autumn when temperatures are at their warmest. Even so, visiting in the spring and winter isn't out of the question because the temperatures remain mild.