Editing Crawley (section)

=== Climate ===
Crawley lies within the [[Sussex Weald (UK Parliament constituency)|Sussex Weald]], an area of highly variable terrain so that many microclimates of frost hollows, sun traps and windswept hilltops will be encountered over a short distance. During calm, clear periods of weather this allows for some interesting temperature variations, although most of the time, when mobile westerly airstreams persist, the weather is typically [[Oceanic climate|Oceanic]] like the rest of the British Isles. Gatwick is the nearest weather station that publishes long-term averages that give an accurate description of the climate of the Crawley area, although more recently the [[Met Office]] has also published data for its nearby weather station at [[Charlwood]]. Both weather stations are about 3 miles north of Crawley town centre and at similar altitudes.

Generally, Crawley's inland and southerly position within the UK means temperatures in summer are amongst the highest in the British Isles, Charlwood recording 36.3°C (97.3°F)<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/interesting/july2006/MaxTemp1907Points_jpeg.JPG 
 |title=July 2006 
 |access-date=25 February 2011 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629215609/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/interesting/july2006/MaxTemp1907Points_jpeg.JPG 
 |archive-date=29 June 2011 }}</ref> and Gatwick recording 36.4C (97.5F)<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/monitordetail.php?seasonid=13&year=2006&indexid=TXx&stationid=2128
|title=July 2006
|access-date=25 February 2011
|archive-date=24 July 2011
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724160503/http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/monitordetail.php?seasonid=13&year=2006&indexid=TXx&stationid=2128
|url-status=live
}}</ref> on 19 July 2006, just 0.2C and 0.1C lower, respectively, than the UK monthly record for that day set at [[Wisley]], 20 miles to the west. The overall maximum stands at 36.5C (97.7F)<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.tutiempo.net/en/Climate/CHARLWOOD/10-08-2003/37690.htm
|title=August 2003
|access-date=25 February 2011
|archive-date=24 July 2011
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724114107/http://www.tutiempo.net/en/Climate/CHARLWOOD/10-08-2003/37690.htm
|url-status=live
}}</ref> at Charlwood, set on 10 August 2003. The absolute record for Gatwick is the aforementioned 36.4°C. Before this, the highest temperature recorded at Gatwick was 35.6°C (96.1°F), also in August 2003.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/monitordetail.php?seasonid=14&year=2003&indexid=TXx&stationid=2128
|title=August 2003
|access-date=25 February 2011
|archive-date=24 July 2011
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724160524/http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/monitordetail.php?seasonid=14&year=2003&indexid=TXx&stationid=2128
|url-status=live
}}</ref> The maximum temperature was 25.1°C (77.2°F) or higher on 15.9 days of the year<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/calcdetail.php?seasonid=0&periodid=1971-2000&indexid=SU&stationid=2128
|title=1971-00 Normals
|access-date=25 February 2011
|archive-date=24 July 2011
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724160531/http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/calcdetail.php?seasonid=0&periodid=1971-2000&indexid=SU&stationid=2128
|url-status=live
}}</ref> on average (1971–2000) and the warmest day will typically rise to 29.4°C (84.9°F).<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/calcdetail.php?seasonid=0&periodid=1971-2000&indexid=TXx&stationid=2128
|title=1971-00 Normals
|access-date=25 February 2011
|archive-date=24 July 2011
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724160541/http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/calcdetail.php?seasonid=0&periodid=1971-2000&indexid=TXx&stationid=2128
|url-status=live
}}</ref>

The overall minimum for [[Gatwick Airport]] for the period from 1960 is −16.7°C (1.9°F), set in January 1963. More recently, Charlwood fell to −11.2°C (11.8°F)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/dec/20/winter-weather-coldest-places-britain|title=December 2010|access-date=25 February 2011|location=London|work=The Guardian|first=Simon|last=Rogers|date=21 December 2010|archive-date=9 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109144858/https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/dec/20/winter-weather-coldest-places-britain|url-status=live}}</ref> and Gatwick −11.1°C (12.0°F)<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/monitordetail.php?seasonid=18&year=2010&indexid=TNn&stationid=2128
|title=December 2010
|access-date=25 February 2011
|archive-date=24 July 2011
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724160547/http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/monitordetail.php?seasonid=18&year=2010&indexid=TNn&stationid=2128
|url-status=live
}}</ref> on 20 December 2010. Typically the coldest night at Gatwick will fall to −8.9°C (16.0°F).<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/calcdetail.php?seasonid=0&periodid=1971-2000&indexid=TNn&stationid=2128
|title=Annual average minimum
|access-date=25 February 2011
|archive-date=24 July 2011
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724160555/http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/calcdetail.php?seasonid=0&periodid=1971-2000&indexid=TNn&stationid=2128
|url-status=live
}}</ref> Air frost is recorded on 58.2 nights at Gatwick<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/calcdetail.php?seasonid=0&periodid=1971-2000&indexid=FD&stationid=2128
|title=Annual average frost
|access-date=25 February 2011
|archive-date=24 July 2011
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724160600/http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/calcdetail.php?seasonid=0&periodid=1971-2000&indexid=FD&stationid=2128
|url-status=live
}}</ref> (1971–2000)

Sunshine totals in Crawley are higher than many inland areas due to its southerly location: Gatwick averaged 1,574 hours per year over 1961–90. No data is available for 1971 to 2000, but given increases at comparable sites nearby, annual averages are likely to be over 1,600 hours.

Snowfall is often heavier in the [[Sussex Weald (UK Parliament constituency)|Sussex Weald]] than in many other low-lying parts of central and [[southern England]] due to the proximity of moisture-laden southerly tracking low-pressure systems bringing easterly winds and snow to areas from [[South London]] southwards. However, again due to the southerly location of the area, with warmer air from the nearby [[English Channel]], the snow is often temporary as low-pressure systems track north bringing in milder air; areas immediately north of [[London Calling|London]] tend to have less accumulation, but lying for a longer duration.

Rainfall is lower than the English average, but higher than many other areas of the South East. 1mm of rain or more falls on 116.7 days of the year.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/calcdetail.php?seasonid=0&periodid=1971-2000&indexid=RR1&stationid=2128
|title=Wet days 1971-00
|access-date=25 February 2011
|archive-date=24 July 2011
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724160613/http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/calcdetail.php?seasonid=0&periodid=1971-2000&indexid=RR1&stationid=2128
|url-status=live
}}</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = Gatwick, elevation 62m,1971–2000, Sunshine 1961–90, extremes 1960–
|collapsed =
|metric first = y
|single line = y
|Jan record high C = 14.0
|Feb record high C = 17.0
|Mar record high C = 22.2
|Apr record high C = 24.5
|May record high C = 30.0
|Jun record high C = 33.8
|Jul record high C = 36.4
|Aug record high C = 35.6
|Sep record high C = 31.6
|Oct record high C = 24.7
|Nov record high C = 18.3
|Dec record high C = 15.2
|year record high C = 36.4
|Jan high C = 7.3
|Feb high C = 7.6
|Mar high C = 10.4
|Apr high C = 12.8
|May high C = 16.7
|Jun high C = 19.5
|Jul high C = 22.2
|Aug high C = 22.1
|Sep high C = 18.9
|Oct high C = 14.8
|Nov high C = 10.5
|Dec high C = 8.2
|year high C = 14.3
|Jan low C = 1.1
|Feb low C = 0.8
|Mar low C = 2.3
|Apr low C = 3.7
|May low C = 6.8
|Jun low C = 9.6
|Jul low C = 11.9
|Aug low C = 11.5
|Sep low C = 9.2
|Oct low C = 6.5
|Nov low C = 3.2
|Dec low C = 2.0
|year low C = 5.8
|Jan record low C = −16.7
|Feb record low C = −14.5
|Mar record low C = −11.3
|Apr record low C = −5.7
|May record low C = −4.0
|Jun record low C = -1.6
|Jul record low C = 2.8
|Aug record low C = 1.6
|Sep record low C = -0.7
|Oct record low C = −4.7
|Nov record low C = −8.6
|Dec record low C = −12.0
|year record low C = −16.7
|Jan precipitation mm = 83.85
|Feb precipitation mm = 51.84
|Mar precipitation mm = 59.89
|Apr precipitation mm = 50.84
|May precipitation mm = 49.30
|Jun precipitation mm = 58.80
|Jul precipitation mm = 42.36
|Aug precipitation mm = 52.66
|Sep precipitation mm = 65.29
|Oct precipitation mm = 82.14
|Nov precipitation mm = 78.86
|Dec precipitation mm = 84.36
|year precipitation mm = 746.97
|Jan sun = 52.4
|Feb sun = 71.3
|Mar sun = 113.4
|Apr sun = 153.0
|May sun = 204.3
|Jun sun = 204.3
|Jul sun = 204.5
|Aug sun = 195.3
|Sep sun = 148.1
|Oct sun = 110.5
|Nov sun = 69.3
|Dec sun = 47.8
|year sun = 1574.2
|source 1 =YR.NO<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.yr.no/sted/Storbritannia/England/Hookwood/statistikk.html
 | title=Climate Normals 1971–2000
 | publisher=YR.NO
 | access-date=25 February 2011
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117193032/http://www.yr.no/sted/Storbritannia/England/Hookwood/statistikk.html
 | archive-date=17 November 2018
| url-status=dead
 }}</ref>
|source 2 = NOAA<ref>{{cite web
 | url=ftp://dossier.ogp.noaa.gov/GCOS/WMO-Normals/RA-VI/UK/03776.TXT
 | title=Climate Normals 1961–1990
 | publisher=NOAA
 | access-date=25 February 2011}}</ref>
|date=February 2011
}}