Odd and even numbered year summer temperature pulse in central England

Abstract

METEOROLOGISTS and amateur weather observers with long memories have noted for some time that there seemed to be a preference for the hottest summers to occur during odd numbered years and the coolest during even numbered years during this century in south-eastern England. Many studies made during the past decade have supported the validity of such recollections for a much wider area. For example, Sutton¹ and Murray² have identified the existence of a biennial oscillation of the atmosphere and discussed its effects on the tropospheric circulation in both tropical and temperate latitudes. Davis³ has found a high statistical significance in temperature differences between odd and even numbered years for an extensive area of western Europe.