The International Journal of Meteorology www.ijmet.org Volume 35, number 356 December 2010 End of Year Editorial; Winter 2009-10 - Review and Historical Perspective; Exceptional snowfalls in November 2010; Final “Question of the Month”; Final of our 35th anniversary review of 1975 weather; TORRO Thunderstorm and Tornado Division Reports! © THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METEOROLOGY 35th Anniversary Year December 2010, Vol.35, No.356 397 The International Journal of Meteorology Editor-in-chief: SAMANTHA J. A. HALL (B. A. Hons) [email protected] International Editorial Board December 2010, Vol. 35, No. 356 Dr. NICHOLAS L. BETTS The Queen’s CONTENTS University of Belfast, UK Prof. GRAEME 35 Years of Voluntary Service in D. BUCHAN Lincoln University, NZ Severe Weather Publication! Prof. TIMOTHY P. BURT University of Durham, UK Dr. ROBERT A. CROWDER (Formerly) Lincoln College, End of Year Editorial NZ Dr. ROBERT K. DOE (Formerly) SAMANTHA HALL . 399 The University of Portsmouth, UK Prof. Urbanization and Temperature Trends in Selected Cities in JEAN DESSENS Université Paul Nigeria Sabatier, Fr Prof. DEREK ELSOM TEMI E. OLOGUNORISA and FRANCIS E. OKONOFUA 401 Oxford Brookes University, UK Prof. Winter 2009-10 in the UK: Review and Some Historical GREGORY FORBES (Formerly) Perspectives Penn State University, USA Prof. H.M. JONATHAN D. C. WEBB . 410 HASANEAN Cairo University, Egypt Dr. KIERAN HICKEY National University IJMet Photography . I-IV of Ireland, Galway, Ireland Mr. PAUL KNIGHTLEY Meteogroup, UK Dr. TORRO Tornado Division Report: August-October 2009 LESZEK KOLENDOWICZ Adam PAUL R, BROWN and G. TERENCE MEADEN . 418 Mickiewicz University of Poznań, Poland This Month 35 Years Ago: December 1975 421 Dr. TERENCE MEADEN Oxford Exceptional Snowfalls and Cold over the UK, Late November University, UK Dr. PAUL MESSENGER to Early December 2010 University of Glamorgan, UK Dr. TEMI MATTHEW CLARK . 422 OLOGUNORISA Nasarawa State Obituary - Nikolai Dotzek (1966-2010) . 423 University, Nigeria Dr. ALLEN H. Focus On... “Our Passion” PERRY University College of Swansea, HOWARD KIRBY and MATTHEW DOBSON. 424 UK Prof. RICHARD E. PETERSON TORRO Thunderstorm Report for the British Isles: December Texas Tech University, USA Prof. JOHN 2009; January 2010 and February 2010 T. SNOW University of Oklahoma, USA BOB PRICHARD . 427 Dr. GREG SPELLMAN University Weather Station Readings in Bergenfield, New Jersey, New College Northampton, UK Dr. JOHN York, USA: June 2010 TYRRELL University College Cork, RUDY NICKMANN . 429 Ireland Dr. DENNIS A. WHEELER Letters to the Editor . 430 University of Sunderland, UK Question of the Month: December . 432 Photography: Editorial Assistants: Front cover: © Linda Morley. MATTHEW CLARK [email protected]; Rear cover: © Howard Kirby; PAUL DOMAILLE [email protected]; A supernumerary rainbow. SANDRA SPILLANE [email protected] Inside front: top: © John Cameron; Lochan na h-Achlaise and the Black Photography Director: HOWARD KIRBY [email protected] Mount on Rannoch Moor. Assistant Photograph Editor: MATT DOBSON Inside front: bottom: © Allen Holden;. December snow in the Midlands UK. Press and PR Consultant: ANDREW KELLY [email protected] Inside Rear: bottom: © John Cameron. Marketing Manager: NICOLA PARSONS [email protected] 35th Anniversary Year © THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METEOROLOGY © THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METEOROLOGY 35th Anniversary Year 398 December 2010, Vol.35, No.356 December 2010, Vol.35, No.356 399 THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METEOROLOGY END OF YEAR EDITORIAL Published in association with The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO) a privately supported research body, serving the international public interest By SAMANTHA HALL www.ijmet.org is sponsored by Simply Mail Solutions Well, another year gone, and what a year! After the dreadful experiences of 2009, www.simplymailsolutions.com this year was hectic but enjoyable, and mainly on the whole, has gone really well. This is due to major thanks to all the new recruits I announced at the beginning of the year, both on Editor-in-chief: Samantha J. A. Hall, International Editorial Office, PO Box 972, the International Editorial Board and main staffing area, and of course enormous thanks to Warrington, WA4 9DP, United Kingdom you. As always we would not be here still if it weren’t for you; so after a horrific 2009, thank [email protected] / [email protected] you is completely inadequate to express my genuine appreciation for your continued and loyal support. This Journal has celebrated its 35th year in publication this year, and all the NOTES AND GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION readers, contributors and staff from 1975 to the present day should feel an immense sense of pride that we continue to publish unprecedented research which will hopefully continue Research papers, letters, books and scientific reports for review, news items, conference information, as more data and findings within this vast area of study are uncovered. advertising and other communications on all aspects of meteorology are to be addressed to the I must thank a few people in particular: firstly my brother Keith, Without him, we appropriate member of staff and the Editor in the first instance. Authors should send their contributions would still be lagging behind tremendously in the technical and online world. Keith compiled initially by email to [email protected]. On some occasions Figures/Photos will be requested by CD. and formatted all the technical work to enable us to form IJMet Online www.ijmet.org/online/ This speeds up processing and correspondence, and allows for efficient minor editing and agreed and with virtually no cost to ourselves, this has been a critical leap forward and remarkable major editing. Contributions should be prepared in 9pt arial font on MS Word (clear all styles), language to happen in our anniversary year. This will drastically help our finances as people subscribe UK English. Every paper must commence with a short abstract summarising its significant and original content and contain full contact details. Keywords relevant to the paper are also appreciated. to enable us to continue publishing in print. Finances have been difficult this year, postage References should be referred to in the text by the author’s name and year of publication, e.g. costs continued and are continuing to rise – but not only this, we are finding more and Browning et al. (1995). Responsibility for opinions expressed in articles rests with the authors who more people are not receiving their Journals with absolutely no resolution from the postal should obtain copyright permission where necessary. Please note that page charges may have to be service. Other publishers are experiencing the same poor service according to our previous imposed for some articles containing special artwork, complex equations, or numerous photographs, editor, Robert Doe! Therefore, IJMet Online has come at a crucial time for us. We have diagrams or maps. Authors must consult recent issues of the journal as a guide to the layout of papers. spent hundreds of pounds, that could have been utilised elsewhere for research and All figures, diagrams, photos, etc must be supplied as independent graphic files separate to each other member services having to re-dispatch lost Journals in the mail! Our online version has and from the text file with no embedded captions. An example article can be found at http://www.ijmet. many advantages including full colour, viewable before the printed version, downloadable org/Contributions.htm. All contributors receive a free copy of the Journal their work features and colour versions can be viewed and downloaded from http://www.ijmet.org/online/ after online subscription. via PDF, 12 issues rather than the usual ten and we are constantly enhancing its features All figures require numbered captions and the captions are to be collected in sequence at with more IJMet products to become available soon, including individual articles for speciic the end of the paper. Each table should be numbered and bear a title - please ensure your tables have interest, e.g. Tornado Division Reports. correctly positioned lines, are no wider than 130mm, and avoid using Excel if possible. Photographs Sincere thanks go to Howard Kirby and Matt Dobson – since this year has been should be emailed to our Photography Director [email protected] as digital originals where possible or a ‘catch-up’ year from the “disastrous 2009”, I have requested photographs with often very as high resolution .jpg or .tiff files digitised to at least 300 dpi. Please include as much detail as possible little notice (usually not the case) and such awe-inspiring photography has miraculously about the photograph(s) for inclusion in the Journal and supply contact details. been sent to me in time for publication! Not only this but they have worked so hard on the may be purchased singly or as complete volumes. Some issues are now out of Back issues snow photography competition! All judges will agree, this was possibly one of the most print but digital issues can be obtained online - http://www.ijmet.org/online/. IJMet Online is separate to the print subscription and includes current and past volumes that can be viewed and downloaded as difficult photography competitions our team has ever had to judge. Look out for snow part of your IJMet Online subscription. Individual articles are also available for purchase to view and photography competition Part 2 considering the weather already at the end of this year! download online. Online advantages include: full colour, instant access, and two extra issues per year. Nicola, there are no words to describe my true thanks and appreciation for all you have done for the Journal this year. Your passion and enthusiasm is addictive and keeps Please note that for universal citation purposes the recommended abbreviation for The Journal of everything alive. Your market research and work to help IJMet reach a wider audience Meteorology (ISSN 0307-5966) was J. Meteorology, UK. The recommended abbreviation for The has been truly amazing, thank you.