London's highest barometric pressure in over 300 years

Abstract

During 19–20 January 2020, the rapid intensification of an anticyclone over the British Isles resulted in the mean sea level (MSL) barometric pressure surpassing 1050hPa over south Wales and southern districts of England, for the first time anywhere in England or Wales since 1932. New long-period records for high barometric pressure were established across south-east Ireland, all of Wales and all of England except the north. In south-west England, this event resulted in the highest pressures since 1905; in south-east and central southern England, including London, the peak barometric pressure was unprecedented on a near-continuous daily record for the London area extending back well over 300 years.