Weather Archive
Weather Report with Phil Thomas
Wet, windy, wild
Posted on January 27 2014 at 1:19:31 0 comments
January has been a very wet and mild month. Temperatures have been well above the average with only two air frosts.
Rainfall was almost double the entire month’s average with a week left to run and more to come.
There had only been two rainless (dry) days up to the end of the 24th. The barometer has been very low, only averaging 999mb, where the normal for January in the Midlands is nearer 1014mb.
January 2014 (to 24th)
Mean Max 8.5C 1.8 above average
Mean Min 2.3C 1.2 above average
Mean 5.4C 1.6 above average
Rainfall 135.2mm 199% of average
Sunshine 63.2hours 126% of average
December turned out to be one of the windiest months since records started 23 years ago locally.
There were seven days on which the maximum gust exceeded 50mph, and a further four days when the maximum gust exceeded 40mph.
Both rainfall and sunshine levels were near normal.
December 2013
Mean Max 9.0C 1.9 above average
Mean Min 2.2C 0.7 above average
Mean 5.6C 1.3 above average
Rainfall 79.1mm 114% of average
Sunshine 57.7hours 119% of average
END OF YEAR 2013 AVERAGES
Mean Max 13.3C 0.4 below average
Mean Min 5.8C 0 exactly average
Mean 9.6C 0.2 below average
Rainfall 845.8mm 111% of average
Sunshine 1313.7hrs 105% of average
2013 appears from the averages to have been a very normal year. It was, however, a year of extremes.
A very cold start to the year with more snow than normal. A very cold end to March with snow. A very wet May, and a record-breaking wet October with 166mm of rain.
December was very wet and very stormy with six days featuring wind speeds in excess of 50mph.
Outlook
The end of January continues the same theme of mild and wet days with above average rainfall. There has been flooding in many parts of the country.
The last two months have been changeable because of a very mobile and strong Jet Stream.
It appears that into February this will become slightly less active with an anticylonic block beginning to form over Eastern Europe with the possibility of colder and generally more settled weather. How long this will last is difficult to predict.
More information at http://www.alvechurchweather.metsite.com
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Above: Winter sunrise over Newbourne Hill, Rowney Green