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graphs      CLIMATE-UK.COM'S  REVIEW  OF  THE  BRITISH  METEOROLOGICAL  SCENE
     MONTHLY  SUMMARY
     No. 589 For   JANUARY  2005
  WARMEST SINCE 1990. DRY IN THE EAST AND SOUTH BUT WET IN THE NORTHWEST
Text Box: A vigorous mainly westerly flow held sway until the 21st with very deep depressions travelling between Scotland and Iceland, and an intense secondary crossed the British Isles on the 7th/8th. From the 22nd a large anticyclone was anchored to the west of Ireland with the UK under a north to northwesterly flow. Mean monthly sea-level pressure was above normal everywhere in Britain except Shetland, and the anomalous flow over the country was strongly northwesterly. The New Year began with a strong southwesterly flow over the British Isles but an active cold front crossed the country during 1st with heavy rain, local hail and thunder, and violent squalls caused some damage in Northern Ireland. It was briefly colder and brighter on the 2nd although heavy snow showers fell in northern Britain, but milder cloudier weather returned between the 3rd and 5th with some rain, heaviest in the west and north. A long run of southwesterlies pulled in tropical air on the 6th and 7th with 14.5ēC at Bridlington (E.Yorks) and Northolt (London) on the latter date, but there was prolonged heavy rain over west-facing hills in Scotland, Cumbria and Wales. An intense secondary crossed central Ireland and southern Scotland on 7th-8th and severe gales on its southern flank caused extensive damage in northern England: a gust of 90kn was recorded at St Bees Head (Cumbria). Further heavy rain was followed by severe flooding on several rivers, notably the Eden, Tyne and Conwy, Carlisle being very badly hit. Capel Curig (Snowdonia) collected 144mm in 24hr on the 7th while Shap (Cumbria) had 227mm in 72hr on the 5th-7th. Exceptionally mild air returned on the 9th: Church Fenton (near York) reached 14.7ēC while that night Weybourne (Norfolk) recorded an unusually high minimum of 12.7ēC. On the 11th-12th a very deep depression tracked past northwest Scotland bring further rain and severe gales which caused widespread damage and loss of
Text Box: life in Northern Ireland and western and northern Scotland; peak gusts included 92kn at Barra (Western Isles), while the high-level site on the summit of Aonach Mor reached 121kn. A brief respite around the 13th brought a couple of quieter days with long sunny periods and night frosts, but a south to southwesterly flow followed between the 14th and 17th and it became cloudy and milder again with some rain, chiefly in the west. The 18th was rather cold with wintry showers, but the next two days were very mild in the south with widespread rain. The flow veered northwesterly again later on the 20th, and an intense anticyclone became established to the west of Ireland on the 22nd, remaining there till the end of the month. It was colder everywhere from the 21st to the 24th (to the 26th in southern, central and eastern England) with sunny periods, occasional snow showers, chiefly in the east, and night frosts. The month’s lowest temperature of -9.2ēC was logged at Dalwhinnie (Inverness-shire) early on the 23rd. Milder, moister Atlantic air subsequently penetrated around the northern flank of the high, and although most places became overcast and damp but less cold, districts in the lee of high ground were favoured with warm sunshine; Bishopton (Renfrewshire) enjoyed 25.3 hours’ bright sunshine in four days (26th-29th). This was the warmest January generally since 1990 with mean temperatures between 1.5 and 2.5 degC above the 1971-2000 average almost everywhere. It was very dry in eastern, central and southern parts of England with many sites reporting between 25 and 50 per cent of the normal amount, but the north and west were very wet with excesses of 50-100 per cent. At Sloy (Argyll) 830mm of rain fell in the 31 days ending January 20. Sunshine amounts were 50-80 per cent above average locally in eastern England, but 30-50 per cent below in the north and northwest of Scotland.
                                                                                                                                         
                       TEMPERATURE                                SUNSHINE                             RAINFALL        
                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                 
                                          Highest and lowest totals                     Highest and lowest totals        
                                              on record for month    
Maximum fall in 24 hrs (beginning 09 h)
                    on record for month    
Days with snow or sleet
 
Days with fog (Vis <220 yards at 09 h)
 
                                                                                         
     
Difference from average
   
Difference from average
 
Highest maximum
   
Lowest minimum
   
No. of days with grass minimum below 0ēC