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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 14.5ºC 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 14.7ºC while that night Weybourne (Norfolk) recorded an unusually high minimum of 12.7ºC. 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 -9.2ºC 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 0ºC
   
Days of no sunshine
 
Maximum duration
       
First year of record
         
Days of no rainfall (0.1 mm or less)
         
First year of record
         
Days with thunder
     
       PLACE  
Mean Maximum
   
Mean minimum
             
No. of air frosts
       
Total for month
                   
Total for month
                   
                               
% of average
                   
% of average
                 
                                                                     
                                   
Highest
   
Lowest
 
Year
             
Highest
   
Lowest
 
Year
       
             
Date
   
Date
         
Date
         
Year
         
Date
         
Year
           
                                                                     
      ºC       ºC       ºC       ºC             Hrs       Hrs         Hrs       Hrs       mm       mm         mm     mm          
                                                                                                                                         
  *Hampstead   08.6   +2.2   03.0   +1.3   13.0   07   -01.3   26   14   03   04   07.3   23   088   209   1910   096   2003   020   1917   11   05   10   029   047   1910   131   1995   14   1914   00   03   00  
  Thorney Island   09.6   +1.9   04.9   +2.2   12.6   20   -00.4   26   09   03   10   07.4   23   068   107   1958   105   2003   035   1975   13   08   22   040   053   1941   160   1988   12   1987   00   01   00  
  *Coltishall   08.8   +1.8   03.9   +2.2   13.7   07   -03.6   14   13   01   05   06.9   12   076   137   1979   088   2001   027   1996   9   11   20   036   064   1964   109   1988   09   1997   00   04   00  
  *Wittering   08.5   +2.7   03.3   +1.7   13.2   07   -02.4   14   16   04   10   06.7   12   074   136   1950   096   1959   016   1996   15   04   18   020   039   1948   107   1948   12   2000   00   04   00  
                                                                     
  Lyneham   08.2   +2.0   03.6   +1.8   12.6   07   -02.3   26   12   03   09   08.0   23   061   117   1952   088   1952   027   1996   13   10   22   045   071   1945   132   1995   06   1997   00   02   00  
  Ross-on-Wye   09.3   +2.4   03.9   +1.4   13.0   07   -01.0   23   11   01   10   07.5   23   061   115   1915   096   1952   017   1996   12   08   08   029   042   1859   161   1943   07   1898   00   00   00  
  *St Athan   09.2   +2.2   05.0   +2.0   13.1   09   00.4   23   08   00   10   06.6   23   052   103   1954   085   1959   021   1996   12   17   22   063   073   1954   172   1995   09   1997   00   00   00  
  St Mawgan   09.7   +1.2   06.3   +1.8   12.8   09   01.6   23   04   00   10   08.0   23   052   089   1945   114   1963   029   1973   12   17   22   059   052   1944   217   1974   14   1987   00   00   00  
                                                                     
  *Edgbaston   08.2   +2.4   04.1   +2.3   12.7   09   -00.7   23   09   02   07   06.1   23   047   103   1887   077   1952   007   1917   16   03   07   020   031   1887   153   1960   13   1888   00   03   00  
  Valley   09.4   +1.5   06.3   +2.0   11.8   20   -01.0   23   03   01   11   07.6   24   058   101   1946   094   2001   024   1983   13   17   07   040   047   1941   195   1948   07   1997   01   01   00  
  *Woodford   08.4   +2.4   03.8   +2.3   12.9   09   -04.9   22   12   05   14   07.0   23   029   070   1945   074   1991   011   1953   10   12   20   054   081   1942   170   1948   08   1997   00   02   00  
  *Watnall   08.2   +2.4   03.6   +2.0   12.8   07   -02.3   22   13   02   08   05.8   12   055   101   1948   083   2000   013   1996   9   04   01   029   057   1942   149   1948   10   1997   00   03   00  
                                                                     
  Leeming   08.5   +2.3   03.7   +0.7   13.7   09   -04.6   22   12   04   08   06.4   30   058   107   1945   091   1959   018   1996   10   08   07   041   074   1945   129   1948   06   1997   00   04   00  
  *Boulmer   08.7   +2.0   04.2   +2.6   13.8   07   -00.6   14   12   01   06   07.4   30   059   112   1945   104   1959   010   1996   10   11   07   053   082   1945   189   1948   09   1989   00   05   00  
  Eskdalemuir   06.7   +2.1   02.4   +2.6   10.5   07   -05.3   22   17   07   10   06.8   29   041   098   1911   096   1959   009   1996   11   77   07   311   208   1911   390   1928   38   1997   00   07   01  
  *Bishopton   08.1   +1.7   03.5   +2.2   12.2   09   -03.2   22   16   04   11   07.3   27   054   135   1921   069   1972   009   1940   6   35   06   235   242   1921   241   1928   18   1963   01   03   00  
                                                                     
  Leuchars   08.5   +2.4   02.9   +1.6   13.0   09   -03.5   14   18   06   09   07.4   30   073   126   1922   101   1959   014   1996   11   28   07   071   118   1922   167   1993   12   1953   00   02   00  
  Dyce   07.9   +2.3   03.5   +2.8   13.9   06   -04.1   14   16   05   11   06.2   29   052   102   1941   089   1959   010   1996   10   16   07   043   055   1941   157   1970   13   1989   00   03   00  
  *Stornoway   07.6   +0.7   03.7   +1.0   11.9   06   -01.9   22   11   02   11   03.3   22   024   066   1880   079   2001   012   1907   1   20   11   163   141   1943   274   1993   26   1963   01   05   00  
  *Aldergrove   08.0   +1.6   04.1   +2.2   13.1   09   -04.7   23   09   04   12   06.2   13   042   093   1927   082   1959   024   1996   9   24   07   069   086   1927   150   1984   22   1997   01   04   00  
                                                                     
                                                                                                                                         
  Stations marked with an asterisk record sunshine electronically; comparisons      
  with earlier records are therefore somewhat speculative. Thorney Island's      
  sunshine figures are made at a nearby site.