News – Page 168 – Windrush Weather

September 1, 2010November 28, 2011

Monthly summary August 2010

August did not continue the summery weather experienced in the two previous months. Both the mean maximum and minimum temperatures were below the long-term average, -0.6°C and –0.2°C respectively. However, we did receive much welcome rainfall, especially if a gardener. The total rainfall was 107.7mm, which is 175% of the long-term average. There were notable heavy falls on the 22^nd and 25^th with 41.7mm and 23mm respectively. The total of 41.7mm was the second highest daily rainfall recorded here; the record is 45.4mm in May 2007. The month ended with fine weather and clear nights that resulted in low temperatures, which on the 31^st fell to a low of 3.9°C. This is not a record as the thermometer fell to 1.8°C on 25th August 1993.

The summer of 2010 produced a mean temperature that was 0.4°C above the long-term average. After the two very dry months of June and July the substantial August rainfall meant that the mean for the summer was just 1mm below the long-term average.

August 1, 2010November 28, 2011

Monthly summary July 2010

July gave us another month with weather more fitting the season. The mean temperature was 1.1°C above the long-term average and was the fifth hottest July I have recorded. The hottest day was on the 9^th when the thermometer peaked at 29.0°C. The total rainfall of 33.5mm was only 55% of the long-term average making it the driest July since 1999. The number of completely dry days (15) belies the fact that on several days there were light showers which did not produce any large quantity of precipitation, the wettest day on the 15^th totalled just 7.6mm.

The last four months have all been drier than normal making this period the fourth driest on record with just 55% of the long-term average. The driest year was in 1995 with 108.7mm compared with the wettest in 2007 of 409.7mm. With only 128.1mm this year it is 105mm below the long-term average.

July 1, 2010November 28, 2011

Monthly summary June 2010

June 2010 produced some real summer weather, particularly during the latter half of the month. There were a few cool days, notably at the beginning and middle of the month when the maximum was several degrees below the average but the last ten days compensated with days of hot, dry weather and often cloudless blue skies from start to the finish of the day. The maximum of 27.8°C was recorded on the 26^th but in contrast we had the coolest night since 2001 when a minimum of 1.4°C was noted in the early hours of the 20^th. The wettest day occurred on the 7^th with 14.7mm, almost half the total of 36.0mm for the month. There were three days with maximum sunshine of 13.5 hours and five of 13.3 hours.

The mean temperature was 0.6°C above the long-term average, principally due to above average maxima. With 22 totally dry days it was a very dry month, 36.0mm was 65% of the long-term average. It was the fifth driest January – June period on record. Due to the high temperatures the evapotranspiration total was 114.8mm, thus more than three times the moisture returned to the atmosphere than fell in rainfall.

June 1, 2010November 28, 2011

Monthly summary May 2010

Another month with two distinct halves, the first being unseasonably cold and the latter produced both maxima and minima above the average for May. There were three nights with air frost, which burnt the early tender foliage of both vegetables and flowers, with a minimum of -1.4°C on the 12^th. These were the latest spring air frosts since 2003. Fortunately, from the 17^th as the pressure rose, so did the temperatures resulting in many warm days in the third week with a maximum of 27.8°C on the 24^th, the warmest May day I have recorded. Overall the mean temperature was the lowest for May since 1996 at 0.45°C below the long-term average. The rainfall, totaling 32.7mm, was just 55% of the long-term average, the bulk of which fell on the 1^st (15.1mm).

It was the coldest spring since 2001 being 0.1°C below the long-term average. The total rainfall for spring 2010 was also low, with a total of 130mm it was only 72% of the long-term average.

May 1, 2010November 28, 2011

Monthly summary April 2010

A month which was notable for the lack of rainfall and the number of dry days (21). It was the fifth driest April that I have recorded with a total of 25.9mm, just 43% of the long-tern average. The daytime temperatures at the start of the month were decidedly cool but from 6^th were average or above whereas we experienced many cool nights, eight with air frosts, the greatest number since 1997, although none were severe. The mean temperature was 0.5°C above the long-term average, principally due to the warm days in the latter half of the month. The individual day extreme statistics were – warmest day on the 28^th with 20.1°C, coldest night on the 17^th with -1.4°C and wettest day on the 2^nd with 8.0mm.