Eric Gilbert

January 1, 2011November 28, 2011

Monthly summary December 2010

December 2010 was the coldest December that I have recorded and broke many other records. The mean temperature was 5.2°C below the long-term average. There was a record of 25 days with air frost in the month totaling a substantial 424 hours of sub-zero temperatures. There were ten days when the thermometer did not struggle into a positive figure. The extreme low of -11.7°C in the early hours of the 24^th was the coldest December night since 1999 and the second coldest on record. It was the driest December since 2001 giving a total of 29.3mm, which was only 32% of the long-term average. Snow fell on a total of eight days and we endured ten days of fog.

The year 2010 was the coldest year since 1987 being 1.1°C below the long-term average and produced a record 32 days of snowfall. The total rainfall of 672mm was just 79% (175mm below) of the long-term average. It was the third driest year after 1997 (671mm) and 1996 (594mm).

December 1, 2010November 28, 2011

Monthly summary November 2010

November 2010 proved to be a most interesting month, weather-wise. The first ten days were wet, windy and warm with a maximum of 16.6°C on the 4^th and the warmest night on the 5^th when the thermometer did not drop below 13.4°C although the mean minimum for this month is 3.6°C. The wettest day of the month occurred on the 7^th with 10.5mm although 80% of the total rainfall fell by the 12^th. The contrast began on the 18^th as the winds backed into an easterly then northerly direction for the remainder of the month. The maximum on the 28^th was -1.1°C followed by the coldest night when the thermometer fell to -5.8°C in the early hours of the 29^th. The mean temperature was 1.7°C below the long-term average and the rainfall was 71% of the long-term average.

A number of records were broken this month, since my records began in 1984, with the warmest November day (16.6°C) and the coldest November day (-1.1°C). It was the coldest November since 1993 and the third coldest I have recorded. There were 65 continuous hours of below zero temperatures.

The Autumn of 2010 was the coldest since 1991 being 0.9°C below the long-term average. The total rainfall of 188mm was 77% of the long-term average.

October 31, 2010December 3, 2011

Monthly summary October 2010

October 2010 was notable for the increased number and severity of air frosts compared to recent years. There were seven air frosts, the highest frequency since 2003, and only one less than the record of eight in 1997. The lowest temperature was -3.9°C in the early hours of the 21^st, this being the coldest October night since 2003, the record being -5.1°C in 1992. The beginning of the month was quite warm with mist and fog early in the day but also considerable rainfall, the maximum for the month was 16.6mm on the 1^st.

The mean temperature was exactly 1°C below the long-term average. The mean maximum was 0.4°C below the long-term mean and the mean minimum 1.6°C below the long-term average. The total rainfall of 60.3mm was only 68% of the long-term average.

October 1, 2010November 28, 2011

Monthly summary September 2010

September was an unusual month. I cannot remember when the mean temperatures and total rainfall were almost identical to the long-term averages. The mean maximum was identical at 18.7°C and the mean minimum just 0.2°C below. The total rainfall was 63.0mm compared with the long-term average of 63.6mm. The first 12 days often brought days with glorious sunshine, light breezes and above average maxima with a maximum of 22.6°C on the 10^th. With winds veering into a more northerly direction in the middle of the month there were some very cool nights with a minimum of 2.6°C in the early hours of the 18^th. The wettest day was the 22^nd with 16.9mm. The latter part of September brought depressed maxima combined with windy and wet days.

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.