Author: Eric Gilbert

There have been only four totally dry days this month and the heavy rainfall early evening amounted to 8.7mm, bringing the monthly total to 47.6mm (52%). This followed another exceptionally mild day with a maximum of 13.2C when the mean is 6.9C although the thermometer has been dropping for the last few hours with a minimum of 6.8C at 0800.

There were ten days without sunshine and a brief glimpse of the sun for 0.7 hours on sunday before cloud and rain returned yesterday with 3.7mm in the last twenty-four hours. Overnight the thermometer started to rise mid-evening from a minimum of 8.6C to 12.6C at 0800.

Yesterday broke the record for the warmest day in December, since my records began in 1984, with a maximum of 13.8C, as on the 7th of this month. The previous high of 13.6C was set in 1994.

Yesterday was notable for several reasons including the very high humidity all day at 99%, as the atmosphere was saturated with moisture. Heavy rain occurred mid-afternoon and in the evening totalling 6.9mm. The thermometer did not drop below 12C for most of the night, (11.8C at 0800) when the mean minimum for December is 0.9C, due to air from the sub-tropics.

The overcast, damp weather continues although mild. A minimum of 8.1C was registered overnight and at 0800 the thermometer read 10.4C, which is 3C above the long-term day-time mean for December. There have now been nine days this month with no measurable sunshine.