Unlike the world, 2016 was not the warmest on record in Marlborough

Although the world in 2016 was at its warmest, according to the Meteorological Office, it was the fourteenth warmest in Marlborough since this station started in 1994. Last year was 0.3C above the 32-year mean but the previous two years were warmer with the record warm year set in 2006, which was 1.1C above my 32-year mean.

Yesterday saw the end to the dreary, overcast and damp days with blue skies, if hazy at times, and 5.74 hours of strong sunshine. The thermometer struggled to a maximum of 5.7C just after 2pm and then began the steady fall to a low of -4.9C at sunrise. The anticyclone meat another day with very little movement of the air, the maximum recorded was just 5mph just before 1.30pm, with many hours when the anemometer did not move. Not only did the Continental Air bring clear skies but also much drier air than of late with 0.47mm of moisture evaporating into the atmosphere when we are very short of rainfall.