MARCH 2024
March
had few cool days so the MeanMin temp was the 3rd mildest in
69 years here, and the Mean temp was +1.2 deg above normal. The start of
the month was below average temps but the rest was above average, the
warmest days were 17-19 reaching 15.8C.
Another
wet month, with most falling 26-28, 9-12, and 1. Monthly rainfall was 6th
highest, following last March's 2nd highest on record here.
Raindays were 2nd highest , wet and very wet days 4th
highest on record for March. Ground at this site with clay below the
surface remains saturated.
Windiest
days were mostly in second half of the month, especially 28-29, 13-14 and
23. Sunniuest days were
29-30, 24 and 3-5, dullest 31, 13-14 and 25
Mean pressure was the 3rd lowest on record.
=====================
SEASONAL
REPORT FOR WINTER (Dec2023,
Jan2024, Feb2024)
A
mild Winter with mean temperature 1.5 deg above normal, Dec and Feb
contributing most to this. Rainfall was 160% of normal, Dec and Feb being
very wet.. The ground here is very saturated indeed because of the
rainfall, and some plants are bursting into flower prematurely with the
mild February temperatures.
Comparing
Winters over the last 30 year period, and over the last 69 years, the more
recent period shows Mean, MeanMax and MeanMin about 0.4 degrees higher
than the longer period. Comparing Spring in the same way shows an increase
of about 0,7 degrees, Summer about 0.7 degrees and Autumn about 0.3
degrees higher. Rainfall also is greater in the recent
Rainfall was 228% of normal and spread over the month, so already
saturated ground has not recovered yet. The 9 very wet days ranked 4th
greatest on record.
period, 2% more in Winter and Spring, but 5% more in Summer and 8% in the
Autumn.
this year
normal anomaly
ranking
MeanMax
8.7
7.3
+1.4
5th = highest
MEAN
6.1
4.6
+1.5
4th = highest
MeanMin 3.5
1.8
+1.7
highest on record
RAINFALL 333.6
207.8 160%
3rd highest
Raindays 66
52.4
.126%
5th highest
Wet Days 42 37.0
113%
18th highest
V Wet Days 21 15.1
139%.
8th highest
Cloud oktas 5.6 5.3
105%
=======================================
ANNUAL SUMMARY FOR 2023
2023 had the 3rd highest mean
temperature in 69 years here,
9 months having at least the normal mean temperature and
only 3 months (April, July and August) had lower than normal.
The mean minimum temperature was the highest on
record.
Rainfall ranked 9th highest in 69
years, with a new record number of 237
raindays, and 161 wetdays (3rd highest on record).
The wettest months were March,October and December,
each having around double the normal rainfall.
February was extremely dry with only 21% of normal rainfall.
So
overall a much milder and wetter year than normal,
with several records broken.
