UK climate summaries

UK last month

January 2012

The month began with very mild conditions, but a succession of active Atlantic depressions gave some stormy weather during the first week, with a major winter storm on 3rd affecting southern Scotland in particular. It was quieter in mid-month, with some low night-time temperatures, then rather more unsettled generally, with mainly westerly winds bringing weather fronts. A broad swathe of cold air spread in from the east at month’s end.

The provisional mean UK temperature was 1.3 °C above the 1971-2000 average. It was the mildest January since 2008, significantly milder than those of 2009 to 2011. Rainfall exceeded the normal amount over parts of the north, particularly northern Scotland, but was less than 75% of normal widely in eastern and southern counties, some coastal fringes here receiving less than 50%. Sunshine was well above normal for most of the UK, the exceptions being Northern Ireland, parts of western Scotland and the Western Isles; for the UK as a whole this was provisionally the 4th sunniest January since 1929.

A maximum temperature of 14.0 °C was recorded at Teignmouth (Devon) on the 18th. A minimum temperature of -10.5 °C was recorded at Aboyne (Aberdeenshire) early on the 16th. In the 24 hours ending at 0900 on the 12th, 64.8 mm of rain fell at Kinlochewe (Highland). A wind gust of 102 mph was recorded at Blackford Hill, Edinburgh on the 3rd. A snow depth of 8cm was measured at Aviemore (Highland) at 0900 on the 20th, and at Copley (County Durham) at 0900 on the 24th.

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