Climate summaries

Overview of weather across the UK for previous months, seasons and years

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UK last month

December 2022

This month was colder than average overall, the only month in 2022 for which this was the case, with a very cold and frosty spell until the 17th only being partly offset by milder weather thereafter. Rainfall was limited during the cold spell, but from the 18th there was much more rain, bringing the total rainfall for the month almost up to the long-term monthly average. Sunshine was above average for most parts of the country.

The provisional UK mean temperature was 2.9 °C, which is 1.3 °C below the long-term average, and this was the UK’s coldest December since 2010. Minimum temperatures were around 2 °C below average in some parts of England and Wales. Rainfall was slightly below average overall, most especially for western Scotland, Northern Ireland and central parts of England, although parts of eastern Scotland and southern England were rather wet. The UK as a whole had 87% of average rainfall. Sunshine was broadly above average in all areas except the far north and east, with an overall sunshine figure of 116% of average.

The UK monthly extremes were as follows: A maximum temperature of 15.9 °C was recorded at Prestatyn and Hawarden (both Clwyd) on the 19th. A minimum temperature of -17.3 °C was recorded at Braemar (Aberdeenshire) on the 13th. In the 24 hours ending 0900 UTC on the 19th, 150.6 mm of rain fell at White Barrow (Devon). A wind gust of 71 knots (82 mph) was recorded at Capel Curig (Gwynedd) on the 19th. A snow depth of 15 cm was recorded at Loch Glascarnoch (Ross & Cromarty) on the 15th.

Regional values for December 2022