Big change in January

[Greg Gruner]

Here in Farnborough, I only recorded 44.6mm in December (from a slightly over-sheltered rain gauge). Rain fell on 24 days but was light.

In January, I have already reached 20mm in three days! Heavy spells of rain both yesterday and today.

It has also been noticeably colder. In December, every day reached >10C max and there was no air frost. January 1st had a more normal max of 8.3C and a min of 0.4C.

The pressure is also much lower now (984.0mb) that at any time in December (lowest 1003.8mb).

Looks like the jet stream has dipped south and is steering lows further south, bringing more rain here but hopefully sparing Cumbria, the North of England, North Wales and southern Scotland.

[Nicholas Gardner]

Yes, a definite change in the feel of the weather but also more in the way of sunshine. And it is warm sunshine too with more oooomph as the air is clearer with no haze.

The day maximums have still been good though and coupled with lighter wind and sunshine have still made for a rather pleasant, if a little wet, start to 2016.

Maximums; rainfall; sunshine
1st 10.6°C; 6.8 mm; 0.1 hours
2nd 12.9°C; 4.0 mm; 2.0 hours
3rd 12.0°C; 8.8 mm; 3.4 hours
4th 11.7°C; 2.2 mm; 3.4 hours.

A total of 21.8 mm in 4 days isn't a huge amount but the soil is staurated and there is water running off the fields causing flooding on some of the lower-lying roads. Sopping and boggy descibes it well; the back garden lawn squelches when you walk on it and it is just too wet to give it a desperately needed mow.

[AR Colman]

It has rained in North Northumberland for much of everyday this year apart from 1st when the sun rose, said 'Happy New Year' and hasn't shown his face since. 4 inches of rain already, nearly double the whole months average. The only change so far is that the rain has got steadily colder and made some half-hearted attempts to turn to sleet.