Huddersfield Weather Watch – January 2016
Thu, 03 Mar 2016 13:10:00 GMT
Higher than average temperatures
January experienced higher than average temperatures and rainfall totals; significant wind speeds were also recorded during the month. The average figures are those recorded from the Applied Sciences weather station since 1990.
The monthly temperature of 6.19°C was over a degree higher than the average figure of 5.18°C making it the sixth warmest January since our records began. Sunday 24th was the warmest January day since our records began with an average temperature of 13.8°C; the highest maximum temperature of 15.1°C was also recorded on the 24th and was the second highest recorded figure for January. The coldest day of the month was Saturday 16th with an average temperature of 0.8°C. The lowest recorded temperature of -2.4°C was recorded on Wednesday 20th. The temperature fell below zero on 5 days of the month.
A total of 110.8mm of rain was recorded during the month compared to the average figure of 95.1mm. The wettest day of the month was Saturday 9th with 14.8mm of rainfall (13.3% of the month’s total). Just five days escaped rainfall with no significant dry spells.
The mean wind speed for the month was 11.92km/hr. The highest mean wind speed was 37.08km/hr recorded on Thursday 28th. The highest maximum gust of the month was 135.36km/hr recorded again on the 28th.
The prevailing wind direction for the month was south west.
Julie Walker
Resource Centre and Environmental Technician
School of Applied Sciences
2015 Year Summary
Huddersfield experienced the wettest year since our records began in 1990! A total of 1071.8mm of rainfall was recorded compared to the average figure of 841.5mm. The wettest month was November with a staggering 216.2mm of rainfall (20.2% of the year’s total), it was the third wettest month since our records began. It was by far the wettest October to December period since 1990 with a rainfall total of 469.8mm (43.8% of the year’s total) compared to the average figure of 258.6mm! The wettest day of the year was Saturday 14th November when 42.8mm of rainfall was recorded (the 8th wettest day since our records began). The driest month of the year was February with 31.4mm of rainfall. The driest spell of the year was between Wednesday 3rd June and Thursday 11th June, 9 days in total. The wettest spell was between Friday 27th November and Wednesday 16th December, twenty days in total, during which a total of 155.2mm was recorded (14.5% of the year’s total).
The warmest month of the year was August with an average temperature of 16.61˚C. The warmest day of the year and 3rd warmest day since our records began was Wednesday 1st July when an average temperature of 25.1˚C was recorded. The highest temperature during the year and again 3rd highest since 1990 was 33.4˚C recorded on Wednesday 1st July. The coldest month of the year was February with an average temperature of 4.9˚C. The coldest day of the year was Monday 2nd February with an average temperature of 0.92˚C. The lowest temperature recorded during the year was -2.4˚C on Thursday 5th February.
The windiest month of the year was December with a mean wind speed of 17.17km/hr; this is the 5th windiest month of all months since our records began. The windiest day of the year was Friday 9th January with a substantial mean wind speed of 50.4km/hr, one of the highest recorded figures since our records began. The highest gust of wind for the year and indeed since our records began was 136.44km/hr recorded on Saturday 11th January.
Monthly Overview
All average figures are those recorded by the Applied Sciences weather station since 1990.
January – It was the wettest January since 2008 with just three days escaping rainfall. Temperatures were average for the time of year. It was the windiest month since December 2011 and the third windiest month since the most recent weather station was installed in 2005.
February – Temperatures and rainfall were both below average for the time of year. It was the fifth driest February since our records began.
March – The monthly mean temperature was 0.5°C below average and it was the equal eighth wettest March since our record began.
April – It was warmer and drier than average with 19 days of the month escaping rainfall.
May – It was the coolest May since 1994 and second coolest since our records began and the third wettest since our records began.
June – Temperatures gradually increased throughout the month which ended in a heat wave, however monthly temperatures were slightly below average. The month was much drier than average with 19 days with no rainfall. There were some particularly high wind speeds recorded during the first week of the month.
July – The heat wave continued into July but was short lived and temperatures for the whole month were lower than average making it the sixth coolest since our records began. Wednesday 1st was the warmest July day since our records began with an average temperature of 25.1°C. The 1st also saw the third highest recorded temperature, for all months, since our records began reaching a figure of 33.4°C. It was the sixth wettest July since our records began.
August – Temperatures and rainfall figures were around average for the time of year.
September – It was the third coolest since our records began. Rainfall was below average and wind speeds for the month were amongst the lowest recorded for September since our records began.
October – It was a very mild month with average rainfall and very low wind speeds.
November – It was a record breaking month in terms of extreme weather. It was the warmest November since 2011 and the third warmest since our records began. Tuesday 10th recorded a staggering 15.7°C average temperature, by far the warmest November day since our records began. A record breaking figure of 19°C was recorded on Sunday 1st. It was the wettest month since January 2008. It was by far the windiest November since 2005 when our newest weather station was installed. A gust of wind 122.04km/hr was recorded on the 9th, the ninth highest of all months since 2005.
December – Another record breaking month! With average temperatures 4.4°C higher than average it was by far the warmest December since our records began. December was warmer than November. Second wettest December since our records began (1993 wettest). Just one day with no rainfall. The combined rainfall from November and December (394.6mm) made them the wettest two months of all months since our records began. It was the windiest month of all months since December 2011.
