Weather log December 2020
WW = West Wales
Lwn = Llanwnnen
AG = Aldermans Green, Coventry
CL = Church Lawford
ROW = Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire
CC = Capel Curig, Snowdonia
MH = Milford Haven
Mids = Midlands
CITE = Coton-in-the-Elms, Derbyshire
COL = Climatological Observers Link
PWS = Personal weather station
Soon turned rather cold early in the month:
Thu 4th sleet or now for parts of wales, with accumulations for high ground such as the Brecon Beacons. here in Lwn a litttle sleet afternoon, max just 4.3c was the second coldest day of 2020 (since 3.4c in January); other max CC 3.6c, Watnall 4.1c, Coventry 4.7c, Pershore 5.8c, Mumbles 7.4c, Pembrey Sands 8.2c.
Fri 5th further wintriness in places with snow settling parts of the East and North Midlands.
Sat 6th sharp frost locally Wales, min Lwn -5.0c, Trawsgoed -4.2c, Shobdon -0.6c, Coventry +1.1c, Watnall 2.0c, Aberporth 2.8c; foggy in places too.
Mon 8th widely the coldest so far most places max below 4c much of Midlands with persistent fog, milder some Welsh coasts, maxima CL 1.7C, Coventry 2.5c, Llanwnnen 3.1c, Hereford 4.2c, Trawsgoed 6.2c, MH 7.7c.
Turned much milder and unsettled towards mid month: particularly wet for parts of WW, here at Llanwnnen over 3 inches rain 13th to 16th brought the annual total close to 1600mm making it the wettest year recorded here srb 2006 (beating 1553.8mm in 2008).
Fri 18th a very mild, wet and windy day, much of Waales over an inch, with over 4 inches for some high ground, not much for most of Midlands though; totals to midnight Libanus, Powys 64.0mm, CC 37.0mm, Trawsgoed 33.0mm, Aberdaron 13.0mm, Hereford 11.0mm, CL 3.6mm; 24 hours to 0900 Lwn 38.8mm the second wettest December day here (after 40.2mm 07/12/05 which was a few days after we moved in here!). Maxima CC 13.9c, Pershore & Trawsgoed 13.8c, Lwn 12.7c, CL 12.0c, Aberdaron 11.8c.
Sat 19th past week has been very wet for W Wales, here a Lwn it has been one of the wettest spells recorded with c 142mm falling in the past week (13th - 19th); note c 150mm fell in just 3 days October 2018 which caused severe flooding in the area, Carmarthen was particularly badly affected by floods on this occasion but nothing like 2 years ago.
Wed 23rd heavy rain in places, the worst of it over S Wales and SW Midlands, Ceredigion in the shelter of the Cambrians (NE wind) escaped with light rain, ROW 50.6mm wettest in UK, Pershore 26.4mm, Mona 17.2mm, CL 14.2mm, Trawsgoed trace rainfall
Christmas Day (Friday) frosty night, down to -5c in places, min Tirabad -4.3, Trawsgoed -4.1c, Llanwnnen -4.0c, Pershore -3.2c, CL & Coventry -0.9c, Aberaeron 3.6c
Boxing Day (Sat) into Sun 27th Storm Bella brought gales and further heavy rain in places, gusts to 81mph Aberdaron, more generally 50 - 60mph across Wales (48mph max gust here at Lwn was rather modest)
Rather cold and in places wintry end to the year:
Mon 28th snow in places, largely restricted to above 1000 feet for Wales (none at all around here even hill tops); West Midlands affected most by the snow band with 3 to 5 inches from Worcestershire to Stoke-on-Trent
Tue 29th further wintry conditions in places, mainly NW Midlands with the Stoke area once more baring the snow brunt
Thu 31st snow shower streamer of Cardigan Bay affected Ceredigion during the morning this gave around 4cm covering over the lawns by midday with little thaw as it was the coldest day of the year max just 1.3c. This was the first and only snowfall of 2020 on the very last day! Other max Libanus, Powys +0.6c, CC 2.4c, CL 2.8c, Shobdon 5.1c, Valley 6.1c;
Nights during the final week of December have been as low as -6c in the Midlands
Nature notes
Tue 1st Lampeter Uni, Magnolia buds full as in Spring with some fresh leaves out, some Ragworts re-grown and flowered where old hockey pitch mown, a sole skater on the river (plenty still a few weeks ago) they tend to disappear end of Summer.
Wed 2nd Aberystwyth much gorse bloom along hedgerows no doubt encouraged by Autumn trimming; Plas Crug various blooms inc few Rhododendrons and Hydrangea (latter seen last year this time of year I think it was); some other flowers in bloom as were last month too; many thousands of Starling present at the Pier roost now
Sat 5th quite a few Redwing and Fieldfare going to roost forestry this afternoon; a few Blackberry flowers.
Early month first Bluebell spikes emerging under shelter of the apple tree at the top of the garden.
Sun 6th sharp hoar frost, min -5.0c zapped much of November regrowth foliage in our garden.
Mon 7th AG Coventry wild rose and various other flower blooms inc Primrose also fresh shrubbery regrowth with grass rather long (last cut October?).
Tue 8th Bedworth Miners Welfare Park, snatch of Song Thrush late afternoon.
Wed 9th pesky Parakeet in tree adjacent to AG garden these birds are so invasive and noisy and unwanted!
Fri 11th Long Lawford Great Tits calling as though Spring.
Sat 12th more Parakeets by Wyken Slough, Coventry.
Thu 17th very mild Hedgehog active on the lawn, not a fully grown one but hopefully big enough to survive coming out of hibernation and hopefully it found some worms as there are now no slugs.
Thu 17th very mild Hedgehog active on the lawn, not a fully grown one but hopefully big enough to survive coming out of hibernation and hopefully it found some worms as there are now no slugs.
Mid month Mistle Thrush heard one day mid month briefly
Tue 22nd Blackbird singing from rooftop adjacent Tesco car park, Aberystwyth just after dark.
Wed 23rd Ragwort in bloom Lampeter University
Sun 27th first Snowdrop Lampeter University near former tennis court, hardly ever seen them before January! Also many daisies with nothing below -5c locally as yet this Winter.
Tue 29th Great Tit "teacher" calling; plentiful Primroses in bloom month end
Very few Holly berries this Winter, perhaps the late Spring frosts affected them?
December 2020 summary
Wet or very wet; rather mild/ average temperatures; dull to average sunshine:
Rainfall totals:
Valley 150.6mm (166%)
CC 394.6mm (128%)
Aberdaron 177.2mm (216%)
Trawsgoed c 245mm
Aberporth 190.6mm (200%)
Llanwnnen 283.7mm (197%)
Pembrey Sands 233.4mm (201%)
Mumbles c 165mm
Nottingham 110.4mm
Shawbury 112.2mm (180%)
Shobdon 137.2mm (164%)
Coleshill 92.2mm
Coventry 97.8mm (159%)
Church Lawford 85.8mm (151%)
COL stations (amateur)
Ludlow 147.0mm
Warstock 129.2mm (175%)
Alvechurch 142.2mm (204%)
Cosby, Leic 76.8mm (122%)
Towcester, Northants 114.5mm (183%)
Sunshine Dec 2020
Aberdaron 35.8 hrs
Aberporth 25.3 hrs (49%)
Lwn 35 hours estimated (96%)
Watnall, Notts 52.1 hrs
Shawbury 39.0 hrs (92%)
Coventry 56.2 hrs (101%)
Shobdon 38.4 hrs
2020 annual summary
Wet, locally very wet; average to rather mild temperatures; average to quite sunny
Lwn 1737.0mm (132%) the wettest year recorded here by almost 180mm and seems to have been the wettest locally since 1974 when 1784mm fell at nearby Llanybydder. All areas were wetter than average this year.
Coventry, Bablake School 756.4mm (109%).
Church Lawford 741.0mm (110%)
Sunshine
Llanwnnen estimated 1322 hrs (98%)
Coventry, Bablake School 1698.2 hrs (111%)
