January 2024
Key:
New Year's Day (Mon 1st) further wet weather giving an inch in places (Llanwnnen 20mm, Coventry 16mm).
Tue 2nd named storm Henk gave another dollop of wet and in the S Mids windy conditions for a time. Much flooding around Coventry & Warks inc Wolston which was reported as 'virtually cut off' by evening. At adjacent Brandon (Royal already rendered out of action for 6 months by floods at the end of December. Cars getting stranded all over the region after over 30mm in 24 hours widely. Shobdon 28.4mm officially wettest place in the Midlands to midnight. Rainfall totals (0900 3rd) Lwn 19mm, Coventry 18.8mm.
Wed 4th showery but much drier, flooding extensive across the Midlands and parts of Wales. Returned home from 4 days in Warwickshire to find the Snowdon gauge very nearly full containing 80mm.
Turned much drier and colder from 7th:
Sun 7th Lwn min -4.c the first air frost since mid December; generally cold with sunny intervals after widespread frost, maxima Lwn 2.4c, CC 3.1c, Market Bosworth 3.9c, CL & Trawsgoed 4.2c, ROW 5.4c, MH 6.3c, Porthmadog 7.5c.
Mon 8th widespread frost, minima Whitechurch -4.9c, Lwn -4.7c, CITE -3.0c, Newport (Salop) -2.8c, Pembrey Sands -2.6c, Nottingham -1.3c, Aberporth -1.1c, Shobdon -0.8c, Coventry +0.9c, Mumbles 1.7c. Mostly cloudy Mids, sunny intervals WW, very cold more of a NE breeze, maxima below 4c for most: Libanus (Powys) +0.4c, Lwn 2.0c, Market Bosworth & Nottingham 2.4c, CL, Coleshill & Coventry 2.6c, Pershore 3.3c, Valley 5.3c. Light snow flurries in places pm, inc here at Lwn which did not amount to anything.
Tue 9th widespread slight but quite penetrating frost, most places not below -1c. Widely 5 to 7 hours sun by day, the first really sunny day (6 hours) here at Lwn since Dec 1st (7 hours). Also Wellesbourne (Warks) 7.1 hrs, Coventry 6.2 hrs, Valley 6 hours.
Generally rather cold and dry towards mid month with maxima 4 to 7c and slight overnight frosts:
Thu 11th Whitechurch coldest -3.3c). Sunny WW cloudy Mids, near unbroken 7 hours here at Lwn (nearby Aberporth 7.6 hrs sunniest in UK) but Coventry & Shawbury nil. Porthmadog 8.0c was near average.
Sat 13th interesting temperature variations, mildest N Mids and N Wales, coldest S coast of Wales. Mids was sunny, WW mostly cloudy: maxima Sutton Bonington (Notts) 8.7c, Nottingham 8.4c, Coventry 8.1c, Row 4.8c, Lwn 4.3c, Mumbles 2.7c...
Mon 15th cold (very cold Mids) sunny spells WW (sunny Mids), wintry showers gave dusting in place. Maxima CL 2.0c, Nottingham 2.1c, Coventry 2.4c, CC 3.2c, Lwn 3.8c, ROW 4.1c, Mumbles 5.4c, Gogerddan 5.8c. Wellesbourne 7.2 hours sun.
First half of January pretty average: average to rather cold, rainfall varying from rather dry to rather wet; sunshine dull to average.
Rainfall totals to 0900 16th:
Trawsgoed 54.2mm (near average)
Llanwnnen 63.2mm (near average)
Mumbles 46.2mm (near average)
Coventry 37.0mm (rather wet)
CL 33.2mm (average)
Pershore 22.8mm (rather dry)
Shobdon 49.0mm (rather wet)
Tue 16th frosty night as low as -6c (Pershore -5.9c, Lwn -4.3c, Coventry -3.0c). Wintry showers overnight gave slight coverings in places (a dusting that did not cover 50% ground surface here at Lwn), more appreciable snow falls for N Mids where a couple of inches in places.
Wed 17th very cold Mids where all places max below 3c, mostly dry with sunny spells, wintry showers for parts of WW. Maxima Coleshill 0.9c, Coventry 1.0c, CC 1.2c, Nottingham 1.4c, Pershore 2.5c, Trawsgoed 3.4c, Lwn 3.4c, Scolton Country Park 4.8c, Pembrey Sands 5.0c.
Thu 18th widespread severe frost, Tirabad (Powys) -9.5c was officially the coldest of this Winter to date in Wales although here at Lwn it was slightly colder at the start of December (-10.1c); minima Lwn -9.7c, Pershore -9.7c, Coleshill, Shawbury & Shobdon -7.5c, CL -7.3c, Trawsgoed -7.0c, Pembrey Sands -5.9c, Coventry -5.6c, Nottingham -5.4c, Aberdaron -0.6c. Snow showers affected parts of WW overnight giving up to a couple of inches, eve the beach at Tenby had a covering. Just a few snow grains fell overnight here at Lwn. Cold by day, sunny but further wintry shower streamers for WW (watched it snowing on the Llangrannog webcam this afternoon). Heavy hail shower early evening here at Lwn put down a thin covering which lasted throughout the following day. Maxima today generally 3 to 5c. Unbroken sun much of the Mids (Wellesbourne (Warks) 8.0 hours (sunniest spot in the UK), Nottingham 7.6 hrs, Lwn est 6.5 hrs, Coventry 6.7 hrs, Aberporth 3.9c
Fri 19th last day of the cold spell which has predominated for much of the past fortnight (all days below average here at Lwn since Jan 4th??). Frost was severe in places, minima Lwn -8.9c, Pershore -7.3c, Pembrey Sands -6.2c, Coventry -5.1c, CL -3.5c, Nottingham -3.1c, Aberdaron +3.0c...Driving to Aberystwyth a covering of frozen hail remained in the shade as fat as Temple Bar (5 miles N of here) thereafter green and sunny. Notable lack of white for the Cambrians considering lengthy cold spell, just a smattering here and there (presumably too far inland for the wintry shower streamers). Maxima today generally 5 to 7c (just 3.8c at a still icy Llanwnnen cf Mumbles 8.5c). Other maxima Market Bosworth & Hereford 6.1c. Another sunny day widely 6 or 7 hours of near unbroken sunshine (Wellesbourne 7.8 hrs, Coventry 6.6 hrs, Lwn 6.5 hrs estimated).
The colder than average weather lasted a fortnight here with each day 7th - 20th below average, not a particularly potent cold spell this with no ice days and no snow lying, but a couple of severe frosts.
From 20th a return of often mild and at times wet and very windy:
Sun 21st named storm Isha quite a potent one warranted a broad amber warning from the MO. 90mph wind gusts to the most exposed locations (Capel Curig 90mph, Aberdaron 89mph), widely above 60mph for coasts and 40 -55mph inland. Other max gusts Aberporth 66mph, Trawsgoed 48mph, Coventry 46mph, Hereford 39mph. An inch of rain widely for WW with up to 4 inches in the day for Snowdonia (CC 88.8mm). A very mild day too, maxima Newport (Salop) 13.6c, Shobdon 13.4c, Trawsgoed 12.8c, Sutton Bonington 12.6c, Aberporth, Coventry & Mona 12.2c, Lwn 11.4c, CC 10.9c.
Mon 22nd Lwn rainfall 24 hours to 0900 24.8mm, Coventry 13.0mm.
Tue 23rd storm Jocelyn (as named by the Irish MO) brought further windy conditions and heavy rain for N Wales, gusts CC 97mph, Aberdaron 79mph, Shawbury 61mph, Coventry 51mph; estimated nothing above 40mph here at Lwn; CC 58.6mm wettest in UK. Very mild, Hereford max 15.4c, Sutton Bonington 15.0c, Pershore 14.5c, Coventry 14.2c, Trawsgoed 14.1c, Nottingham and Shobdon 13.8c, Lwn 12.3c, Mumbles 11.0c,
Very mild at times towards month end:
Sun 28th UK Jan record smashed in N Scot max 19.6c Kinlochewe (Foehn effect), note at the end of the month a manual MO weather station at a place called Achfary in Sutherland was credited with 19.9c! A PWS at Llanfairfechan on the N Wales coast also experienced this effect reaching 17c according to Derek Brockway; nothing exceptional further south although widely very mild: maxima Pershore 13.3c, Swyddffynnon 13c, Trawsgoed 12.7c, Lwn 12.0c, Shawbury 11.9c, CL 10.6c, Aberdaron 10.4c.
Mon 29th minima above 10c parts of WW, Trawsgoed 11.2c, Lwn 10.6c, MH 10.4c, Shobdon 7.7c, CC 6.3c. Another very mild day away from N Wales (highs 10 -13c widely), maxima Pershore College 13.5c, Trawsgoed 13.0c, Lwn 11.7c, CC 6.5c. N Wales also bore the brunt of the rain with Porthmadog 49mm wettest place in the UK.
Nature notes
New Year's Day A sole clump of early Snowdrops in the churchyard of the catholic church in Dunchurch Rd, Rugby.
Thu 4th Lampeter Uni Song Thrush singing quite stridently, also a Blackbird with weaker song at dusk.
Mid month Collard Doves calling. Rooks activity resuming Uni.
Mon 15th Alltyblaca: Daffs by bus stop through (these are amongst the earliest bloomers in the area usually flowering by end of Feb). Collard Doves calling, Great Tit calling.
Mistle Thrush almost always occupying our back garden throughout January, feeding around the feeders and on the Holly berries which are still profuse.
Sun 21st first Snowdrops out along the Grannell lane (early this year).
Mon 22nd first Snowdrops top of garden; Daff spikes up across the road...(50:50 as to whether these are in bloom St David's Day usually)..
Fri 26th plentiful Snowdrops Ty Mawr along the road to the forestry.
Tue 30th first Crocus end of our garden; Walk along Neuadd lane Snowdrops out in abundance usual spots around the village inc this lane along with the first Celandine flowers opened; few Mistle Thrush singing and Great Tits calling ("teacher...teacher").
January 2024 summary
Average to rather mild temperature- wise; rather dry to wet the general rainfall range; sunshine average to sunny
Rainfall totals Jan 2024
Mona, Anglesey c 125mm (rather wet)
Aberdaron, Llyn Peninsular c 130mm (wet)
Trawsgoed, Ceredigion 113.4mm (average)
Aberporth, near Llangrannog c 110mm (wet)
Llanwnnen 142.5mm (93%)
Pembrey Sands, Carms c 105mm (average)
Milford Haven, Pembs c 105mm (average)
Mumbles, near Swansea 86.6mm (85%)
Nottingham c 60mm (average)
Shawbury, Salop c 65mm (rather wet)
Coventry, Bablake School 60.2mm (100%)
CL, Warks 55.6mm (99%)
Pershore, Worc 43.0mm (77%)
Hereford c 60mm (average)
Shobdon (Herefordshire) 81.2mm (105%)
National Resources Wales (NRW) rain gauges
Llyn Cefni, Ynys Mon 135.0mm (rather wet)
Bethesda Quarry (Gwynedd) 253.8mm (rather wet)
Cwm Dyli (Snowdonia) 462.6mm (wet)
Corris (near Machynlleth) 264.2mm (rather wet)
Bow Street (near Aberystwyth) 97.4mm (average)
Pontrhydfendigaid (near Tregaron, Ceredigion) 120.6mm (rather dry)
Rhos Ymryson (near Gorscoch and 5 miles NW of Lwn) 163.4mm (average)
Cellan (2 miles NE of Lampeter) 125.4mm (rather dry)
Pencader (Carms) 206.6mm (rather wet)
Abergorllech (Brechfa Forest, Carms) 201.4mm (average)
Rhydargaeau (Carms) 186.8mm (average)
Garnswllt (near Ammanford, Carms) 173.8mm (average)
Felinfoel (near Llanelli, Carms) 96.4mm (dry)
Ferwig (near Cardigan) 97.6mm (dry)
Maenclochog (near Preselis, Pembs) 219.0mm (wet)
Tenby (Pembs) 120.4mm (average)
Bolton Hill (near Haverfordwest, Pembs) 111.4mm (average)
COL stations Jan 2024 rainfall
Llansadwrn 172.2mm (167%)
Ludlow, Salop 74.1mm (98%)
Alvechurch, Worc 67.6mm (91%)
Warstock, Brum 67.2mm (95%)
Cosby, Leic 43.5mm (71%)
Hinckley 56.6mm (92%)
Towcester, Northants 54.1mm (84%)
Sunshine totals Jan 2024
Llanwnnen estimated 60 hours (136%)
Coventry, Bablake School 82.7 hours (129%)
Shobdon, Herefordshire 54.1 hours (98%)
COL stations sun:
Ludlow 58.8 hours
Warstock, Brum 67.9 hrs
Alvechurch 74.3 hrs
Cosby 82.3 hrs
Towcester 85.1 hrs
