Weather log January 2025
Key:
WW= Willow Warbler
ST = Song Thrush
BB = Blackbird
Often cold early in the New Year with some remarkable temperature fluctuations 5th, the cold spell turned out rather prolonged but generally with small amounts of snow:
New Year's Day (Wed): wet start to 2025 18mm fell in the first 9 hours here at Llanwnnen however this counts towards Dec 2024 total! Capel Curig 116mm (0600) wettest in UK today, radar suggesting between 4 and 6 inches for Snowdonia. It turned colder during the day after a mild night.
Thu 2nd sharp frost in places, minima Tirabad -4.5c, Lwn -4.0c, CL -1.9c; a cold,/ rather cold sunny day with widely 6 or 7 hours Mids. Misty morning on the Llanwnnen webcam but a sunny afternoon. A few wintry showers affected parts of west Wales. Maxima Llanwnnen 2.4c, CL & Coventry 3.3c, Pershore 4.8c, CC 4.3c, Trawsgoed 6.1c, MH 6.5; sunshine Shobdon 6.9 hrs, Nott 6.8 hrs, Coventry 6.2 hrs, Lwn 3.5 hours (estimated).
Fri 3rd cold and frosty night, minima Pershore -5.2c, Llanwnnen -3.8c, CL -3.5c; rather cold sunny spells by day, a few showers over WW pm; maxima Lwn 4.4c, Coventry 5.7c.
Sat 4th frosty night again, minima generally -1c to -3c (Lwn -3.7c, CL -1c); amber warning for snow and ice issued covering most of Wales & Midlands starting this evening so we left there earlier than usual just in case. Very cold maxima generally 2 or 3c (Nott max 1.6c, Lwn 2.4c, Coventry 1.9c, Pershore College 3.4c, Milford Haven 5.7c). Light sleet and snow falling towards the end of our drive back to Wales (1700), further light snow during the evening put down a slushy 2cm on the back lawn.
Sun 5th overnight snow gave 1 or 2 inches widely, however the warm sector arrived across SW Wales and so no snow left on our lawns by observation time (0900). Both Coventry & Rugby had an inch or so but this mostly turned to sleet or rain during the morning. Capel Curig reporting 10cm snow depth 0600 most I could find. Remarkable temperature rise during the night here at Lwn, from 0c and sleet at midnight to 10c by 0900! Even more remarkable rises over the south Midlands later in the day with over 7c rises in half hour some places! The warm sector made just ever so slow progress north and east during the day, the mild air reached Aberystwyth teatime (max 12.1c) but did not reach Snowdonia (max 1.4c Capel Curig to 2100). West Wales back in the colder air by mid evening Llanwnnen down to 6c 1900. Very mild air up into the south and east Midlands by evening, places just a few miles apart differing by up to 8c the cold/ mild boundary so stark and slow moving (for example 3c in Coventry at 1900 while Rugby just 10 miles east 11c). Church Lawford peaked at 12.1c 2100 having been a cold 3.5c 4 hours earlier (mildest spot today Pershore max 12.8c, coldest Nott max 1.7c); ROW 25.4mm wettest our regions.
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| Temperature differences Warwickshire Jan 5th 1800 |
Mon 6th heavy overnight rain Midlands in particular, widely over an inch, locally nearer 2 inches with quite widespread flooding. Totals 0900: Coventry 35.4mm having its wettest January day (previous record 30.3mm back in 1927), also King's Newnham 28.4mm, Lwn 27.1mm, Church Lawford 25mm. The village of Wolston suffered bad flooding again although this time the waters only entered the toilets of the Royal Oak (Brandon) and not 3 feet up the bar (Jan 2024). The river Avon at Warwick attained its highest levels since April 1998. Severe flooding also in Leicestershire.
Tue 7th wintry showers gave snow coverings to parts of west Wales and NW Midlands overnight. Here at Lwn a 1cm covering that survived until 0900 making it the first day of snow lying since December 2022.
Wed 8th very cold and mainly cloudy as some sleet and snow affected far south of England, maxima Capel Curig & Market Bosworth +0.2c, CL & Coventry +0.6c, Lwn 1.1c, Hereford 1.7c, Pershore & Shobdon 1.9c, Trawsgoed 3.1c, Aberdaron 3.7c. Distant snow cover visible on Pumlumon and Cader Idris from Aberaeron.
Thu 9th hard frost quite widely also a few wintry showers affecting Wales in particular, giving some slight coverings once more. Minima Tirabad (Powys) -7.8c, Pershore -7.2c, Lwn -6.9c, CC -6.8c, Pembrey Sands -4.1c, Coventry -3.7c, CL & Nott -3.6c, Aberporth +0.4c. A few further wintry showers chiefly WW, cold again, maxima generally 3 to 5c.
Fri 10th frost severe in places, minima Pershore & Shawbury -7.1c, Tirabad -6.5c, CL -6.1c, CC & CITE -5.8c, Coventry -5.5c, Lwn -4.8c, Mona & Trawsgoed -4.3c, Nott -4.0c, Aberdaron +0.6c. Cold day again, an ice day in places; rather cloudy WW, sunny spells Mids, maxima Lake Vyrnwy (Powys) & Wellesbourne -0.9c, Pershore -0.1c, Market Bosworth +0.6c, Cov 1.9c, Lwn 2.9c, Nott 3.4c, Trawsgoed 3.5c, MH 5.3c. Altnaharra in the northern Scottish Highlands had a 'high' of -10.8c today after a minimum of -14.4c!
Sat 11th cold spell now on the way out slowly from the west; hard frost and freezing fog across the Midlands and N Wales, with fog this slow to clear; much cloud mid and SW Wales and stayed above freezing, minima Pershore -8.6c, Shawbury -7.0c, CL -6.5c, CC & Coleshill -5.5c, Cov -5.0c, Nott -4.5c, Mona -0.3, Lwn +0.1c, Trawsgoed 1.5c, Aberdaron 4.1c; Altnaharra min -18.9c the coldest UK reading since February 2021 (Braemar -23.0c). Less cold today WW, while Mids very cold ice days where fog persistent, it lasted to late afternoon Coventry area; maxima (2100) CITE -1.9c, Church Lawford -1.8c, Hereford +1.2c, Nott 5.3c, CC 5.1c, Lwn 5.7c, Aberporth 6.5c, Valley 7.3c.
A very cold first 11 days of January, many places 3c below average to date (inc here at Llanwnnen averaging just 1.2c).
Sun 12th much of the Midlands above freezing by dawn with a slow thaw underway. However still a rather cold day much of the Mids, whereas WW was average or rather mild, maxima CL 3.1c (to 1800), Nott 3.5c, Sutton Bonington 3.6c, Capel Curig 6.1c, Hereford 7.2c, Lwn 7.7c (Jan average), ROW 8.5c, Trawsgoed 9.4c, MH 9.7c.
Mon 13th only a slight frost parts of the Midlands: it was still a rather cold feel with the breeze today, a touch colder than yesterday Lwn (max 6.7c) and rather cold much of Midlands (Coventry 5.5c).
Tue 14th mild air extended to Midlands today, very mild Marches, Maxima Shawbury 12.6c, Hereford 12.4c, Trawsgoed 10.8c, Lwn 10.1c, Mona 10.0c,Coventry 9.9c, Pembrey Sands 9.7c, CL 9.6c.
Wed 15th sunny day for WW and parts of Mids, misty others, maxima between average (8c) and very mild (13c), Shawbury a sunny 13.1c, Coleshill 12.8c, Coventry & Market Bosworth 12.2c, Trawsgoed 11.3c, Lwn 9.0c, Pershore 8.6c, CC 8.5c. Note Aboyne max 15.7c warmest place in UK today after being in the freezer last week!
First half of January 2025 cold; rainfall varying from very dry (Snowdonia) to very wet (Notts); sunshine generally average to sunny.
Much of WW below average rain, much of the Midlands average to wet.
Rainfall 1st - 0900 16th January:
CC 70mm (very dry), Trawsgoed 58.8mm (average), Llanwnnen 56.7mm (rather dry), Nott 54.4mm (very wet), MH 46.8mm (rather dry), Pershore 45.6mm (wet), Coventry 42.4mm (rather wet), KN 40mm, Mona 39.4mm (average), Coleshill 38.2mm (rather wet), CL 36.6mm (rather wet), Shobdon 34.4mm (average).
Sunshine 1st to 15th: Shobdon 38.5 hrs (sunny), Watnall (Notts) 37 hrs (sunny), Coventry 28 hrs (average), Lwn 26 hrs (quite sunny).
Thu 16th frost and/or fog overnight, slow to clear parts of Mids; minima Shobdon -4.6c (coldest in UK), also Lwn -3.1c, Trawsgoed -2.3c, CL -1.0c, MH & Valley 6.5c. Foggy Coventry city centre until after midday (webcam). Lovely and sunny again here at Lwn, able to sit in the garden sun felt quite warm and ended up an unbroken 7.5 hours. Variable temperatures once more from cold within the inversions, foggy or sunny, (Hereford max 3.6c coldest in UK) to very mild in other locations (Bala, Gwynedd max 13.5c mildest in UK); other max Shobdon 4.6c (in spite of the sun), CL 5.7c, Sutton Bonington 7.9c, Pembrey Sands 8.6c, Lwn 9.1c, Trawsgoed 12.1c, Pennerley (Salop) 12.4c; other sun Shobdon 7.6 hrs, Nott 7.4 hrs.
Sat 18th SE continental feed made it a very cold day Midlands and rather cold WW, maxima CL & Coventry 1.2c, Hereford 3.7c, Lwn 5.3c, Trawsgoed 5.4c, MH 7.3c. Mostly cloudy although Aberporth 3 hours sun (Lwn 0 hrs).
Sun 19th another generally cold and cloudy day, maxima Market Bosworth 1.8c, Shobdon 1.9c, CL & Coventry 2.0c, Shawbury 3.1c, CC 3.4c, Lwn 4.3c, MH & Mona 5.8c.
Mon 20th much milder WW, less cold Mids with some sunny intervals.
Late January generally mild or average temperatures and unsettled:
Thu 23rd red warnings issued for much of Ireland & Scotland for tonight/ tomorrow as a very deep tight low (named storm Eowyn) crosses.
Fri 24th 700,000 homes without power across Ireland today as winds topped 100mph in exposed locations (max gust 114mph Mace Head provisionally overnight); strong to gale winds for Wales overnight into the morning, highest gusts Aberdaron 93mph, CC 88mph, MH 75mph, Aberporth 67mph, Trawsgoed 50mph; estimated close to 60mph here at Lwn in the early hours, it was a wild, noisy night! Over an inch of rain parts of Wales 24 hours to 0900 (Lwn 29mm).
Sun 26th showers or longer spells of rain gave an inch parts of mid & S Wales.
Mon 27th Lwn 26.4mm 0900 and the third day this month over an inch (note never had a month having 4 days over an inch although many with 3 days). Further spell of wet weather pm and overnight gave further inch or more much of Wales.
Tue 28th Lwn measured 30.9mm 0900 and so the fourth day over an inch this month (in what has not been an especially wet month). First time to have more than 3 such days in a month here. Thats 99mm in the past 5 days, Teifi has substantial flooding of its plains. Quite a lot of road flooding and fog reported around the area this morning.
Looked back at local NRW gauges and Cellan had 5 days with 25mm or more in December 2000 and October 2004 (both very wet months above 300mm).
Nature notes
Tue 2nd a fine cold sunny day in Warwickshire: Green Woodpecker laughing along the bridleway to Little Lawford also 'teacher teacher' of a Great Tit; a dozen Long Tailed Tit at the ford then again Long Tailed Tit in the garden close to me.
Sun 5th Daff spikes well up at usual early the spot south end of Bro Grannell.
Mon 6th first Bluebell spikes under Apple tree.
Tue 14th Song Thrush hitting some notes early morning; Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming loudly Alltyblaca as walking back from the garage. Evening slugs making a mid-Winter reappearance!
Wed 15th first Snowdrops Grannell lane, these next to a fly-tipped drift of what appear to be polystyrene beads (up to a foot deep); reported this to local authority, it will be a nice surprise if they tidy this up, otherwise I shall attempt to or many Snowdrops will be buried this year but not by snow!
Mid Jan Song Thrush singing well especially at dawn (they have started up very early in recent years).
Daffs over the road coming up.
Thu 16th lively in the garden, Robin, Dunnock and Starlings all singing together, Tits very active and calling.
Mon 20th polystyrene bead piles still by the river so dealt with them myself, cleared 5 black bags full just leaving a relatively few thousand or so getting trodden into the mud (removed well over 99%). Lots of Snowdrops revealed as expected and hopefully to join their neighbours in bloom shortly.
Thu 23rd Llansadwrn driving back from Llandovery first Daffs out.
Sat 25th garden one Celandine about to flower.
Garden Birdwatch 1 hour afternoon, sunny 6c: 10 Blue Tit, 8 Starling, 6 House Sparrow, 3 Great Tit, 2 Dunnock, 2 Jackdaw, 2 Blackbird, 1 Jay, 1 Mistle Thrush, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Chaffinch.
Month end plenty of Snowdrops out and Daff leaves up. Song Thrush still singing well out the back.
Fri 31st Neuadd lane: Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming, birds active and vocal inc Song Thrush singing, Tits calling. Grannell lane Snowdrops in fine bloom having been exhumed.
January 2025 summary
Rather cold/ near average temperatures; rainfall varying from rather dry to wet; sun average to sunny
Much of WW near average temperatures, the Midlands rather cold.
Rainfall totals Jan 2025
Capel Curig, Snowdonia 183mm (rather dry)
Mona, Anglesey119mm (rather wet)
Trawsgoed, Ceredigion 142mm (rather wet)
Aberporth, near Llangrannog c 140mm (wet)
Llanwnnen 176.4mm (115%)
Pembrey Sands, Carms 105mm (average)
Milford Haven, Pembs 124mm (average)
Nottingham 79mm (rather wet)
Shawbury, Salop c 70mm (rather wet)
Coleshill 70mm (average)
Coventry, Bablake School 76.9mm (125%)
CL, Warks 62.8mm (112%)
Pershore, Worc 80mm (wet)
Hereford 84mm (rather wet)
King's Newnham EA gauge (near Rugby) 66.0mm
National Resources Wales (NRW) rain gauges Jan 2025
(note Llanwnnen had 18mm midnight to 0900 Jan 1st thrown back to Dec 31st while the totals below include that time period)
Llyn Cefni, Ynys Mon 157.4mm (wet)
Bethesda Quarry (Gwynedd) 220.4mm (average)
Cwm Dyli (Snowdonia) 303mm (average)
Abersoch (Llyn Peninsular) 127.8mm (rather wet)
Corris (near Machynlleth) 210.6mm (average)
Bow Street (near Aberystwyth) 126mm (rather wet)
Pontrhydfendigaid (near Tregaron, Ceredigion) 165mm (average)
Rhos Ymryson (near Gorscoch and 5 miles NW of Lwn) 180.4mm (rather wet)
Cellan (2 miles NE of Lampeter) 153.6mm (average)
Pencader (Carms) 209.4mm (rather wet)
Abergorllech (Brechfa Forest, Carms) 201.8mm (average)
Rhydargaeau (Carms) 183mm (average)
Garnswllt (near Ammanford, Carms) 162.4mm (average)
Felinfoel (near Llanelli, Carms) 111.6mm (rather dry)
Southgate, Gower 105.6mm (average)
Ferwig (near Cardigan) 144.6mm (rather wet)
Maenclochog (near Preselis, Pembs) 213.4mm (wet)
Tenby (Pembs) 122.2mm (average)
Bolton Hill (near Haverfordwest, Pembs) 132mm (average)
COL stations rainfall Jan 2025
Llansadwrn 129.5mm (125%)
Ludlow, Salop 80.9mm (107%)
Alvechurch, Worc 85mm (114%)
Warstock, Brum 85.8mm (121%)
Alcester (Great Alne) 110.5mm (212%) note always seems wet this one!
Cosby, Leic 78mm (127%)
Hinckley 91.4mm (149%)
Towcester, Northants 79.2mm (123%)
Sunshine totals Jan 2025
Llanwnnen estimated 53 hrs (120%)
Nottingham 70 hrs (quite sunny)
Coventry, Bablake School 59 hrs (92%)
Shobdon, Herefordshire 81 hrs (sunny)
COL stations sun
Ludlow 91 hrs (154%)
Warstock 64.6 hrs
Alvechurch 59 hrs (101%)
Cosby 60.3 hrs (93%)
Towcester 83 hrs
