January 2012

Stripey sandstone rocks at Ladram Bay, Devon. Representative of the varying conditions that existed here during the Triassic period.
Stripy sandstone rocks at Ladram Bay, Devon.
Representative of the varying conditions that existed here during the Triassic period.
Summary for  January 2012
Mean Max: 10.3ºC (+1.9ºC)
Mean Min: 4.4ºC (+1.7ºC)
Mean: 7.4ºC (+1.8ºC)
     
High Max: 13.6ºC 18th
Low Max: 3.6ºC 31st
High Min: 11.4ºC 19th
Low Min: -1.8ºC 29th
Mean Grass Min: N/A  
Grass Min: N/A  
     
Rain Total (gauge): 60.8 mm (70%)
Rain Total (tipping bucket): 60.2 mm (69%)
Rain Days >0.2 mm: 12 Days  
Rain Days >1.0 mm: 9 Days  
Max 24 hrs: 23.6 mm 30th
Days without any rain: 18  
     
Air Frost: 4 Days  
Ground Frost: N/A  
Snow Falling: 0 Days  
Snow (50%) @ 9am: 0 Days  
Thunder Heard: 0 Days  
Hail <5 mm: 1 Days  
Hail >5 mm: 0 Days  
Fog @ 9am: 1 Days  
     
Total Monthly Sunshine: 88.0 Hours (122%)
Most Sunshine in a Day: 7.9 Hours 16th
Average Daily Sunshine: 2.8 Hours  
Sunless Days: 3 Days  
Cloudless Days: 3 Days  
Total Possible Sunshine: 264.6 Hours  
Percentage of Total Sun: 33%  
Maximum UV Index: 1.3 21st
Time of Max UV   12:45
     
Mean Soil Temp @ 30 cm: N/A  
Min Soil Temp @ 30 cm:    
Max Soil Temp @ 30 cm:    
Mean Soil Temp @ 100 cm: N/A  
Min Soil Temp @ 100 cm:    
Max Soil Temp @ 100 cm:    
     
Mean 10 Min Wind >39 mph: 0.01 Days  
N: 5.07 Days  
NE: 1.28 Days  
E: 3.26 Days  
SE: 1.16 Days  
S: 3.56 Days  
SW: 3.76 Days  
W: 2.11 Days  
NW: 7.53 Days  
Calm: 3.27 Days  
Wind Chill Low: -2.9ºC 29th
Mean Wind: 3.2 mph  
Max Gust: 41 mph 3rd 
  31.00 Days  
Mean Cloud Cover: 67%  
Mean RH @ 9am: 91%  
Rain Duration >0.1mm/hour: 43.0 Hours  
Frost Duration: 26.5 Hours  
Max Frost Duration in a Day: 11.3 Hours 29th
     
Mean Sea Temperature: 10.0ºC (+1.9ºC)
Normal for Month: 8.1ºC  
Max Sea Temperature: 10.7ºC 3rd 
Min Sea Temperature: 8.8ºC 31st
     
Mean Pressure @ 9am: 1022.1 hPa (+6.8 hPa)
Mean Pressure: 1022.1 hPa (+6.8 hPa)
Max Pressure: 1035.9 hPa 11th
Min Pressure: 997.8 hPa 3rd 
   
Radiation Daily Mean 2.4 W/m²  
Max Daily Value 12.5 MJ/m² 21st
Min Daily Value 2.0 MJ/m² 25th
Number of Days with Data 31 Days  
1-Hour Maximum 663 W/m² 21st
Starting Time of the Hour   12:45
     
Max Dewpoint: 12.3ºC 18th
Min Dewpoint: -2.9ºC 29th
Mean Dewpoint: 4.8ºC  
     
Max Humidity: 98% 10th
Min Humidity: 59% 26th
Mean Humidity: 85% (-1)

 

A warm and generally settled month.

As with November and December, this was a warmer than average month though this time, the weather was generally more settled. Especially during the 2nd and 3rd weeks, where little rain fell.
Rainfall was concentrated at the beginning and end of the month, and from the 6th to the 24th, only 1.2 mm fell. The wettest days were the 29th & 30th and this accounted for the majority of the rain that fell during the entire month.
There were 4 air frosts and none of these were severe. No snow was seen falling or lying, a different story to January 2010. No ground frost readings taken this month due to relocation of sensor.
Sunshine levels were a little above the long term average for January. A particularly sunny, clear day on the 16th with 7.9 hours, this was 93% of the total possible. As expected for January, UV levels remained low.
No soil temperature readings were taken due to relocation of sensors.
Interestingly, for a month that was so warm the dominant wind direction was north-westerly. This was due to mild, Atlantic air moving around the top of an anticyclonic 'high' pressure system generally located just to the south-west. Apart from the beginning of the month, winds were generally light.
Rainfall mainly occurred at the beginning and end of the month.
Sea surface temperatures were above normal at the beginning of the month and generally stayed that way.
Mean pressure was rather above the average for January and indicative of the settled nature of this month.
A new sensor has been added that measures solar irradiance in watts per square metre falling on a horizontal surface.
Dewpoints were often well above the average.
Despite the higher than average dewpoints, the relative humidity was below normal, probably due to the warmth that dominated through the month.
Weather Data for Otter Valley, Devon.  January 2012  
  Temp (oC) Hum (RH%) Dewpoint (oC) Wind (mph) Rain Pressure (hPa) Grass Sun  
  Min Max Ave Min Max Ave Min Max Ave Max Ave Run mm Min Max Ave Min Hours Observations
1 7.5 12.4 10.0 87 94 91 5.7 11.2 8.5 0 0.0 0 3.4 1001 1010 1005   0.0 Cloudy am, rain pm
2 2.4 9.0 5.7 74 95 85 0.4 5.5 3.0 18 0.9 21 2.4 1004 1013 1008   3.8 Sun & showers all day
3 6.9 12.9 9.9 74 93 84 2.8 11.5 7.2 41 10.3 247 10.8 998 1013 1005   0.8 Rain am, then sunny ints
4 6.7 10.5 8.6 68 85 77 1.8 7.0 4.4 29 5.3 127 0.0 1011 1024 1018   0.6 Sunny ints am, cloudy pm
5 9.8 11.5 10.7 65 92 79 4.4 9.9 7.2 35 8.8 211 3.2 1006 1020 1013   5.3 Sunny intervals all day
6 2.7 10.6 6.7 75 97 86 1.0 8.9 5.0 18 2.0 47 0.0 1020 1029 1024   2.2 Sunny am, cloudy pm
7 9.7 11.3 10.5 70 93 82 4.6 9.7 7.2 18 3.8 91 0.0 1022 1027 1025   4.5 Sunny intervals all day
8 7.2 12.5 9.9 72 95 84 4.0 10.1 7.1 13 1.8 44 0.0 1027 1030 1028   1.8 Sunny intervals all day
9 8.1 12.4 10.3 77 96 87 7.1 9.4 8.3 12 1.0 25 0.0 1029 1033 1031   0.7 Brief sunny intervals all day
10 6.2 12.1 9.2 82 98 90 5.2 9.5 7.4 11 0.5 12 0.0 1033 1035 1034   0.8 Cloudy am, sunny ints pm
11 1.1 12.7 6.9 76 98 87 0.1 9.6 4.9 10 0.9 21 0.0 1034 1036 1035   7.6 Sunny all day
12 0.3 12.5 6.4 85 98 92 -1.0 10.3 4.7 15 1.5 37 0.0 1029 1034 1031   0.4 Sunny ints am, cloudy pm
13 -0.9 8.8 4.0 77 98 88 -1.5 6.8 2.7 7 1.2 30 0.0 1031 1034 1033   6.7 Fog early am, then sunny
14 2.1 8.0 5.1 67 97 82 -1.7 4.7 1.5 20 3.5 84 0.0 1024 1032 1028   2.5 Early cloud, then sunny ints
15 6.2 7.6 6.9 67 74 71 1.0 2.6 1.8 24 6.1 145 0.0 1019 1024 1022   3.8 Sunny intervals all day
16 0.7 8.6 4.7 70 92 81 -1.0 4.4 1.7 22 2.4 58 0.0 1020 1025 1023   7.9 Sunny all day
17 -1.1 9.2 4.1 80 96 88 -2.3 6.3 2.0 7 1.3 32 0.0 1025 1027 1026   4.9 Cloudy am, sunny pm
18 9.2 13.6 11.4 88 98 93 1.8 12.3 7.1 16 3.2 77 0.6 1023 1026 1025   0.7 Brief sunny intervals all day
19 11.4 13.1 12.3 77 95 86 5.3 11.0 8.2 22 5.2 125 0.0 1020 1025 1022   1.1 Cloudy am, sunny ints pm
20 7.7 12.3 10.0 73 94 84 3.5 9.5 6.5 19 4.5 116 0.0 1021 1025 1023   3.4 Cloudy am, sunny pm
21 9.4 13.2 11.3 74 95 85 4.8 10.2 7.5 25 6.1 146 0.2 1015 1021 1018   2.2 Sunny ints and showers
22 4.4 12.0 8.2 67 90 79 1.0 7.5 4.3 25 4.6 109 0.0 1016 1021 1018   3.8 Sunny intervals all day
23 2.6 10.4 6.5 82 98 90 0.9 7.9 4.4 12 1.0 25 0.4 1020 1023 1021   2.2 Sunny intervals all day
24 4.6 11.8 8.2 92 98 95 3.2 10.7 7.0 16 1.9 42 3.4 1019 1023 1021   0.2 Rain am, showers pm
25 8.7 11.0 9.9 89 96 93 7.3 9.7 8.5 29 5.1 121 2.2 1008 1020 1014   0.0 Light rain, intermittent all day
26 2.1 10.2 6.2 59 97 78 0.3 9.3 4.8 25 4.6 110 4.6 1006 1014 1010   6.7 Rain early am, then sunny
27 0.3 9.1 4.7 70 98 84 -0.7 6.1 2.7 15 1.2 30 1.0 1014 1023 1018   5.4 Sunny am, showers pm
28 -0.6 8.0 3.7 67 98 83 -1.8 3.4 0.8 11 1.5 36 0.0 1022 1033 1028   6.0 Sunny intervals all day
29 -1.8 4.6 1.4 91 97 94 -2.9 3.4 0.3 7 1.0 24 5.0 1027 1033 1030   0.3 Sunny ints am, cloudy pm
30 2.3 5.1 3.7 90 96 93 1.1 4.2 2.7 13 3.4 82 23.6 1023 1027 1025   0.0 Rain all day
31 1.2 3.6 2.4 76 90 83 -2.2 1.1 -0.6 13 2.3 56 0.0 1022 1027 1025   1.4 Sunny ints am, cloudy pm
4.4 10.3 7.4 76 95 85 1.7 7.9 4.8 18 3.2 2328 60.8 1019 1025 1022   88.0  

Graphs for January 2012
Figure 1. Temperature and Rainfall for January 2012.
Figure 2. Sunshine, air pressure and mean wind speed for January 2012.
Figure 3. Wind direction for January 2012.
Figure 4. Soil & sea surface temperature (SST) for Lyme Bay for January 2012.
Figure 5. Wind run, maximum gusts and mean pressure for January 2012.