WEATHER ANALYSES FOR 2011

Headline: The driest year since 1921 and with above average temperatures reversing the cooling trend observed since 2007.

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MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEWS AND CLIMATOLOGICAL SUMMARIES

January

Headline:  An average January. Unsettled to begin with and then anticyclonic. Little snow.

February

Headline:  A very mild winter month. Initially dry, but turning increasingly wet and dull.  

March

Headline:  A very dry month, the driest March locally since 1961.

April

Headline:  Dry, sunny and very warm. The 23rd was the warmest April day on the local record.

May

Headline:  Dry and warm with some very sunny days. Most of the month’s rain fell on one day (7th).

June

Headline: A succession of shallow depressions made for a month of sunny spells and scattered showers. Continued lack of substantial rain led to the county receiving official drought status on 10th.

July

Headline: The month was amongst the coolest July’s on record with rainfall about average.

August

Headline: A very warm start, but soon becoming rather cool and cloudy with frequent showers.

September

Headline: Changeable for the most part, but becoming progressively warmer towards the end of the month.

October

Headline: An exceptionally warm start and, other than some occasional outbreaks of rain, generally dry and sunny.

November

Headline: Exceptionally mild with rainfall again below average. Changeable in the final week with a  brief wintry incursion.

December

Headline: The mildest December since 2006. Rainfall still below average despite rain being recorded on most days.

CLIMATOLOGICAL STATISTICS FOR 2011

Air Temperatures:     
The Highest Maximum: 29.4 C on 27th June
The Lowest Maximum: 1.7 C on 28th January
The Highest Minimum: 16.3 C on 10th September
The Lowest Minimum: -4.4 C on 31st January
The Mean Maximum: 15.1 C   
The Mean Minimum: 7.0 C   
The Overall Mean: 11.1 C   
Difference from the Yearly Mean: +1.2 C   
     
Solar Radiation:     
Maximum (at 0900): 806.0 W/m^2 on 9th June
Mean (at 0900): 208.5 W/m^2   
     
Relative Humidity:     
Highest Relative Humidity (at 0900): 100% on 11th January; 8th,11th,17th,22nd February; 15th,17th March; 23rd September; 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 9th, 10th, 13th, 19th, 22nd November
Lowest Relative Humidity (at 0900): 44.5 % on 5th July
Mean Relative Humidity (at 0900): 81.9 %   
     
Dew Point:     
The Highest Dew Point (0900): 22.7 C on 27th June
The Lowest Dew Point (at 0900): -5.1 C on 31st January
The Mean Dew Point (at 0900): 7.8 C   
     
Rainfall:     
Total: 399.5 mm   
Percentage of the Yearly Mean: 66.5 %   
Duration: 379.5 hrs   
Highest 24 hour fall (0900 to 0900): 23.0 mm on 7th May
Rain Days (>/=0.2mm): 136    
Wet Days (>/=1.0mm): 89    
     
Sunshine:     
Total Duration of Bright Sunshine: 1354 hrs   
Sunniest day: 12.5 hrs on 8th April
No. of days without sunshine: 65    
Percentage of the Yearly Mean: 83.4 %   
Cloud cover (mean at 0900): 5.7 oktas   
     
Pressure (reduced to sea level):     
The Highest Pressure (at 0900): 1041.9 mb on 23rd March
The Lowest Pressure (at 0900): 984.7 mb on 16th December
Mean Pressure (at 0900): 1016.4 mb   
     
Winds     
Run of wind (mean over 24 hrs): 117.2 miles   
Mean daily wind speed: 6.4 mph   
Run of wind (cumulative): 42599 miles   
Highest Maximum Gust: 47 mph on 7th February
No. of gusts of 50mph or more: 0    
Highest wind strength (at 0900): 37 mph on 7th February
Mean wind strength (at 0900): 9.9 mph 

 
Winds from the Following Directions:     

N 22 NE 24 E 23 SE 41 S 91 SW 62 W 38 NW 55 Calm 8

     
 
Concrete     
Lowest Concrete Minimum: -5 C on 31st January
Mean Concrete Minimum: 6.5 C   
     
Evaporation     
Piche 933.87 ml 
  
Days with:     
Thunder: 2    
Hail <5mm: 0    
Hail >/=5mm: 0    
Snow or snow & rain: 3    
Snow lying: 2    
Fog: 15    
Air Frost: 20    
Duration of Air Frost: 169.8 hrs   
Gales: 0    
     

Wettest month: 51.9 mm in  February
Driest month: 4.8 mm in  March
Warmest month: 16.3 C~ in  August
Coolest month: 4.0 C~ in  January
Sunniest month: 201.5 hrs in  April
Dullest month: 27.6 hrs in  January
Windiest month: 8.1 mph~ in  February
Calmest month: 4.5 mph~ in  August

~ denotes an average calculated for that month.

© Pitsford Hall weather station