WEATHER REPORT FOR 1962
| JANUARY | ||||||||
| The year began with three cold days, the first being below freezing | ||||||||
| point all day. The lowest temperature was recorded at Sudborough, 6, | ||||||||
| at Raunds, 9, whilst at Northampton and Duston, 10 and 13 | ||||||||
| The middle of the month was mild, and most stations recorded between | ||||||||
| 51 to 54 on the 24th, but the frosts returned on the 27th for the remainder | ||||||||
| of the month. At Sudborough and Raunds, 17 and 18 night air frosts were | ||||||||
| recorded, whilst Northampton and districts recorded only 6 to 8. Sleet | ||||||||
| and snow was general on the 30th. A hail storm was recorded on the 8th | ||||||||
| with gale force winds (PC.EN.). After about 15 minutes this storm ceased | ||||||||
| abruptly (PC). A red sunrise was observed on the 14th, 15th and 23rd. | ||||||||
| (EN.PC.); magnificent on the 14th (PC) and with reflection on the 15th | ||||||||
| (PC.EN.). Red sunsets were observed on the 7th, 13th, 14th, and with | ||||||||
| reflection on the 13th. A Sola Halo, just larger than a semi-circle was ob- | ||||||||
| served at 1200 G.M.T. on the 7th (KCT). A lunar corona was observed at | ||||||||
| 23.10 hrs. on the 18th (EN.). Temperatures and sunshine were generously | ||||||||
| above average, and rainfall below average. There were 9 fogs recorded at | ||||||||
| Wittering and 2 at Duston. | ||||||||
| FEBRUARY | ||||||||
| A very dry and windy month. The wettest district was Little Houghton, | ||||||||
| and Sudborough, with only 0.67 inches and 0.64 inches rainfall. Severe westerly | ||||||||
| gales swept a wide area on the 12th and 16th, and considerable structural | ||||||||
| damage was reported. Wittering recorded a gust of 77 m.p.h. on the 12th. | ||||||||
| The 12th was also the mildest day of the month, the maximum temperature | ||||||||
| of between 55 to 57 was recorded from all stations. Towards the end | ||||||||
| of the month the temperature fell, and night air frosts were general on the | ||||||||
| 22nd, 21 27 was recorded as the lowest for the month. Red Sunrises | ||||||||
| were recorded on the 5th, 9th, 11th and 15th (EAW. EN.). Snow fell in all | ||||||||
| areas on the 26th, 1 inch deep at Duston and 2 inches deep at Wittering. | ||||||||
| MARCH | ||||||||
| A very cold and dry month. Between 21 and 26 night air frosts were | ||||||||
| recorded. The coldest night was the 16th, Sudborough recorded 9 | ||||||||
| Raunds 14, Northampton and Duston, 16. Snow fell on the 1st, 2nd, | ||||||||
| 3rd, 4th, 11th, 13th, 14th, 20th, 23rd and 31st, but no heavy falls. (EAW. | ||||||||
| HB. PC. EN.). The snow which fell on the first four days of the month | ||||||||
| was still visible on the 23rd at Berrywood, (EAW). A remarkable storm | ||||||||
| on the 31st included hail, rain, sleet, snow and thunder, (PC. AC. EAW. EN.). | ||||||||
| A hail storm was also recorded on the 1st and 24th (EN. PC.) the latter with | ||||||||
| thunder. A red sunset was observed on the 22nd (EAW) and a red sunrise | ||||||||
| on the 30th (AC.). Also a faint rainbow at Harpole (EAW) on the 26th. Fogs | ||||||||
| were recorded at Northampton on the 6th and 9th, and also thick fog along | ||||||||
| the Nene Valley on the 17th (EN. PC. AC.). A lunar halo was observed at | ||||||||
| 21.28 hrs. on G.M.T. on the 23rd (HB.) and lunar halo and corona at 21.35 | ||||||||
| hrs. G.M.T. on the 15th(PC.). Lunar corona was also observed on the 18th | ||||||||
| at 22.00 hrs. G.M.T., 19th at 22.00 hrs,20th at 22.30 hrs, and 22nd at, | ||||||||
| 00.45 hrs. G.M.T. | ||||||||
| APRIL | ||||||||
| A rather cold month, but only a few night air frosts, nine at Sudborough, | ||||||||
| three to four generally. From the 22nd, temperatures began to rise to the | ||||||||
| upper 60's, and 70 was reached at Duston and Sudborough on the 26th, | ||||||||
| but there was always a tendancy for a return of the cold north-easterly winds, | ||||||||
| especially in the middle of the month. Rainfall was above the average for | ||||||||
| the month, l.95 inches to 2.18 inches was recorded. Red Sunsets were observed | ||||||||
| on the 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th (AC.). A hail storm was recorded at | ||||||||
| Wittering and Duston on the 20th. | ||||||||
| MAY | ||||||||
| A remarkably cold month. Maximum temperature was reached at | ||||||||
| all stations on the 6th, this ranged only between 65 to 68. Duston, | ||||||||
| Raunds and Sudborough reported night air frosts on the 1st, 2nd and 30th. | ||||||||
| Thunderstorms were recorded on the 11th, 23rd, 24th and 27th. On the | ||||||||
| 11th, hail was also recorded (EN. AC.) and on the 27th, the storm lasting | ||||||||
| approximately 5 hours. Rainfall was above the average due mainly to the | ||||||||
| thunderstorm on the 27th, 0.80 inches was recorded at Little Houghton. | ||||||||
| JUNE | ||||||||
| A ridge of high pressure maintained fine and warm weather for the | ||||||||
| first eight days of the month, with cloudless skies. Maximum temperature was | ||||||||
| reached on the 8th, 82 at Sudborough, 78 at Northampton and Little | ||||||||
| Houghton, 77 at Raunds and Duston and 75 at Wittering, but oddly | ||||||||
| enough, two night air frosts were recorded on the 1st and 3rd, the most | ||||||||
| severe being 25 at Sudborough, and 31 at Raunds on the night of the | ||||||||
| 2nd. This was the end of " flaming June," the remainder of the month | ||||||||
| was unsettled with showers and bright periods. Duston was the wettest | ||||||||
| area with 0.34 inches rainfall recorded. Thunder was heard at Wittering on the | ||||||||
| 9th. A Red sunrise was observed on the 23rd (EN.). | ||||||||
| JULY | ||||||||
| The month was generally dull, dry, and cool. The wettest day of the | ||||||||
| month was on the 26th, and all stations reported rain all day. At Duston | ||||||||
| 0.51 inches rainfall was recorded. The temperatures rose to the 80's on the 25th, | ||||||||
| 82 being recorded at Sudborough, and 80 at Duston. In contrast | ||||||||
| the minimum night air temperatures dropped to 35 at Sudborough on | ||||||||
| the 7th, and 39 and 40 at Duston and Raunds. Thunder was heard | ||||||||
| on the 10th, 11th, 14th, at Wittering, also at Duston on the 14th. A strong | ||||||||
| sola halo was observed at Wittering on the 26th at 14.00 hrs. G.M.T. | ||||||||
| A lunar corona was observed at Duston or the 22nd at 3.20 hrs. G.M.T. | ||||||||
| AUGUST | ||||||||
| The month began with changeable weather, a wet day on the 1st, fine and | ||||||||
| sunny days on the 4th and 5th, but wet again on the 6th, which gave the | ||||||||
| highest daily rainfall recorded from all stations, 0.84" at Duston, 0.82" at Sud- | ||||||||
| borough. It was generally unsettled 'till the 20th, when temperatures rose to | ||||||||
| the upper 70's, but this was soon followed by gales and rain on the 24th. | ||||||||
| However, the sunshine returned on the 28th, and the maximum temperature | ||||||||
| was recorded at Duston, 73 on the 30th. | ||||||||
| SEPTEMBER | ||||||||
| A generally cool and wet month. Temperatures reached the maximum | ||||||||
| on the 2nd, 80 at Sudborough, 77 at Wittering, and the lower 70's | ||||||||
| elsewhere. Thunderstorms were recorded at Wittering on the 3rd and 4th, | ||||||||
| also at Duston on the 4th with hail (EN.). This was followed by unsettled | ||||||||
| weather and heavy storms, particularly on the 11th, when rain fell all day. | ||||||||
| A dry spell set in on the 17th and lasted 'till the 24th. It was mainly dull, | ||||||||
| and sunshine was sparse. The unsettled weather returned on the 25th for | ||||||||
| the remainder of the month, and another day of continuous rain on the 28th, | ||||||||
| 0.80 inches rainfall was recorded at Northampton. A Sun-Dog (KCT) was | ||||||||
| observed at 14.00 B.S.T. on the 1st (Bright sun in centre of rainbow radius | ||||||||
| 20 degrees). A red sunrise was observed on the 10th, 11th and 18th (EAW.). | ||||||||
| Fogs were recorded on the 1st, 24th, 25th and 29th (FAW. EN.). | ||||||||
| OCTOBER | ||||||||
| The first day of the month was wet, this was followed with 22 days | ||||||||
| without rain, but fogs were recorded over a wide area, 11 at Sudborough | ||||||||
| and Wittering, and 9 at Harpole and Duston (EAW. EN.). In the early part | ||||||||
| of the month the maximum temperatures reached the upper 60's, 68 at | ||||||||
| Northampton, 67 at Duston, whilst on the night of the 26th, widespread | ||||||||
| night air frost was recorded, the most severe being at Sudborough, 24, and | ||||||||
| 28 to 29 elsewhere. The remainder of the month was unsettled and wet, | ||||||||
| 0.43 inches rainfall was recorded at Duston, 0.41 inches at Northampton, being the | ||||||||
| wettest district for the month. Red Sunsets were observed on the 3rd and 7th | ||||||||
| (EAW.). A lunar corona was observed on the 10th. | ||||||||
| NOVEMBER | ||||||||
| The month opened with widespread rain, heavy particularly on the | ||||||||
| 2nd, with thunder recorded at Duston (EN.), Harpole (EAW.), and Wittering. | ||||||||
| The 2nd was also the wettest day everywhere, 0.67 inches rainfall recorded at | ||||||||
| Raunds, 0.48 inches at Little Houghton, 0.47 inches at Wittering. A double rainbow | ||||||||
| followed the storm on the 2nd (AEW. PC.). The 12th began a series of night | ||||||||
| air frosts. There were snow flurries on the 15th, and showers with sleet | ||||||||
| on the 16th, and more general falls on the 20th, 1.50 inches depth at Wittering, | ||||||||
| in. at Duston. A hail storm was rccorded at Northampton and Duston | ||||||||
| on the 18th. Fog was recorded on 15 days at Wittering, but only 4 days at | ||||||||
| Northampton, the worst persisting all day on the 25th. The remainder of | ||||||||
| the month was dull and sunless. The maximum temperature was reached | ||||||||
| on the 5th, and all stations recorded 55/56. A rainbow was observed | ||||||||
| at Harpole on the 12th (EAW.) and thunder was heard at Boughton on the | ||||||||
| 3rd (EAW.). A mock sun was observed on two occasions at Wittering, | ||||||||
| on the 3rd and 20th. A red sunrise was observed on the 5th, and Red | ||||||||
| Sunsets on the 16th and 20th. A lunar corona was observed on the 11th | ||||||||
| at 22.40 hrs. G.M.T. | ||||||||
| DECEMBER | ||||||||
| The month began with fog, which persisted for 7 days, and temperatures | ||||||||
| on the 3rd and 4th were below freezing-point all day. This produced a pictur- | ||||||||
| esque hoar frost on hedges and trees. Winds increased, and rain fell on the | ||||||||
| 8th, to become the wettest day of the month. 0.50 inches rainfall being recorded | ||||||||
| at Sudborough, 0.36 inches at Northampton, and 0.34 inches at Raunds and Duston. | ||||||||
| The mildest day was on the 15th, and temperatures everywhere ranged from | ||||||||
| 53 to 56. This however was short lived, and the cold northerly winds | ||||||||
| returned with severe night air frosts. The coldest night was the 28/29th, | ||||||||
| and temperatures ranged from 9 to 15. At Duston on the 29th, the | ||||||||
| minimum day temperature was 2 lower than the previous night's minimum | ||||||||
| temperature--this is unusual. Snow fell on the 26th and 30th. At Raunds, | ||||||||
| 75.8 hours of sunshine was recorded, a record for December, but despite | ||||||||
| this it was an extremely cold month. A lunar corona was observed on the | ||||||||
| 4th, 9th and 17th. A Red sunrise was observed on the 10th and red sunsets | ||||||||
| on the 8th and 23rd. | ||||||||
| List of Observers: | ||||||||
| EAW.=Mr. E. A. Walker | HB. =Mr. H. Brierley AC.=Mr. A. Cooke | |||||||
| KCT.=Mr. K. C. Thompson PC.=Mr. P. Chapman EN.=Mr. E. Nobles | ||||||||