December 2005
December 2005
Temperatures
(all temperatures in degrees Celsius; all averages 1961 – 1990)
Mean daily maximum: 7.3
Difference from average: +1.3
Mean daily minimum: 1.2
Difference from average: +0.1
Mean air temperature: 4.3
Difference from average: +0.4
Absolute maximum: 12.7 (12th)
Absolute minimum: -9 (29th)
Mean grass minimum: 0.0
Absolute grass minimum: -5.5 (28th)
Number of ground frosts: 18
Number of air frosts: 10
Mean soil temperature at 30cm depth: 4.9
Mean soil temperature at 100cm depth: 7.5
Rainfall
(all totals in millimetres; all averages 1961 – 1990)
Total for the month: 34.8
Difference from average: -22.6
Percentage of the average: 61%
Wettest day: 9 (5th)
Number of rain days (>0.25mm): 13
Number of wet days (=> 1mm): 9
3-month total rainfall to 31st December: 182
Difference from average: +10.1
6-month rainfall total to 31st December: 355.7
Difference from average: +9.3
12-month rainfall total to 31st December: 592.1
Difference from average: -56.9
Humidity
(Averages for 09:00 hours GMT)
Relative Humidity: 86%
Sunshine
(all averages 1961 – 1990)
Total for the month: 53.2 hours
Difference from average: +7.6
Percentage of the average: 117%
Mean daily sunshine: 1.7 hours
Difference from average: +0.2
Sunniest day: 5.2 hours (12th)
Number of days with no recorded sunshine: 6
Cumulative total sunshine since 1st January: 1332.1 hours
Difference from average: +2.8
Wind
The mean wind speed: 11.1km/h [6kt]
Difference from average: -4.1km/hr
The highest gust: 68.5km/h [37kt] from 247° at 00:48 GMT on 16th
ISSN1350-483
Comments on December 2005
Like November, December was a mixed month: some very mild days in the middle but extremely cold after Christmas. The absolute minimum of -9°C on the 29th was the coldest day in Durham since 4th March 2001 and the lowest December temperature for a decade. The temperature only reached -0.7°C on the 7th. Overall, December was above average temperature, mainly because daytime temperatures were well above average, night-time temperatures being only marginally so. It ranks 99th warmest in a series of 156 years, but was the coolest this decade. December was a dry month, with only 61% of the normal amount. Sunshine was a little over average, but it was a calm month, with mean wind speed well below average.
Professor Tim Burt
Department of Geography
Durham University