January 2026

SUMMARY OF THE METEOROLOGICAL READINGS AT DURHAM UNIVERSITY OBSERVATORY

Temperatures (all temperatures in degrees Celsuis; all averages 1991-2020)

Mean daily maximum: 5.5 Difference from average: -1.4

Mean daily minimum: 0.9 Difference from average: -0.4

Mean air temperature: 3.2 Difference from average: -0.9

Absolute maximum: 9.5 (12^th)

Absolute minimum: -4.7 (6^th)

Mean grass minimum: -0.2 Difference from average: +0.2

Absolute grass minimum: -9.4 (6^th)

Mean concrete minimum: 0.2

Absolute concrete minimum: -6.2 (5^th, 6^th)

Number of ground frosts: 13 Difference from average: -4

Number of air frosts: 12 Difference from average: +1

Mean soil temperature at 300 mm depth: 4.5

Mean soil temperature at 1000 mm depth: 6.7

Rainfall (all totals in millimetres; all averages 1991-2020)

Total for the month: 64.0 Difference from average: +10.6

Percentage of the average: 119.8%

Wettest day: 15.6 (27^th)

Number of rain days (>0.1 mm): 22 Difference from average: +3

Number of wet days (=>1.0 mm): 16 Difference from average: +4

3-month total rainfall to 31^st January 2026: 263.8 Difference from average: +74.8

6-month total rainfall to 31^st January 2026: 413.4 Difference from average: +104.0

12-month total rainfall to 31^st January 2026: 583.4 Difference from average: -96.8

Sunshine (all totals in hours; all averages 1991-2020)

Total for the month: 56.1 Difference from average: -5.8

Percentage of the average: 90.7%

Mean daily sunshine: 1.81 Difference from average: -0.19

Sunniest day: 6.4 (10^th) Number of days with no recorded sunshine: 6

Note that the monthly sunshine total is now calculated from the UKMO E&NE regional total. Daily sunshine totals quoted here and in the data summary are uncorrected.

Wind (m/s; data from the West Building roof, Lower Mountjoy campus)

Average wind speed: 1.5

Maximum gust: 17.0 (7^th, 12:00, WNW)

Pressure (mbar; data from the West Building roof, Lower Mountjoy campus)

Average: 1001.3

Maximum: 1021 (18^th, 0215, 0230) Minimum: 982.8 (27^th, 18:15)

Comments on January 2026

Like January 2025, temperatures were below average, although it was never very cold, nor indeed very mild. Ten of the first eleven nights had air frosts, but there were only two after that (16^th, 17^th). This reflects the wet, cloudy, humid conditions for the second half of the month. Days were noticeably cool, compared to relatively mild nights; there were no days with a maximum temperature above 10 °C but the absolute minimum was only -4.7 °C. The mean daily maximum temperature was the equal 68^th lowest on record, well below average. The mean daily minimum temperature was below the 1991-2020 average but still =100^th highest in 182 years. The mean air temperature was -0.9 °C below average, but only the equal 85^th lowest since 1844. The absolute maximum temperature (9.5 °C on the 12^th) is the 20^th lowest for any January since 1850, the lowest since 2010. (Air temperature only got up to 5.0 °C) in January 1963!) There was the equal 18^th lowest number of ground frosts since 1875.

Compared to many places in the country, the rainfall total was only a little above average, but it rained on a lot of days, with the number of rain days 3 above average and the number of wet days 4 above average. It was the 122^nd highest January total in 175 years. There were 22 rain days, the equal 19^th highest total since 1850, a total number to be expected roughly once a decade on average. The wettest day was the 27^th when the fronts associated with Storm Chandra passed over the North-East; the lowest atmospheric pressure for the month was recorded that day at 18:15. Given the predominantly cloudy conditions, it is not surprising that there were 6 days with no measurable sunshine and all together, 18 days had less than an hour’s sunshine with the second half of the month being particularly dull. As expected, the number of hours of bright sunshine was below average, the dullest January of the decade so far; even so, a total of 56 hours occurs roughly every other January on average. The average humidity was consistently very high throughout the second half of the month.

Emeritus Professor Tim Burt

Department of Geography

Durham University

[email protected]