Extremely Wet, Windy and Rather Cool

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during October 2020 in Shoreham was 15.3 Celsius (60F), and that was about 0.5 Celsius (<1F) below normal for the time of year. The average minimum temperature was 9.3 Celsius (49F), and that was less than 0.5 Celsius (<1F) below the October normal.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 19.0 Celsius (66F) on the 8th, but there were only 4 other days with maxima above 17 Celsius (63F). On the 20th the temperature reached 17.5 Celsius (63F), with the other 3 warmer days occurring in the first week of October. On most days (20) the temperature rose to between 14 and 17 Celsius (57-63F), but a few cooler days occurred. The coolest day of the month was the 4th with a high of 12.1 Celsius (54F), however, on 3 other occasions the maximum was below 13 Celsius (55F), on the 13th, 16th and 25th. The coolest of these 3 days was the 13th with a high of 12.3 Celsius (54F).

No warm nights occurred during October, but on both the 21st and 30th a minimum of 14.3 Celsius (58F) occurred, and on 4 other nights, the 8th, 20th, 22nd and 31st, minimum temperatures were above 13 Celsius (55F). However, there were only 2 other nights with minima above 10 Celsius (50F). On several nights (11), the temperature fell to between 8 and 10 Celsius (46-50F), with a further 8 nights having lows between 5 and 8 Celsius (41-46F). The only night with a minimum below 5 Celsius (41F) was the 10th when 4.1 Celsius (39F) was measured..

The sea temperature was around 16 Celsius (61F) at the beginning of October, falling slowly to 13 or 14 Celsius (55-57F) by the end of the month.

Frost

No air frost occurred during October, but on the 10th there was a grass frost with a minimum temperature of minus 0.6 Celsius (31F).   

Rain

Rainfall in October amounted to 232.2 millimetres (9.1 ins.). This was more than 4 times the monthly average. In the last 140 years there have only been 2 Octobers with rainfall totals approaching those of 2020, namely 1987 and 2000. In October 2000, although totals were higher north of the South Downs, around Shoreham values were 40 or 50 millimetres (<2 ins.) lower. In October 1987, several sites near Shoreham had totals higher than those of October 2020, but the closest site, around 1 kilometre away, had 226 millimetres (8.9 ins.). Rain fell on 24 days, which is 7 days above average, and wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.) or more of rain falls) numbered 20 days, and that was 9 days above average. The month began with one of the heaviest rainfall events for several decades. The total rainfall between the 30th September and 4th October (5 days) was 127.4 millimetres (5 ins.). It included 18.4 millimetres (0.7 ins.) on the 1st, a massive 52.4 millimetres (2.1 ins.) on the 2nd, and 19.8 millimetres (0.8 ins.) on the 3rd. Nationally, the 3rd was the wettest day since records began in 1891 with 7.6 cubic kilometres of rain falling, which, when spread across the nation, is the equivalent of 35 millimetres (1.4 ins.) measured from every rain-gauge in the country. On the 4th, a further 14.2 millimetres (0.56 ins.) were recorded, and although daily totals stayed below 3 millimetres (0.1 ins.) the first dry day was not until the 11th. On the 12th, over 10 millimetres (0.4 ins.) of rain fell, but then a respite occurred with no significant rain measured between the 14th and 18th, but only 1 more dry day occurred after the 18th, and that was the 22nd. Between the 20th and the end of the month, there were 7 days with rainfall above 5 millimetres (0.2 ins.), including 4 days with totals exceeding 10 millimetres (0.4 ins.). the wettest days were the 24th with 26.0 millmetres (1 in.) and the 25th when 19.2 millimetres (0.8 ins.) were measured.

Hail

Small hail fell briefly mid-evening on the 25th.

Thunder

No thunder was heard during October.

Snow

No sleet or snow fell during October. 

Wind

October was frequently windy with only the third week having a short lull from the predominantly westerly winds. Southwesterly and northwesterly winds were almost equally divided and between them accounted for over 60% of the daily observations. Winds with an easterly component mainly occurred around mid-month when areas of high pressure transited the country. At Shoreham Airport, southwesterly gusts reached 38 knots (43 mph) with gusts to 32 knots (37 mph), again from the southwest, in the early hours and the afternoon. of the 6th. The 8th was breezy in the morning, and gusts from the southwest peaked at 33 knots (38 mph) early in the afternoon. The next time gusts exceeded 30 knots (34 mph) was not until the 24th. On that day, strong south to southwesterly winds increased in the afternoon, and during the evening a gust of 44 knots (50 mph) was measured. The strong winds continued into the morning of the 25th when 31 knots (35 mph) were recorded. South to southwest winds were strong on the afternoon of the 27th with the highest gust of 36 knots (41 mph). The 28th was windy throughout the day with a top gust, from the southwest, of 33 knots (38 mph). The remainder of the month stated breezy, and on the afternoon gusts exceeded 30 knots (34 mph). The highest was 35 knots (40 mph).    

Fog

There was no fog observed in this part of Shoreham during October.

Statistics for October 2020

Reporting Station	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham A/P	18.7	3.5	192	38	24
Thorney Island	18.7	5.6	160	33	23
Gatwick A/P	17.7	2.3	169	35	24
Herstmonceux	18.3	4.6	201	35	25
Bournemouth (Hurn)	18.6	1.5	170	26	24
Middle Wallop	17.1	4.0	181	37	23
Dieppe	19.5	6.2	108	22	26

Warm and Rather Wet

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during September 2020 in Shoreham was 21.0 Celsius (70F), and that was almost 2 Celsius (3.5F) above normal for the time of year. The average minimum temperature was 12.1 Celsius (54F), and that was close to 0.5 Celsius (<1F) above the September normal.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 28.6 Celsius (83F) on the 15th. This was the warmest September day in the area for at least 55 years. On 2 other days the temperature exceeded 25 Celsius (77F), with 26.3 Celsius (80F) recorded on the 14th, and 25.2 Celsius (78F) on the 16th. A further 17 days had maxima above 20 Celsius (68F). The coolest weather occurred towards the end of the month. Each of the last 8 days of September had maximum temperatures below 20 Celsius (68F), whereas, only the 3rd and 6th had maxima below this value before the 23rd. On 4 days the temperature failed to rise above 18 Celsius (64F); they were the 4 consecutive days beginning on the 24th. The 25th and 27th had highs of 15.5 Celsius (60F) and 15.3 Celsius (60F) respectively, but the coolest day of the month was the 26th with a high of just 14.3 Celsius (58F).

A few warm nights occurred during September. There were 5 nights, scattered throughout the month, when temperatures stayed above 15 Celsius (59F), although only 1 of these warmer nights had a minimum above 17 Celsius (63F). On the 16th, the minimum temperature was 18.7 Celsius (66F). No particularly cold nights occurred during September, although there were 7 nights when the temperature dipped below 10 Celsius (50F). A total of 4 of these cooler nights were in the last week of September. Only 2 of these nights had lows under 8 Celsius (46F). On the 25th a minimum of 6.7 Celsius (44F) occurred, with 7.0 Celsius (45F) measured on the following night.

The sea temperature was around 19 or 20 Celsius (66-68F) for most of the month, falling to 18 Celsius (64F) at the beginning of the fourth week, and then to 16 Celsius (61F) at the end of the month.

Frost

No frost occurred during September. The lowest grass temperature was 3.9 Celsius (39F) on the 24th.   

Rain

Rainfall in September amounted to 63.6 millimetres (2.5 ins.). This was around 30% above the monthly average. The first week of September was changeable, but pressure was high and frontal systems weak, so although the 5th was the only completely dry day, the 6th, with 4.8 millimetres of rain, was the only day when more than 0.4 millimetres (0.02 ins.) of rain were recorded. No measurable rain fell between the 7th and 21st, a total of 15 days. Light rain fell on the 22nd, but on the following day heavier rain occurred and 9.6 millimetres (0.4 ins.) were measured. Showers merged into longer spells of rain, heavy at times, on the 24th and the total rain for the day was 25.2 millimetres (1 inch). No measurable rain fell on the following 5 days, but the last day of the month marked the beginning of a major rainfall event which continued into the first few days of October. The rainfall for the 30th was 22.6 millimetres (0.9 ins.)

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham during September.

Thunder

There was 1 rumble of thunder in Shoreham during September. That occurred early in the afternoon on the 24th.

Snow

No sleet or snow fell during September. 

Wind

September was unusual in that more than half (16) of the days had winds predominately blowing from between west and north. On most days the wind was no more than moderate in strength with the lightest winds mainly occurring during the first half of the month. However, it was breezy at times during the third and fourth weeks. At Shoreham Airport, the first gusts above 30 knots (34 mph) occurred early on the morning of the 24th when southwesterly gusts reached 40 knots (46 mph). This was followed by brisk northwesterly winds on the 25th with 35 knots (40 mph) measured during the afternoon. The last gusts above 30 knots (34 mph) occurred during the 27th, with a northwesterly gust of 34 knots (39 mph) recorded late in the morning.    

Fog

There was no fog observed in this part of Shoreham during September.

Statistics for September 2020

Reporting Station	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham A/P	27.1	6.5	49	20	8
Thorney Island	27.3	5.5	21	8	9
Gatwick A/P	29.3	4.7	29	10	9
Herstmonceux	28.7	6.5	53	28	12
Bournemouth (Hurn)	27.5	1.3	36	17	9
Middle Wallop	27.6	3.2	32	15	9
Dieppe	28.5	7.7	50	20	12

Dry and Hot, then Changeable

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during August 2020 in Shoreham was 24.1 Celsius (75F), and that was around 2 Celsius (3.5F) above normal for the time of year. The average minimum temperature was 16.2 Celsius (61F), and that was also about 2 Celsius (3.5F) above the August normal. Overall, it was the warmest August for 25 years.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 35.4 Celsius (96F) on the 9th. Using long-standing records for Worthing as a comparison, it would appear that the 9th was the hottest day in the area for at least 140 years. Several other hot days occurred, and of the 5 other days with maxima above 30 Celsius (86F), there were 2 with highs exceeding 33 Celsius (91F). On the 8th a temperature of 33.5 Celsius (92F) was recorded, with 33.7 Celsius (92F) measured on the 11th. On most days (19) the highest temperatures were between 20 and 25 Celsius (68-77F), but some cooler days occurred after mid month, and on 4 days the temperature remained below 20 Celsius (68F). The 19th and 27th were 2 of these cooler days, but the lowest maxima were on the 29th and 30th with highs of 17.7 Celsius (64F) and 18.7 Celsius (66F) respectively.

Many warm nights occurred during August, and on 4 nights, the 8th, 10th, 11th and 13th, minimum temperatures were above 20 Celsius (68F). The 8th was the warmest night with a low of 21.8 Celsius (71F). This was the highest August minimum temperature in Shoreham since 1995. A further 18 nights had minimum temperatures above 15 Celsius (59F), including 6 nights when values stayed above 18 Celsius (64F). No particularly cold nights occurred, but during the first and last weeks of August there were 4 nights with minima below 12 Celsius (54F). Of the 2 during the first week, the 4th was coolest with a low of 10.7 Celsius (51F), and in the last week the 31st was coolest with a minimum of 9.3 Celsius (49F).

The sea temperature was around 18 or 19 Celsius (64-66F) at the beginning and end of August, but during the second, third and fourth weeks the sea temperature was as high as 20 or 21 Celsius (68-70F).

Frost

No frost occurred during August. The lowest grass temperature was 6.1 Celsius (43F) on the 31st.   

Rain

Rainfall in August amounted to 74.0 millimetres (2.9 ins.). This was slightly above monthly average. There were 13 days of measurable rain, and that was 1 day below average. No measurable rain fell during the first 10 days of August, and the first 15 days of the month only yielded 2.2 millimetres (0.09 ins.). However, on the 16th a total of 19.9 millimetres (0.8 ins.) were recorded, and apart from the last 2 days of the month, only 2 completely dry days occurred after the 16th. Much of the rain was light, but there were several heavier bursts giving quite substantial totals, including 6.1 millimetres (0.25 ins.) on the 17th, 9.8 millimetres (0.4 ins.) on the 19th, 14.2 millimetres (0.55 ins.) on the 24th, and 12.1 millimetres (0.5 ins.) on the 27th.

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham during August.

Thunder

There were 2 days with thunder in Shoreham during August. For almost 4 hours thunder and lightning occurred on the evening of the 12th. However, almost all the activity was to the east and southeast of Shoreham apart from during the last 30 minutes of the storm when some thunder and lightning was observed to the north and northwest. Overall, the storms only produced 0.4 millimetres (0.02 ins.) of rain. On the afternoon of the 16th lightning and thunder occurred, with local ground strikes at the harbour arm, near Lancing College, and at the appropriately named Thundersbarrow Hill, on the Downs behind Shoreham.

Snow

No sleet or snow fell during August. 

Wind

August was another ‘westerly’ month with winds from the southwest, west or northwest recorded on around two thirds of the days. During the second week of the month winds were mostly from between southeast and northeast and this coincided with the hot weather. There were some onshore sea breezes, but on the hottest day, the 9th, although a light southerly sea breeze affected Shoreham Airport and lowered the temperature from 33 Celsius (91F) to 30 Celsius (86F) for a while in the afternoon, the breeze failed to reach this part of central Shoreham and the temperature continued to rise to a stifling 35.4 Celsius (96F). Generally, winds were light during the first half of August, but were fresh, occasionally strong, after mid month. On the 25th winds were exceptionally strong for August with southwesterly gales during the afternoon and evening. At Shoreham Airport, there were no gusts above 30 knots (34 mph) during the first 20 days of the month, but southwesterly winds increased in the early hours of the 21st, peaking at 36 knots (41 mph) around mid morning. It stayed windy through the rest of the day, but it was a gentle breeze compared with the storm that appeared on the 25th. For much of the day, and well into the night gusts exceeded 30 knots (34 mph) and on several occasions 40 knots (46 mph) were recorded. The top gust was 51 knots (58 mph) and this was the highest August gust in Shoreham for 28 years. Southwesterly gusts reached 32 knots (37 mph) on the afternoon of the 26th, with 34 knots (39 mph) occurring in the evening on the 27th. Finally, a northerly wind produced a gust of 31 knots (34 mph) late on the morning of the 30th.    

Fog

There was no fog observed in this part of Shoreham during August, although both the 14th and 15th were quite misty, especially during the mornings.

Statistics for August 2020

Reporting Station	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham Airport	33.2	8.9	47	13	12
Thorney Island	33.1	9.4	72	22	16
Farnborough	35.2	5.3	85	35	13
Herstmonceux	34.5	8.8	47	12	13
Bournemouth (Hurn)	32.9	6.4	102	30	13
Middle Wallop	33.9	8.8	103	23	16
Dieppe	32.1	11.5	43	17	14

Dry, but Rather Cool and Breezy

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during July 2020 in Shoreham was 21.6 Celsius (71F), and that was around 2 Celsius (3.5F) below normal for the time of year.  The average minimum temperature was 13.3 Celsius (56F), and that was also about 2 Celsius (3.5F) below the July normal.    

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 30.3 Celsius (86F) on the 31st, but there were only 2 other days with maxima above 25 Celsius (77F). The 16th had a high of 25.2 Celsius (77F), and 28.7 Celsius (84F) was recorded on the 30th. On the majority of days (16) the temperature rose to between 20 and 23 Celsius (68-73F), but there were many cool days too. On 9 occasions the temperature failed to reach 20 Celsius (68F), although only 2 of these cooler days had maxima below 18 Celsius (64F). On the 4th, a high of 17.8 Celsius (64F) occurred, with 17.9 Celsius (64F) recorded on the 25th.

Several warm nights occurred in July. On 11 nights minima were above 15 Celsius (59F), although only 2 nights had minimum temperatures above 17 Celsius (63F). The 25th had a low of 17.2 Celsius (63F), and on the last night of the month a minimum of 18.9 Celsius (66F) occurred. There was an abundance of cool nights, especially during the first half of July, In the second week of July, there were 3 consecutive nights with minima below 10 Celsius (50F). The first of these, the 11th, produced the lowest temperature of the month, 9.0 Celsius (48F). The only other night with a minimum below 10 Celsius (50F), was the 29th when 9.7 Celsius (50F) occurred.

The sea temperature was around 17 Celsius (63F) at the beginning of July, rising to 18 or 19 Celsius (64-66F) by mid month and staying at these values for the remainder of the month.

Frost

No frost occurred during July. The lowest grass temperature was 5.6 Celsius (42F) on the 7th, 11th and 12th.   

Rain

Rainfall in July amounted to 28.6 millimetres (1.1 ins.). This was just over 50% of the monthly average. There were 11 days of measurable rain, and that was 3 days above average.  The only wet month so far this year was February, and since then the rainfall deficit has averaged at more than 50%. After a dry start to July, rain and drizzle overnight on the 3rd produced 4 millimetres (0.15 ins.). A mix of dry and damp days occurred until the 24th with only 2 days, the 7th and 13th, having over 2 millimetres (0.08 ins.) of rain. The only substantial rain of the month occurred on the 25th when the gauge collected 13.9 millimetres (0.5 ins.). More rain fell on both the 26th and 27th, but totals were once again only around 2 millimetres (0.08 ins.).

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham during July.

Thunder

There was no thunder heard in this part of Shoreham during July.

Snow

No sleet or snow fell during July. 

Wind

July was another ‘westerly’ month with winds from the southwest recorded on more than half the days. Around half the remaining days had northwesterly winds. On other days the wind was either variable or from the north or south. In fact, the 30th was the only day with winds from the easterly quadrant dominating. The month was notable for many cool and fresh afternoon sea breezes from the southwest. At Shoreham Airport, southwesterly gusts reached 33 knots (38 mph) on the afternoon and evening of the 3rd, with gusts frequently between 30 and 34 knots (32-39 mph) throughout the 4th. The breezy weather continued through the 5th, peaking at 37 knots (42 mph) during the afternoon. Southwesterly gusts reached 33 knots (38 mph) on the afternoon of the 26th, and 34 knots (39 mph) on the following afternoon. Although there were no more gusts above 30 knots (34 mph), many other afternoons had sea breeze gusts between 25 and 30 knots (29-34 mph) in a month when ‘beach days’ were a rarity.    

Fog

There was no fog observed in this part of Shoreham during July.

Statistics for July 2020

Reporting Station	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham Airport	28.3	6.9	26	14	10
Thorney Island	29.0	7.3	22	8	9
Farnborough	35.4	4.9	23	5	11
Herstmonceux	33.7	8.2	39	13	12
Bournemouth (Hurn)	27.3	5.4	29	13	9
Middle Wallop	31.0	6.6	28	6	11
Dieppe	39.0	8.4	16	6	10

Dry, and at times, Warm

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during June 2020 in Shoreham was 21.2 Celsius (70F), and that was close to normal for the time of year.  The average minimum temperature was 13.0 Celsius (55F), and that was also around the June average.    

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 31.5 Celsius (89F) on the 24th, but the following day was only 0.4 Celsius (<1F) less warm. There were only 3 other days when the temperature rose above 25 Celsius (77F), the 1st, 2nd and 23rd, with the highest temperature 27.7 Celsius (82F) occurring on the 2nd. A further 9 days had maxima above 20 Celsius (68F), including 5 consecutive days commencing on the 13th. A few cool days occurred, and on 5 occasions the temperature failed to rise above 18 Celsius (64F). The coolest day was the 6th with a high of 14.2 Celsius (58F), but the temperature only reached 15.6 Celsius (60F) on the 10th, with 16.6 Celsius (62F) recorded on the 30th.

Warm nights occurred during June, but minimum temperatures above 15 Celsius (59F) were confined to the last week of the month. In fact, 4 consecutive nights, beginning on the 24th, had minima above 15 Celsius, including lows of 20.1 Celsius (68F) on the 25th, and 19.1 Celsius (66F) on the 26th. Several cool nights occurred during June, but of the 11 nights with minima below 12 Celsius (54F), only 3 occurred after mid month. Just 3 of these cooler nights had lows under 10 Celsius (50F). On both the 6th and 7th minima of 7.6 Celsius (46F) occurred, with 9.1 Celsius (48F) measured on the 22nd.

The sea temperature was around 15 Celsius (59F) at the beginning of June, but for most of the month it was around 17 Celsius (63F).

Frost

No frost occurred during June. The lowest grass temperature was 2.8 Celsius (37F) on the 7th.   

Rain

Rainfall in June amounted to 20.8 millimetres (0.8 ins.). This was about 40% below average for the month. There were 13 days of measurable rain, and that was 4 days above average.  Although rain returned in June on a regular basis, it was always too light to soak into the ground and the grass remained brown. The first measurable rain for 30 days fell on the 3rd, but the total was only 0.8 millimetres (0.03 ins.). Rain fell again on the 6th, and the 7th was the second wettest day of the month. However, only 2.6 millimetres (0.1 ins.) were recorded. Another 2 millimetres (0.08 ins.) fell on the 10th, with the same amount falling on the 12th. Less than 2 millimetres (0.08 ins.) was measured on 4 occasions between the 13th and 25th, but 2.4 millimetres (0.1 ins.) fell on the 26th. Both the 27th and 29th had a little rain, but the last day of the month was the wettest with the rain-gauge collecting 3.2 millimetres (0.13 ins.).

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham during June.

Thunder

There was distant thunder, mainly to the north and east, in the early hours of the 26th.

Snow

No sleet or snow fell during June. 

Wind

West to southwesterly winds were dominant during June, accounting for almost half the daily observations. A few rather cool breezes from between northwest and northeast occurred during the first couple of weeks of June, and warm east to southeasterly breezes blew at the beginning of the last week of the month. Fresh or strong southwesterly sea breezes spoilt many afternoons during June, although the strong winds were often accompanied by sunny skies as shower clouds were pushed well inland. At Shoreham Airport, southwesterly gusts reached 32 knots (36 mph) on the afternoon of the 6th, and 35 knots (40 mph) on the 27th, but in between there were several afternoons with gusts in the range 25 to 30 knots (29-34 mph). There were many gusts of 35 knots (40 mph) in the afternoon and evening of the 28th, with 37 knots (42 mph) from the southwest again, on the afternoon of the 29th.    

Fog

There was no fog observed in this part of Shoreham during June, but sea mist occurred from late morning until mid afternoon on the 26th, and this reduced visibility to within fog limits close to the beach and over the Downs..

Statistics for June 2020

Reporting Station	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham Airport	29.5	5.5	25	7	13
Thorney Island	29.8	7.5	35	14	13
Gatwick A/P	32.3	6.5	51	14	15
Herstmonceux	31.6	6.0	47	20	15
Bournemouth (Hurn)	31.3	4.2	60	17	18
Middle Wallop	32.1	5.6	52	7	17
Dieppe	32.9	7.5	32	6	17

Exceptionally Dry and Sunny

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during May 2020 in Shoreham was 19.3 Celsius (67F), and that was about 0.5 Celsius (<1F) above normal for the time of year.  The average minimum temperature was 9.0 Celsius (48F), and that was around 0.5 Celsius (<1F) below the May normal.    

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 25.3 Celsius (78F) on the 30th, but the following day was only 0.2 Celsius (<0.5F) less warm. There were 7 other days when the temperature rose above 23 Celsius (73F). Most of these warmer days were after the 19th, but there were 2 exceptions, the 8th and 9th. On the 9th, the temperature peaked at 24.5 Celsius (76F). No particularly cold days occurred during May, but on 5 occasions the temperature failed to rise above 15 Celsius (59F). On the 3rd, a high of 13.8 Celsius (57F) occurred, and there were 4 consecutive cool days beginning on the 11th. On both the 11th and 13th maximum temperatures were 13.2 Celsius (56F).

No warm nights occurred during May, in fact, there were only 12 nights with minimum temperatures above 10 Celsius (50F). The mildest night was the 22nd with a low of 14.4 Celsius (58F). Only 2 of the milder nights occurred before the 20th, but on the 10th a minimum of 12.6 Celsius (55F) was recorded, a value matched on the last night of the month. The coolest nights occurred late in the second week and at the beginning of the third week. On 4 nights, these all occurring between the 11th and 15th, minimum temperatures were below 6 Celsius (43F), with 2 of these cooler nights having lows under 3 Celsius (37F). On the 12th, a low of 2.6 Celsius (37F) occurred, with 2.8 Celsius (37F) measured on the 15th.

The sea temperature was around 12 or 13 Celsius (54-55F) for much of the month, but it rose to 15 Celsius (59F) during the last week.

Frost

No frost occurred during May. The lowest grass temperature was 0.6 Celsius (33F) on the 15th.   

Rain

Rainfall in May amounted to 0.4 millimetres (0.02 ins.). This was about 1% of the average for the month. There was only 1 day of measurable rain, and that was 9 days below average.  This was the driest May on record in the area. In May 1989, the previous driest, rainfall in, and around, Shoreham was 3 to 5 millimetres (0.1 ins.), and in May 1896, although parts of southwest England had less than 0.4 millimetres (0.02 ins.), Sussex had 5 to 10 millimetres (0.2-0.4 ins.). Rainfall records prior to 1860 were sparse, but it’s probable that no May has been drier in Shoreham for at least 160 years. Although showers fell on the 1st, the measurable rain occurred before 0900 UTC and was added to the April total. Rain and drizzle fell on the 3rd and this produced the only measurable rain (0.4 millimetres (0.02 ins.)). There was light rain on both the 10th and 22nd, and a shower fell on the 23rd, but none of these events dampened the ground. Not only was it extremely dry, it was also unusually sunny. There were 15 days with unbroken sunshine from dawn to dusk. Preliminary figures suggest around 300 hours of sunshine for the month in the Shoreham area. For England as a whole, it was the sunniest month of any since records began in 1929, although it may well have been sunnier in July 1911 (before official records began)

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham during May.

Thunder

No thunder was heard in this part of Shoreham during May.

Snow

No sleet or snow fell during May. 

Wind

The month varied between northeasterly winds, these quite brisk at times, and mainly occurring during the first half of May, and northwesterly winds, that often became brisk southwesterly sea breezes during the afternoons. The sea breezes mostly occurred during the third and fourth weeks. At Shoreham Airport, southwesterly winds gusted to 32 knots (37 mph) on the afternoon of the 1st, but then winds became mainly northeasterly. On the evening of the 10th gusts of 38 knots (43 mph) were recorded, with 39 knots (45 mph) measured on the following morning. Southwesterly winds had returned by the 22nd, and sea breeze enhancement produced gusts of 32 knots (37 mph) on the afternoon of the 22nd, and 39 knots (45 mph) on the afternoon of the 23rd. These were the last significant gusts of the month.    

Fog

There was no fog observed in Shoreham during May.

Statistics for May 2020

Reporting Station	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham Airport	23.9	1.4	0.4	0.4	1
Thorney Island	23.9	1.5	1	1	1
Gatwick A/P	27.5	-0.5	1	1	1
Herstmonceux	25.3	1.3	2	1	4
Bournemouth (Hurn)	25.3	-0.5	0.6	0.4	2
Middle Wallop	24.9	-0.6	1	0.6	3
Dieppe	23.2	1.8	9	8	4

Warm and Rather Dry

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during April 2020 in Shoreham was 16.7 Celsius (62F), and that was about 2 Celsius (3.5F) above normal for the time of year.  The average minimum temperature was 7.2 Celsius (45F), and that was around 0.5 Celsius (<1F) above the April normal. It was the warmest April in the area for 9 years.    

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 22.8 Celsius (73F) on the 9th, but the following day was only 0.1 Celsius (<0.2F) less warm. There were 6 other days when the temperature rose above 20 Celsius (68F). No particularly cold days occurred during April. In fact, only 9 days had maximum temperatures below 14 Celsius (57F). Of these cooler days, just 3 had maxima below 12 Celsius (54F) On the 1st, a high of 11.4 Celsius (52F) was recorded, with 11.1 Celsius (52F) occurring on the 13th. However, the coolest day of the month was the 28th when the temperature struggled to 10.8 Celsius (51F).

A few mild nights occurred during April, and on 4 occasions minima were above 10 Celsius (50F). On the 6th and 17th lows were between 10 and 11 Celsius (50-52F), but 11.7 Celsius (53F) was recorded on the 10th, and 13.3 Celsius (56F) occurred on the following night, the mildest night of the month. On most nights (17) minima were within the range of 6 to 10 Celsius (43-50F), but several colder nights occurred. However, only 2 nights had minimum temperatures below 3 Celsius (37F). The 15th had a low of 2.5 Celsius (37F), but the first night of the month was coldest with 0.2 Celsius (32F) recorded.

The sea temperature rose steadily during the first 3 weeks from 8 or 9 Celsius (46-48F), to 11 or 12 Celsius (52-54F), where it remained for the rest of the month.

Frost

No air frosts occurred during April, but there were 4 grass frosts. On the 1st, a grass minimum of minus 3.3 Celsius (26F) occurred, but the other grass frosts were very slight, with minus 0.6 Celsius (31F) recorded on both the 4th and 7th, with minus 1.1 Celsius (30f) noted on the 15th.   

Rain

Rainfall in April amounted to 26.6 millimetres (1.1 ins.). This was about 20% below average for the month. There were only 5 days of measurable rain, and that was 5 days below average.  Although a little rain fell early on the 6th, it was not enough to trouble the rain-gauge. The first measurable rain, the first for 19 days, was not until the 17th when 5.4 millimetres (0.2 ins.) fell, with most of the rain falling in the early hours of the 18th. Another 9 days passed before further rain fell, during which time there were 6 days (19th-24th) when there was unbroken sunshine from dawn to dusk. Rain late on the evening of the 27th continued overnight with 8.8 millimetres (0.35 ins.) recorded by 0900 UTC. on the 28th. The remainder of the month was changeable with showers or longer spells of rain. Each of the last 4 days of the month had measurable rain, including 7.8 millimetres (0.3 ins.) on the 29th.

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham during April.

Thunder

No thunder was heard in this part of Shoreham during April. However, lightning was seen towards the south on 3 evenings, the 16th, 17th and 30th.

Snow

No sleet or snow fell during April. 

Wind

There were a few occasions during the first week, and again at the end of the month, when winds blew from the southwest or northwest, but unusually, from the 9th to the 25th breezes were constantly from between southeast and northeast. On most days the wind was light or moderate, but fresh, occasionally strong, northeast winds occurred during the third week, and southwesterlies gave a blustery end to the month.. At Shoreham Airport, northeast winds gusted to 32 knots (37 mph) on the morning of the 13th, and to a similar velocity around lunch-time on the 21st. On the afternoon of the 30th southwest winds gusted to 36 knots (41 mph).    

Fog

There was early fog on the morning of the 4th.

Statistics for April 2020

Reporting Station	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham Airport	20.9	-1.1	42	17	5
Thorney Island	20.7	-0.6	70	20	6
Gatwick A/P	24.7	-3.2	43	22	5
Herstmonceux	24.3	-0.4	41	13	6
Bournemouth (Hurn)	23.2	-3.3	51	18	6
Middle Wallop	24.2	-1.5	67	24	6
Dieppe	22.3	0.4	27	12	10

Rather Dry and Sunny

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during March 2020 in Shoreham was 10.9 Celsius (52F), and that was close to normal for the time of year.  The average minimum temperature was 4.8 Celsius (41F), and that was also very close to the March normal. The mean temperature for the month was only 0.1 Celsius (<0.2F) higher than that of February.    

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 13.7 Celsius (57F) on the 27th, and although no other days had a maximum above 13 Celsius (55F), there were 6 days with highs above 12 Celsius (54F), and a further 11 days when 11 Celsius (52F) was exceeded.  No cold days occurred during March, but on 8 occasions the maximum temperature was below 10 Celsius (50F). However, only 3 of these highs were below 9 Celsius (48F), and just 1 maximum was under 8 Celsius (46F). On the 5th, the temperature peaked at just 7.1 Celsius (45F).

Several mild nights occurred during the second and third weeks of March, with 7 nights, all between the 8th and 19th, having minimum temperatures above 7 Celsius (45F). On 2 of these milder nights the temperature stayed above 9 Celsius (48F). The mildest night was the 11th with a low of 9.9 Celsius (50F). There were many nights with minima close to 5 Celsius (41F), but a few cooler nights occurred, more especially during the first and last weeks of March. On 6 occasions the temperature fell below 3 Celsius (37F), and on 3 of these colder nights the minima were below 1 Celsius (34F). The coldest night was the 3rd when a minimum of minus 0.5 Celsius (31F) was recorded.

The sea temperature was between 8 and 9 Celsius (46-48F) throughout the month.

Frost

Only 1 air frost occurred during March, and that was on the 3rd. However, there were 7 grass frosts. A total of 4 grass frosts occurred on the first 9 nights of March, with a further 2 during the last week of the month. On both the 4th and 7th the grass temperature fell to minus 5 Celsius (23 F), but on the 3rd a minimum of minus 6.1 (21F) was measured.   

Rain

Rainfall in March amounted to 42.4 millimetres (1.7 ins.). This was about 30% below average for the month. There were 15 days of measurable rain, and that was 4 days below average.  The changeable weather of February spilled over into early March, and during the first half of the month there were only 2 completely dry days, the 2nd and 6th. The heaviest rain generally occurred towards the beginning of the month, with a decrease in daily totals as mid month approached. Rainfall on the 4th was 6 millimetres (0.2 ins.) with 14.6 millimetres (0.6 ins.) falling on the 5th. Another 5.2 millimetres (0.2 ins.) fell on the 9th, but the 4.4 millimetres (0.15 ins.) that were recorded on the 13th, was followed by only 1 more day of rainfall exceeding 1 millimetre. In fact, the weather became unusually sunny. Although there was patchy thin high cloud, each day between the 21st and 27th had unbroken sunshine. Rainfall for the second half of March was only 3.2 millimetres (0.1 ins.) with most of the rain falling on the 29th when showers gave a total of 2.0 millimetres (0.08 ins.).

Hail

Soft hail, or graupel, was observed in the showers that fell during the afternoon of the 29th.

Thunder

No thunder was heard in Shoreham in March.

Snow

There was a little sleet observed in Shoreham during the afternoon showers on the 29th. 

Wind

During the first half of March, winds were mainly blowing from between southwest and northwest and they were often quite strong. After mid month, northeasterly winds were dominant, and on several days, these were also fairly brisk. At Shoreham Airport, a gust of 45 knots (51 mph) during the last hour of February, was followed by several gusts of 34 knots (39 mph) from the southwest during the morning of the 1st. The 8th was the next breezy day with a southwesterly gust of 37 knots (42 mph) early in the morning. The southwesterly winds strengthened again on the evening of the 9th with gusty fresh or strong winds continuing through the 10th with several gusts between 30 and 34 knots (34-39 mph). After a brief lull, a gust of 33 knots (38 mph) occurred on the evening of the 11th, followed by 39 knots (45 mph) on the morning of the 12th. The breeze became much lighter for a while before the arrival of the northeasterlies. Gusts stayed below 30 knots (34 mph) until the 28th, but then frequent strong gusts occurred, with 39 knots (45 mph) in the late afternoon, with 40 knots (46 mph) recorded late morning. The wind slowly died out with the last significant gusts occurring in the evening of the 29th.   

Fog

No fog was observed in this part of Shoreham during March.

Statistics for March 2020

Reporting Station	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham Airport	13.2	-2.5	53	20	14
Thorney Island	13.5	0.3	50	19	13
Gatwick A/P	14.3	-2.9	57	21	18
Herstmonceux	13.2	-0.5	69	37	17
Bournemouth (Hurn)	14.9	-2.9	46	18	14
Middle Wallop	14.6	-2.1	57	14	15
Dieppe	14.6	0.1	59	14	16