Category: News & Leisure

                                              Changeable and Rather Mild

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during October 2024 in Shoreham was 16.7 Celsius (62F), and that was around 1 Celsius (1.8F) above the long-term average, but near average for the last 10 years. In fact,  average  day-time temperatures during October were the 16th highest in the area since 1880. The average minimum temperature was 10.8 Celsius (51F), and that was over 1 Celsius (<2F) above the long-term October normal, but nearer 0.5  Celsius (1F) above normal compared with short-term averages.   Night-time temperatures in the area were the 14th highest since 1880.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 20.7 Celsius (69F) on the 16th, with the second highest 19.3 Celsius (67F) on the 7th. A further 4 days had maxima above 18 Celsius (64F), with all of these milder days occurring before the 20th. On most other days (19) the highest temperature ranged from 15 to 18 Celsius (59-64F). On 6 days the temperature failed to reach 15 Celsius (59F), but only 2 of these cooler days had highs below 14 Celsius (57F). The 10th had a maximum of 13.0 Celsius (55F), and the 13th had a high of 11.8 Celsius (52F).       

There were no exceptionally mild nights during October, but the 16th had a low of 15.8 Celsius (60F), and 3 nights, the 8th, 17th and 19th, had minima above 14 Celsius (57F). A further 5 nights had minima above 13 Celsius (55F). Only 10 nights had minimum temperatures below 10 Celsius (50F), with 6 of these cooler nights occurring before mid month. Only 3 of these nights had lows  under 6 Celsius (43F). On the 4th, a minimum of 4.8 Celsius (41F) occurred, with 5.2 and 5.8 Celsius (41-42F) occurring on the 11th and 22nd respectively.   

The sea temperature, around 17 or 18 Celsius (63-64F) at the beginning of October,  slowly decreased to 15 Celsius (59F) by the end of the month.

 

Frost

 

There were no frosts in October. The lowest grass temperature was 1.1 Celsius (34F),  on the 4th. 

 

Rain

 

Rainfall during October amounted to 100.0  millimetres (3.9 ins.), which was around 30% above the long-term average, but 20% below the short-term average. Measurable rain fell on 21 days, which was 2 days above the average, and wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.), or more, of rain falls) numbered 17, which was  4 days above the average.  Showery rain produced 1.4 millimetres (0.06 ins.) on the 1st, but no measurable rain fell on the following 4 days. Rain and drizzle during the afternoon  and evening of the 6th,  heralded a spell of very unsettled weather. In fact, there were no completely dry days between the 6th and 23rd inclusive, although on 1 day, the 17th, the 0.4 millimetres (0.02 ins.) that was measured,  was the result of a heavy dew and wet fog. On many days during this changeable spell, precipitation was light, but daily totals between 4 and 7 millimetres (0.16 and 0.28 ins.) occurred on the 7th, 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd, with 7.8 and 7.4 millimetres (0.31 and 0.29 ins.) on the 16th and 18th respectively. The highest rainfall totals occurred on 2 days. On the 8th, there were many heavy showers, these leading to a total of 16.2 millimetres (0.64 ins.) for the day. Heavy rain overnight on the 13th/14th produced the wettest day of the month, with 18.6 millimetres (0.73 ins.) recorded in the 24 hours ending at 0900 UTC. on the 14th.  

 

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham during the month.  

 

Thunder

There was just 1 rumble of thunder heard in this part of Shoreham during October. This was late in the evening on the 8th.

 

Snow

 

No sleet or snow was observed in Shoreham.

 

Wind

 

Although October was an unsettled month, the deepest depressions stayed well away from southern England, except for a time at the end of the first week. As a result,  winds were generally much lighter than in an average October. Southwesterly winds were dominant, but only just, with winds also blowing from southeasterly and northwesterly directions, these each accounting for 20% of the daily observations. At Shoreham Airport, southwesterly gusts reached 33 knots (38 mph) on the evening of the 8th, with 31 knots (35 mph) from the same direction at midnight.  The only other gusts above 30 knots (34 mph) during October,  occurred around lunchtime on the 20th, when southwesterly gusts peaked at 35 knots (40 mph).

 

 

Fog

 

There were several drizzly, misty spells with hill fog, and on the 17th there was overnight fog, but this had cleared by mid morning.

 

Statistics for October 2024

 

Reporting Site	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham A/P	19.6	3.1			21
Thorney Island	20.0	4.4			22
Gatwick A/P	21.9	1.8			21
Herstmonceux	21.7	1.8			22
Bournemouth (Hurn)	18.2	1.4			17
Middle Wallop	18.5	1.5			18
Dieppe	24.4	4.0	68	13	19

• Rainfall totals unreliable for all English stations

                                                                       Very Wet

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during September 2024 in Shoreham was 19.7 Celsius (68F), and that was around 1 Celsius (1.8F) above the long-term average, but nearly 1 degree Celsius  (1.8F) below the average for the last 10 years. In fact,  average  day-time temperatures this September were the 29th highest in the area since 1880, but it was also the coolest September for 6 years. The average minimum temperature was 12.4 Celsius (54F), and that was around 1 Celsius (<2F) above the long-term September normal, but near normal compared with short-term averages.    

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 29.3 Celsius (85F) on the 1st, but the second highest was only 25.0 Celsius (77F) on the 19th. A further 2 days had maxima over 23 Celsius (73F). Both the 20th and 21st had a high of 23.9 Celsius (75F). There were 2 rather warm spells in September. From the 1st to 4th inclusive, and from the 18th and 21st inclusive, temperatures rose above 20 Celsius (68F). Just 1 other day, the 8th, with a high of 20.9 Celsius (70F), had a maximum temperature above 20 Celsius (68F). Most other maxima ranged from 15 to 20 Celsius (59-68F), On 5 of these cooler days the temperature failed to rise above 17 Celsius (63F), including the last 3 days of the month. There was just 1 day, the 27th, when the temperature stayed below 15 Celsius (59F). On that day, the temperature peaked at 13.7 Celsius (57F).       

There were several warm nights during September, these mainly occurred during the first and third weeks of the month. On the 2nd, a minimum of 18.3 Celsius (65F) occurred, with 17.0 Celsius (63F) recorded on the following night.  A further 6 nights had lows above 15 Celsius (59F), including the 1st, 19th and 22nd with lows of 16.6, 16.5 and 16.1 Celsius (62-61F) respectively. On most other nights the minimum temperature ranged from 10 to 15 Celsius (50-59F). There were 8 exceptions. Both the 28th and 29th had minima of 6.9 Celsius (45F), but all the other cool nights occurred between the 10th and 15th. Only 2 of these nights had a temperature below 7 Celsius (45F). A minimum of 5.9 Celsius (43F) was measured on the 13th, but the coolest night of the month was the 14th,  when 4.7 Celsius (40F) was recorded.   

The sea temperature was 19 or 20 Celsius (66-68F) at the beginning of September, but fell to 18 Celsius (64F) during the second week, and to 17 Celsius (63F) at times during the last week of the month.

 

Frost

 

There were no frosts in September. The lowest grass temperature was 1.1 Celsius (34F),  on the 14th. 

 

Rain

 

Rainfall in September amounted to 158.3 millimetres (6.2 ins.), which was around 2.5 times  the monthly average. Locally, it appears to be the 4th wettest September since records began in 1880. In recent years, the Septembers of 1976 and 1999 had comparable amounts of rain, but the Septembers of both 1974 and 1975 were both wetter. Measurable rain fell on 18 days, which was 6 days above the average, and wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.), or more, of rain falls) numbered 13, which was also 6 days above the average.  Although the 1st was dry during the day, rain fell overnight, and further rain fell during the 2nd leading to a total for the day of 6.8 millimetres (0.27 ins.). Heavy rain fell at times on both the 5th and 6th,  leading to daily totals of 25.4 millimetres (1 in.) and 11.2 millimetres (0.44 ins.) respectively. Thereafter, rainfall was less intense for a while. Although 4.6 millimetres (0.18 ins.) of rain fell on the 10th, the period between the 7th and 19th only yielded  7.4 millimetres (0.29 ins.) of rain. In fact,  no measurable rain fell between the 12th and 19th. Rain returned on the night of the 20th, and, at times, it was heavy. A total of 9.6 millimetres (0.38 ins.) on the 21st, was followed by 13.8 millimetres (0.54 ins.) on the 22nd. Worse was to follow, as a fall of 7.8 millimetres (0.31 ins.) on the 25th was followed by a very wet day and night on the 26th. The total for the day was 41.4 millimetres  (1.63 ins.). This was one of the heaviest daily falls in  recent years, but there was still more to come. Heavy overnight rain on the 29th/30th produced a further 21.3 millimetres (0.84 ins.) of rain.  

 

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham during the month.  

 

Thunder

There were 3 days when thunderstorms occurred during September. On the 5th, there was thunder at times from early to mid afternoon. Showery outbreaks of rain were accompanied by thunder after dawn on the 6th; and lightning and thunder occurred in the early hours of the 21st.

 

Snow

 

No sleet or snow was observed in Shoreham.

 

Wind

 

September was the first month this year that was not a ‘southwesterly month’. Winds from that direction only accounted for around 15% of the daily observations. Northwesterly predominated, but only with around 35% of the monthly total. Northeasterly winds occurred on over 25% of the days, with the remaining days of the month having variable winds. Overall, winds were lighter than in an average September, with the lightest winds occurring at the beginning of the month, and for much of the third week. At Shoreham Airport, the only really windy day was the 26th. Southwesterly gusts peaked at 41 knots (47 mph) during the middle of the afternoon, followed by westerly winds that reached 35 knots (40 mph) in the early hours of the 27th. On the evening of the 29th, southeasterly winds exceeded 30 knots (34 mph) on several occasions, before veering south to southwesterly overnight. Highest gusts, spanning midnight, were 32 or 33 knots (36-38 mph).

 

 

Fog

 

No fog was observed in this part of Shoreham during the month.

 

Statistics for September 2024

 

Reporting Site	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham A/P	28.8	4.1			18
Thorney Island	28.5	4.6			18
Gatwick A/P	27.8	1.7			18
Herstmonceux	29.6	3.6			19
Bournemouth (Hurn)	26.2	0.7			20
Middle Wallop	26.9	3.0			20
Dieppe	24.7	4.8	109	44	18

• Rainfall totals unreliable for all English stations

                               Changeable and Rather Wet

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during July 2024 in Shoreham was 22.0 Celsius (72F), and that was over 1 Celsius (2F) above the long-term average, but 1 degree Celsius (2F) below the average for the last 10 years. In fact, average  day-time temperatures this July were the 23rd highest since 1880. The average minimum temperature was 14.0 Celsius (57F), and that was less than 1 Celsius (<2F) below the July normal.    

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 30.8 Celsius (87F) on the 30th, but 29.7 Celsius (85F) was recorded on the 31st, with 27.9 Celsius (82F) occurring on the 29th. Only 2 other days had highs above 24 Celsius (75F). The 18th and 19th had highs of 25.9 and 26.1 Celsius (79F) respectively. Although many days (13) had maxima ranging from 20 to 23 Celsius (68-73F) , several cool days occurred, particularly early in July. On 10 occasions the temperature failed to reach 20 Celsius (68F), with 8 of the cool days occurring before mid-month. Only 3 days had maxima below 19 Celsius (66F). The 7th and 22nd both had highs of 18.8 Celsius (66F), but the maximum on the 25th was only 17.8 Celsius (64F).      

There were no particularly mild nights in July, but 18.1 Celsius (64F) was recorded on the 31st, with 17.2 Celsius (63F) occurring on the 21st, and 17.1 Celsius (63F) on the 30th. A further 6 nights had minima above 15 Celsius (59F), but the only fairly warm night before mid-month was the 10th with a low of 15.3 Celsius (60F). On most other nights the minimum temperature ranged from 12 to 15 Celsius (54-59F). There were 6 exceptions. Between the 11th and 15th there were 4 nights with minimum temperatures under 12 Celsius (54F). On the 27th a low of 11.7 Celsius (53F) occurred, but the only night with a minimum below 11 Celsius (52F) was the 8th,  when 10.3 Celsius (50F) was recorded.   

The sea temperature was mostly 19 Celsius (66F) throughout the month.

 

Frost

 

There were no frosts in July. The lowest grass temperature was 7.2 Celsius (45F) on the 8th. 

 

Rain

 

Rainfall in July amounted to 67.6 millimetres (2.66 ins.), which was around 35% above the monthly average. Measurable rain fell on 16 days, which was 6 days above the average, and wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.), or more, of rain falls) numbered 10, which was 3 days above the average. After a dry opening day of the month, light rain and showers fell on the 2nd and 3rd. The 4th was dry,  but the 5th was a most unpleasant day with periods of rain and drizzle through most of the day. The heaviest rain occurred overnight with 14.6 millimetres (0.57 ins.) attributable to the 4th. On the 5th, a further 6.2 millimetres were measured. Rain or showers, interspersed  with brief sunny or clear intervals continued for the following week, A total of 8.0 millimetres (0.31 ins.) occurred on the 8th, but after the 9th amounts of rain were small.  The 13th and 14th were completely dry, but heavy rain on the evening of the 15th produced 19.2 millimetres (0.76 ins.), making it the wettest day of the month. No measurable rain fell between the 17th and 20th, and although a few changeable days followed, the only daily rainfall total above 1 millimetres (0.04 ins.) was the 5.2 millimetres (0.20 ins.)  that fell on the 25th. It was dry again between the 26th and 30th. In fact, the second half of July only received 8.8 millimetres (0.35 ins.), just 13% of the monthly total. 

 

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham during the month.  

 

Thunder

No thunderstorms were observed in this part of Shoreham during the month.

 

Snow

 

No sleet or snow was observed in Shoreham.

 

Wind

 

July was very much a southwesterly month with winds from that quadrant blowing on almost 80% of the days.  Other days were cyclonic or variable, but at the end of the month there were a few days when northeasterly winds dominated. Winds were mainly gentle or moderate, but quite strong at times during the first week.  At Shoreham Airport, southwesterly winds gusted to 33 knots (38 mph) late in the afternoon of the 4th and to 32 knots (37 mph) from a similar direction on the afternoon of the 5th. A westerly wind produced several gusts of 31 and 32 knots (35-36 mph) on the afternoon of the 6th, but no further gusts exceeded 30 knots (34 mph) during the remainder of the month. 

 

 

Fog

 

No fog was observed in this part of Shoreham during the month, although the 22nd was misty all day with low cloud capping the Downs at times.

 

Statistics for July 2024

 

Reporting Site	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham A/P	29.5	7.8	65	18	14
Thorney Island	29.2	9.3	114	22	16
Gatwick A/P	31.6	6.7	122	25	12
Herstmonceux	30.8	8.9	109	23	15
Bournemouth (Hurn)	30.9	7.4	101	27	13
Middle Wallop	30.8	7.5	79	21	12
Dieppe	30.9	10.9	45	8	16

• Rainfall totals unreliable for all English stations

                                                         Dry, and Chilly Nights

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during June 2024 in Shoreham was 20.5 Celsius (69F), and that was over 1 Celsius (2F) above the long-term average, but 1 degree Celsius (2F) below the average for the last 10 years. In fact, it was the 15th warmest June in the area since 1880. Between 1940 and 2005 only the June of 1976 was warmer. The average minimum temperature was 11.3 Celsius (52F), and that was around 2 Celsius (3.5F) below the June normal.    

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 29.4 Celsius (85F) on the 25th, but 28.3 Celsius (83F) was recorded on the 26th. The next highest temperature was 23.7 Celsius (75F) on the 18th, although only the 28th, with a high of 19.9 Celsius (68F), failed to reach 20 Celsius (68F) during the rest of the month. Prior to the 18th, only 2 days, the 2nd and 3rd, had highs above 20 Celsius (68F). On these 2 days maxima were 21.7 and 21.8 Celsius (71F) respectively. On all other days, the maximum temperature ranged from 17 and 20 Celsius (63-68F) with the lowest value of 17.4 Celsius (63F) occurring on the 11th, 13th and 15th.      

There were no particularly mild nights in June. The highest minimum was 15.5 Celsius (60F) on the 26th, but 14.9 Celsius (59F) occurred on the 27th, and 14.2 Celsius (58F) occurred on both the 22nd and 24th. A further 11 nights had minima above 11 Celsius (52F), but only 3 of these less cool nights occurred before mid-month. On 10 nights the temperature fell below 10 Celsius (50F), but only 1 of these coolest nights occurred after mid-month. On the 20th a low of 9.3 Celsius (49F) was recorded. Only 4 nights, the 7th, 8th, 11th and 13th, had minima below 9 Celsius (48F), with just 1 of these nights, the 13th, dipping below 8 Celsius (46F). On the 13th, a minimum of 7.6 Celsius (46F) occurred.   

The sea temperature rose slowly from 15 Celsius (59F) at the beginning of June, to 17 Celsius (63F) around mid-month, to 18 or 19 Celsius (64-66F) during the last week of June.

 

Frost

 

There were no frosts in June. The lowest grass temperature was 3.3 Celsius (38F) on the 13th. 

 

Rain

 

Rainfall in June amounted to 18.6 millimetres (0.73 ins.), which was around 40% of the monthly average. Measurable rain fell on 6 days, which was 5 days below the average, and wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.), or more, of rain falls) numbered 5, which was 2 days below the average. The first measurable rain of the month fell in the early hours of 10th, but only 1.2 millimetres (0.05 ins.) accumulated in the rain gauge. On the 13th, outbreaks of rain from late afternoon gave 3.6 millimetres (0.14 ins.), with 9.0 millimetres (0.35 ins.) falling on the 14th, and a further 2.8 millimetres (0.11 ins.) on the 15th. Apart from a mere 0.2 millimetres (0.01 ins.) on the 18th, the only other recordable rain during June occurred in the early hours of the 22nd, when 1.8 millimetres (0.07 ins.) were measured. 

 

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham during the month.  

 

Thunder

The only lightning and thunder observed in this part of Shoreham during June occurred at 2244 local time on the 14th.

 

Snow

 

No sleet or snow was observed in Shoreham.

 

Wind

 

Apart from brief interludes, mainly during the first and third weeks, winds almost always blew from within the southwest or northwest quadrants, and between them they accounted for over 80% of the daily observations. The strongest winds generally occurred during afternoons, and mainly in the first half of the month. At Shoreham Airport, the only day when gusts exceeded 30 knots (34 mph) was the 15th, when several  gusts from the southwest during the day were above 30 knots (34 mph). The peak gust of 39 knots (44 mph) occurred early in the afternoon. 

 

 

Fog

 

No fog was observed in this part of Shoreham during the month.

 

Statistics for June 2024

 

Reporting Site	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham A/P	27.1	4.6	20	9	6
Thorney Island	26.1	6.1	21	6	6
Gatwick A/P	29.6	3.3	24	8	7
Herstmonceux	29.4	4.9	20	8	8
Bournemouth (Hurn)	27.1	3.3	16	7	6
Middle Wallop	28.3	4.3	16	6	9
Dieppe	21.7	6.9	33	8	15

• Rainfall totals unreliable for all English stations

                                                             Cloudy and Wet

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during April 2024 in Shoreham was 14.3 Celsius (58F), and that was close to the long-term average.  The  average minimum temperature was 7.6 Celsius (46F), and that was close to 1.5 Celsius (<3F) above the April normal. Only 1961, 2007 and 2018 appear to have had milder nights during April according to local records dating back to 1880.  

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 16.7 Celsius (62F) on both the 12th and 30th, but a further 4 days had maximum temperatures above 16.0 Celsius (61F). All of these milder days occurred before mid month. On most days (16), maximum temperatures ranged from 13 to 15 Celsius (55-59F), but there were 4 cooler days, with all of these occurring during the last 9 days of the month. On 3 occasions, the temperature failed to reach 12 Celsius (54F), with the lowest values,  of 11.7 and 11.1 Celsius (53 and 52F), occurring on the 24th and 26th respectively.   

The cloudy and breezy conditions that dominated the weather during April led to many mild nights. On the 6th, a minimum of 12.4 Celsius (54F) occurred, and a further 4 nights had minima above 10 Celsius (50F), including lows of 11.6 Celsius (53F) and 11.5 Celsius (53F) on the 5th and 11th respectively. All of these mildest nights occurred before the 13th. In fact, only 2 nights had minima below 8 Celsius (46F) before mid month, whereas after mid month only 1 night, the 29th, had a minimum temperature above 8 Celsius (46F). There were no particularly cold nights during April, although minima were below 4 Celsius (39F) on 5 occasions.  A low of 3.9 Celsius (39F) occurred on the 10th, and 3.4 Celsius (38F) was measured on both the 17th and 25th, but the lowest reading was 1.9 Celsius (36F) on  the 20th.   

The sea temperature slowly rose from 10 Celsius (50F) at the beginning of the month,  to between 11 and 12 Celsius (52-54F)  by the end of April.

 

Frost

 

There was no air frost during April, which was 1 frosty night below average.  Grass frost occurred on 4 nights, and that was 3 grass frosts below average. The 10th had a grass minimum of minus 1.1 Celsius (30F), with minus 1.7 Celsius (29F) recorded on both the 17th and 25th. The lowest grass temperature was minus 2.8 Celsius (27F) on the night of the 20th. 

 

Rain

 

Rainfall in April amounted to 58.6 millimetres (2.3 ins.),  which was around 50% above  the monthly average.   Measurable rain fell on 13 days, which was 5 days above the average, and  wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.), or more, of rain falls) numbered 10, which was 6 days above the average. After a dry opening day of the month, rain began falling on the afternoon of the 2nd, with 14.2 millimetres (0.56 ins.) measured on the following morning. A further 5.8 millimetres (0.23 ins) fell on the 3rd, with 3.6 millimetres (0.14 ins.) and 3.8 millimetres (0.15 ins.) falling on the 4th and 8th respectively. Only 9 millimetres (0.35 ins.) of rain fell between the 9th and 24th, with the heaviest fall of 4.6 millimetres (0.18 ins.) occurring on the 15th. Even so, the sky was often cloudy. The last week of the month was wet for  a while, with 6 millimetres (0.24 ins.) falling on the 26th, and another 14.2 millimetres (0.56 ins.) on the 27th. No measurable rain fell on the last 3 days of the month. 

 

Hail

Small hail fell in a shower late in the afternoon  of the 15th, and briefly settled on the grass and garden. Shallow drifts remained against west-facing structures until after nightfall.  

 

Thunder

Thunder was heard to the northeast mid to late afternoon on the 16th.

 

Snow

 

No sleet or snow was observed in this part of Shoreham.

 

Wind

 

Winds were predominantly from between southwest and northwest,  with winds from  easterly quadrants only accounting for 20% of the daily observations, with most of these winds occurring during the last week of April. It was quite breezy at times, but nothing too strong, except on the 15h. At  Shoreham Airport,  southwesterly winds gusted to 34 knots (39 mph) early in the afternoon on the 3rd,  with gusts again reaching 34 knots (39 mph) from the southwest early in the morning on the 4th. Southwesterly winds gusted to 31 knots (35 mph)  late in the evening on the 6th, but after a lull, the 9th was a breezy day with many gusts over 30 knots (34 mph) and a peak gust early in the morning of 39 knots (45 mph) from the southwest. The 15th was a particularly windy day with southwesterly gusts reaching 40 knots (46 mph) in the late morning, but no further gusts above 30 knots (34 mph) occurred during the remainder of April. 

 

 

Fog

 

Mist and fog occurred in the morning, and again in the evening, of the 11th.

 

Statistics for April 2024

 

Reporting Site	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham A/P	16.3	0.4	63	14	18
Thorney Island	15.9	2.5			16
Gatwick A/P	19.3	-0.5			16
Herstmonceux	18.2	2.7			22
Bournemouth (Hurn)	17.8	-0.2			18
Middle Wallop	19.1	1.1			17
Dieppe	23.1	1.9	47	7	20

• Rainfall totals unreliable for all stations

                                                   Extremely Mild and Wet

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during February 2024 in Shoreham was 11.1 Celsius (52F), and that was around  2 Celsius (>3F) above the long-term average. In local records dating back to 1880, it equalled the highest average day-time temperatures set in 2022.    The  average minimum temperature was 6.9 Celsius (45F), and that was over 3 Celsius (>5F) above the February normal. This surpassed the previous night-time record, set in 1995, by 1.0 Celsius (1.8F). Thus, the overall February temperature this year was the highest since before 1880 by a considerable margin.  

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 16.5 Celsius (62F) on the 18th, but there were 4 other days with maxima above 13 Celsius (55F), including a high of 14.2 Celsius (58F) on  the 15th, and 13.8 Celsius (57F) on the 16th.  A further 18 days had highs between 10 and 13 Celsius (50-55F). No  cold days occurred during February, but the maximum on the 7th was only 7.1 Celsius (45F), and 5 consecutive days, beginning on the 23rd, had highs under 10 Celsius (50F). However, none of these days were particularly cool, with the lowest maximum of 8.4 Celsius (46F). This occurred on the 25th.   

Many mild nights occurred during February, and on 4 occasions the temperature stayed above 10 Celsius (50F).  The minimum  on the 18th was 10.9 Celsius (52F), with 10.8 Celsius (51F) on the 15th, and 10.4 Celsius (51F) on the 14th. A further 7 nights had lows between 9 and 10 Celsius (48-50F). All other minima ranged between 4 and 9 Celsius (39-48F) with just 4 exceptions. The 12th had a low of 1.6 Celsius (35F), and the 27th had a minimum of 1.7 Celsius (35F), but the coldest nights of the month were the 24th and 25th, when the temperature dipped to minus 0.6 Celsius (31F) and minus 0.9 Celsius (30F) respectively.   

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

 

Frost

 

There were  2 air frosts during February, and that was 3 below average. The air frosts occurred on the nights of the 24th and 25th, and both were slight, with minima staying above minus 1 Celsius (30F). There were grass frosts on 6 nights, and that was 9 nights below the average.  The ground frosts on the 2nd, 12th and 13th were slight with grass temperatures above minus 2 Celsius (28F). A grass low of minus 2.1 Celsius (28F) was recorded on the 27th, but minus 5.0 Celsius (23F) occurred on the grass on 2 consecutive nights, the 24th and 25th. 

 

Rain

 

Rainfall in February amounted to 188.0 millimetres (7.4 ins.),  which was over 3 times the monthly average. It was the wettest February in the area since before 1880.  Measurable rain fell on 20 days, which was 4 days above the average, and  wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.), or more, of rain falls) numbered 16, which was 6 days above the average. No measurable rain fell on the first 4 days of the month, and this included the only 2 completely dry days, the 3rd and 4th. All other days had a minimum of a trace of rain (less than 0.05 millimetres). The first wet day was the 6th, when 17.2 millimetres (0.68 ins.) of rain fell. This was followed by 12.2 millimetres (0.48 ins.) and 18.4 millimetres (0.72 ins.) on the 7th and 8th respectively. Long periods of rain and drizzle gave 9.0 millimetres (0.35 ins.) on the 13th, and a further 13.0 millimetres (0.51 ins.) on the 14th. High pressure then developed and the barometric reading on the 17th was above 1030 millibars. Remarkably, however, this was the wettest day of the month with 31.4 millimetres (1.24 ins.) of rain falling. Pressure fell rapidly between the 20th and 21st, and both the 21st and 22nd were wet with 10.8 millimetres (0.43 ins.) and 13.2 millimetres (0.52 ins.) respectively. Wet weather on the afternoon  and evening of the 25th was followed by a wet night, and the total for the rainfall day (09-09 GMT) was 30.6 millimetres (1.2 ins.). After 2 days with just a trace of rain falling, the last 2 days of the month brought more rain and drizzle, and on the 29th, 15.4 millimetres (0.61 ins.) of rain fell.. 

 

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham during the month.  

 

Thunder

No thunder was heard in this part of Shoreham.

 

Snow

 

No sleet or snow was observed in this part of Shoreham.

 

Wind

 

Winds were predominantly from the southwest and accounted for just over half of the daily observations. A further 7 days had winds with a westerly component, and although another 7 days had winds with easterly components, these were usually transitory as areas of low pressure tracked over, or to the south of, southern England. The first week of the month and the last 10 days of the month were windy at times, although no especially windy days occurred. At Shoreham Airport,  westerly winds gusted to 31 knots (35 mph) in the early hours of the 5th, with brisk winds continuing through the 6th and peaking at 33 knots (38 mph) from the southwest in the late evening. Southerly winds gusted to 30 knots (34 mph) on the evening of the 8th, but thereafter the wind was often light until the afternoon of the 21st.  During the afternoon of the 21st, southwesterly gusts reached 32 knots (37 mph). Late in the afternoon of the 22nd, a vigorous cold front was accompanied by west-northwesterly winds gusting to 33 knots (38 mph), but the strongest winds of the month were yet to come,  and they were from an unusual direction. On the 26th, north-northeasterly winds blew for most of the day and there were many gusts above 30 knots (34 mph). The highest gusts were overnight and during the morning , with these peaking at 38 knots (43 mph). No further significant gusts occurred during the remainder of February.

 

 

Fog

 

Low cloud and mist thickened at times into fog on the morning of the 17th.

 

Statistics for February 2024

 

Reporting Site	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham A/P	16.5	-2.8			21
Thorney Island	15.5	-1.7			23
Gatwick A/P	16.7	-2.9			20
Herstmonceux	15.7	-1.2			21
Bournemouth (Hurn)	16.0	-3.2			23
Middle Wallop	15.8	-2.6			23
Dieppe	18.3	2.1	92	27	19

• Rainfall totals unreliable for all stations

                                                 A  Typical Winter Month

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during January 2024 in Shoreham was 7.8 Celsius (46F), and that was close to the long-term average.  The  average minimum temperature was 3.2 Celsius (38F), and that was also close to the January normal.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 12.3 Celsius (54F) on the 2nd, but 12.1 Celsius (54F) was recorded on the 3rd, and there were 11 other days when the temperature rose above 10 Celsius (50F). Each of the first 4 days of the month, and 9 of the last 11 days of January, had maxima above 10 Celsius (50F), with the latter mild spell peaking on the 24th when 11.7 Celsius  (53F) was recorded. A marked lowering of temperatures occurred at the end of the first week of January, and from the 7th to the 20th inclusive, maxima were below 7 Celsius (45F). On 7 of these colder days the temperature failed to rise above 4.1 Celsius (39F), including 4 consecutive days beginning on the 15th. There was no extreme cold, with the lowest maxima recorded being 2.1 Celsius (36F) on the 13th, and 3.2 and 3.3  Celsius (38F) on the 18th and 8th respectively.   

The only mild night of note during January was on the 2nd when a minimum of 10.7 Celsius (51F) occurred. However, the minimum on the 3rd was 9.3 Celsius (49F), and a further 4 nights had lows above 8 Celsius (46F), including a minimum of 8.9 Celsius (48F) on the 22nd. There were 16 nights with minima below 5 Celsius (41F), including 14 consecutive nights beginning on the 7th. The other 2 nights were the 23rd and 27th,  when lows of 2.7 Celsius (37F)  and 0.3 Celsius (32F) were recorded. Between the 7th and 20th, there was only 1 night with a minimum temperature above 2 Celsius (36F), namely the 12th when 4.8 Celsius (41F) occurred. The lowest temperatures were minus 5.8 Celsius (22F) on the 19th,  minus 4.9 Celsius (23F) on 16th, and minus 3,8 Celsius (25F) on both the 10th and 18th.  

The sea temperature was around 10 Celsius (50F) at first, but fell to 7 or 8 Celsius (45-46F) during the second week and remained at that level during the remainder of the month.

 

Frost

 

There were  7 air frosts during January, and that was 2 above average. All the air frosts occurred between the 10th and 20th,  including 5 of the 6 nights beginning on the 15th. The exception was the 17th, when a low of 1.7 Celsius (35F) occurred. All air frosts were ‘moderate’ in intensity, with each frosty night having a minimum temperature of minus 2 Celsius (28F), or lower.  There were grass frosts on 15 nights, and that was also 2 above average. Most of the grass frosts occurred between the 7th and 20th, including 5 consecutive nights beginning on the 7th, and 6 consecutive nights beginning on the 15th. The other nights with grass frosts were the 4th, 23rd, 27th and 28th. The lowest grass temperatures were minus 8.3 Celsius (17F) on the 19th, minus 6.7 Celsius (20F) on both the 18th and 20th, and minus 6.1 Celsius (21F) on both the 11th and 15th. 

 

Rain

 

Rainfall in January amounted to 82.8 millimetres (3.26 ins.),  which was slightly above the monthly average.  Measurable rain fell on 13 days, which was 4 days below the average, and  wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.), or more, of rain falls) numbered 9, which was also 4 days below the average. The first day of the month was the wettest, with 23.4 millimetres (0.92 ins.) of rain measured, but in a very wet start to the new year,  a further 8.8 millimetres (0.35 ins.) fell on the 2nd, with 6.4 millimetres (0.25 ins.) on the 3rd, and another 22.8 millimetres (0.9 ins.) on the 4th.  In fact, the 62.4 millimetres (2.46 ins.) that fell during the first 4 days of January, represented 75% of the monthly total. No measurable rain occurred between the 6th and 19th, except for 2.6 millimetres (0.1 ins.) on the 8th. Further rain  occurred at times between the 20th and 25th, but the only daily fall above 3 millimetres (0.12 ins.)   was on the 21st, when 9.4 millimetres (0.37 ins.) of rain were recorded. No measurable rain fell on the last 5 days of the month. 

 

Hail

Snow pellets (soft hail) fell for a while late on the morning of the 8th.  

 

Thunder

No thunder was heard in this part of Shoreham.

 

Snow

 

Drizzle was followed by snow grains, then snow pellets and snow on the morning of the 8th. During the afternoon of the 8th there were snow showers, with one heavy shower mid afternoon which produced 1 to 2 centimetres (<1in.) of lying snow. This snow lay on the grass and garden for the following 3 days.

 

Wind

 

Winds with a westerly component were dominant, but only just, with north to northeasterly winds blowing at times during the second week, east to southeasterly breezes in the last week, and with variable winds around mid-month.  The lightest winds occurred around mid month, with windy conditions during the first week and again around the fourth week.  At Shoreham Airport,  the year began windy with a westerly gust of 32 knots (37 mph) at midnight, and gusts from the southwest of 33 knots (38 mph) late in the evening on the 1st, rising to 35 knots (40 mph) at midnight on the 2nd.  The afternoon and early evening on the 2nd were very windy, with southwesterly gusts reaching 49 Knots (56 mph) in mid afternoon. An active Atlantic frontal system on the evening of the 4th produced southerly gusts of 31 knots (35 mph). The following northwesterly winds in the early hours of the 5th reached 38 knots (43 mph). A quieter spell of weather ended on the 20th,  and the 21st was a particularly windy day,, culminating in southwesterly gusts of 41 knots (47 mph) in the evening. Further gusts from the southwest reached 43 knots (49 mph) in the early hours of the 22nd. After a brief lull, southwesterly winds increased again on the afternoon of the 23rd with 36 knot (41 mph) gusts in the late afternoon, and a 35 knot (40 mph) gust at midnight on the 24th. Northwesterly winds gusted to 33 knots (38 mph) before dawn on the 26th, but this was the last gust above 30 knots (34 mph) during the month.

 

 

Fog

 

Some early fog occurred on the 25th, before lifting into low cloud that shrouded the Downs at times. On the 29th there was sea fog during the morning, and visibility was as low as 50 to 100 metres for a while.

 

Statistics for January 2024

 

Reporting Site	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham A/P	12.7	-7.1	96	35	13
Thorney Island	13.2	-5.9	106	28	12
Gatwick A/P	12.8	-7.9	110	29	13
Herstmonceux	12.8	-5.9	110	46	11
Bournemouth (Hurn)	13.4	-8.8	129	40	11
Middle Wallop	13.1	-6.1	113	33	10
Dieppe	13.8	-6.5	43	17	12

• Rainfall totals unreliable for all stations

                                                    Very Wet and Windy

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during November 2023 in Shoreham was 11.7 Celsius (53F), and that was very slightly below normal for the time of year.  The  average minimum temperature was 6.5 Celsius (44F), and that  was also less than 0.5 Celsius (<1F) below the November average.  

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 14.9 Celsius (59F) on the 13th, but 14.5 Celsius (58F)  occurred on the 1st, and maxima exceeded 14.0  Celsius (57F) on a further 5 days. The last of these very mild days was on the 19th when the temperature peaked at 14.2  Celsius (58F).  The majority of days (16) had highs ranging from 10 to 14 Celsius (50-57F), but there were several cooler days, mainly towards the end of the month. Of the 7 days having maxima below 10 Celsius (50F), only 1, the 10th, which had a high of 9.8 Celsius (50F),  occurred before mid-month.  Five of these cooler days occurred during the last week of November, with only 2 of these days having maxima below 7 Celsius (45F). On the 25th the temperature peaked at 6.2 Celsius (43F), but on the 30th, the temperature only reached 4.7 Celsius  (40F). 

There were no particularly mild nights during November, but the temperature stayed above 10 Celsius (50F) on 4 nights, including 3 nights with minima above 12 Celsius (54F). A low of 12.3 Celsius (54F) occurred on the first night of the month, with minima of 12.6 Celsius (55F) and 12.4 Celsius (54F) on the 14th and 18th respectively. On most nights (20) the temperature ranged between 4 and 10 Celsius (39-50F), but there were several colder nights, especially towards the end of the month. The lowest temperature during the first 24 days of November was 2.9 Celsius (37F) on the 11th, but 4 out of the last 6 days of the month had minima below 2 Celsius (36F). The 25th had a minimum of minus 0.5 Celsius (31F), but the following night was the coldest of the month with a low of minus 1 Celsius (30F).  

The sea temperature was around 16 Celsius (61F) at the beginning of November and slowly fell to 14 Celsius (57F) by the end of the third week. However, a sharper decline then ensued with 10 or 11 Celsius (50-52F) measured at the end of the month.

 

Frost

 

There were 2 air frosts during November, and that was 1 above average. A total of 8 ground frosts  occurred, and that was 2 above average . Most grass frosts were very slight with lowest temperatures ranging from minus 0.6 Celsius and minus 1.1 Celsius (30-31F). However, on the 25th and 26th grass minima were minus 3.9 Celsius and minus 4.4 Celsius (24-25F) respectively. 

 

Rain

 

Rainfall in November amounted to 173.8 millimetres (6.8 ins.),  which was around 80%  above the monthly average.  Measurable rain fell on 20 days, which was 4 days above the average, and  wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.), or more, of rain falls) numbered 19, which was  8 days above the average. The month started wet with 25.2 millimetres (0.99 ins.) on the 1st. This was the wettest day of the month, but in a very changeable first half of the month, further heavy rain occurred. Daily totals included 13.4 millimetres (0.53 ins.) on the 3rd, 11.4 millimetres (0.45 ins.) on the 4th, 12.2 millimetres (0.48 ins.) on the 8th, 21.2 millimetres (0.83 ins.)on the 12th and 13.4 millimetres (0.53 ins.) on the 14th.   Although pressure was generally higher during the third week of November, rain, heavy at times, continued to fall. On the 19th, there were 10.6 millimetres (0.42 ins.) of rain, but then no measurable rain fell for 6 days. However, on the 26th and 27th there were 12.2 millimetres (0.48 ins.) and 5.8 millimetres (0.23 ins.) of rain recorded respectively, and that was the last measurable rainfall of the month.  

 

Hail

Small hail fell in a shower mid-morning on the 10th.  

 

Thunder

Lightning was observed to the south on the evening of the 9th, and a thunderstorm produced 4 rumbles mid-morning on the 10th.

 

Snow

 

There was no sleet or snow observed in this part of Shoreham. However, light sleet and snow occurred on the South Downs with a few flakes also falling in Steyning.

 

Wind

 

Apart from the occasional interlude of east to southeast winds ahead of Atlantic depressions, the month was very much dominated by winds from between southwest and northwest. The first part of the month,  especially, had some strong winds. At Shoreham Airport,  south to southeasterly winds increased during the 1st, gusting to 39 knots (45 mph) just before midnight. A further increase on the 2nd peaked at 54 knots (62 mph) in the early hours. The wind veered southwesterly and slowly decreased but backed southeast and increased to  34 knots (39 mph) early on the 4th.  However, southwesterly gusts on the afternoon of the 4th reached 41 knots (47 mph). Southwesterly gusts reached 31 knots (35 mph) early on the 6th. The 8th was windy with southwesterly gusts reaching 40 knots (46 mph) at midday. A brief respite was followed by a windy day on the 13th with  southwesterly gusts of 36 knots (41 mph) reported in the afternoon. The wind was slow to die down with 31 knots (35 mph) occurring early on the 14th.    The second half of the month was less stormy, although southwesterly winds gusted to 34 knots (39 mph) on the afternoon of the 19th.

 

 

Fog

 

There was no fog observed in this part of Shoreham.

 

Statistics for November 2023

 

Reporting Site	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham A/P	15.4	-1.5	*	*	19
Thorney Island	15.3	-2.3			20
Gatwick A/P	15.4	-3.5			19
Herstmonceux	14.9	-1.0			21
Bournemouth (Hurn)	15.2	-2.4			22
Middle Wallop	15.4	-2.9			20
Dieppe	16.0	2.9			24

• Rainfall totals unreliable for all stations