Category: News & Leisure

                Exceptionally Dry

 

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during November 2021 in Shoreham was 11.5 Celsius (53F), and that was around normal for the time of year. The average minimum temperature was 6.0 Celsius (43F), and that was close to 1 Celsius (2F) below the November average.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 15.8 Celsius (60F) on the 9th, but the temperature reached 15.1 Celsius (59F) on the 1st, and there were 4 more days with maxima above 14 Celsius (57F), including 3 consecutive days commencing on the 10th. A further 7 days had maxima above 13 Celsius (55F), with all of the milder days occurring before the 18th. The coolest days were mainly confined to the last 2 weeks of November. In fact, the maximum temperature of 9.4 Celsius (49F) on the 4th, was the only day with a high below 10 Celsius (50F) before the 21st. Thereafter, 7 days had maxima below 10 Celsius (50F). Only 3 of these cooler days had maxima below 7 Celsius (45F). The 27th, 28th and 29th had highs of 5.5, 4.6 and 4.6 Celsius (42 and 40F) respectively.

There were a few very mild nights during November. Of the 6 nights recording minima above 10 Celsius (50F), 5 occurred consecutively between the 9th and 13th, the exception was the 19th, which had a low of 11.3 Celsius (52F). The 9th, 10th and 12th also had minima above 11 Celsius (52F). The mildest night was the 12th with a low of 11.9 Celsius (54F), but the 9th was only 0.1 Celsius (<0.2F) less mild. The coldest nights were generally towards the end of the month. However, even though only 4 of the 14 days with minima below 5 Celsius (41F) occurred before mid month, there were 3 nights in the first fortnight, the 2nd, 5th and 8th, when the temperature dipped below 3 Celsius (37F). There were 5 other nights when the temperature fell below 3 Celsius (37F). They were the 23rd, and 4 consecutive nights beginning on the 26th. The coldest of these nights was the 29th, when minus 1.0 Celsius (30F) was recorded.

The sea temperature slowly fell from 14 or 15 Celsius (57-59F) at the beginning of November, to around 11 Celsius (52F) at end of the month.

Frost

There were 2 air frosts during November, both slight. On the 28th a minimum of minus 0.2 Celsius (<32F) was recorded with minus 1.0 Celsius (30F) measured on the following night. A total of 10 grass frosts occurred, with 5 of these during the first 3 weeks of the month, and the other 5 in the last week of November. Most of the grass frosts were very slight with the 4 grass frosts before the 18th having minima of minus 0.6 Celsius (31F). During the last week, the frosts were slightly more significant. However, only 2 nights had grass minimum temperatures below minus 2 Celsius (28F). The 26th had a minimum of minus 3.3 Celsius (26F), and the 29th had a low of minus 4.4 Celsius (24F). 

Rain

Rainfall in November amounted to 6.8 millimetres (0.27 ins.), which was less than 10% of the average for the month. It would appear that November 2021 was the driest in the area for at least 187 years. Previously, the driest Novembers were those of 1901, 1945 and 1978 with Worthing totals of 8.6. 14.2 and 11.1 millimetres ( 0.34, 0.56 and 0.44 ins.) respectively. Measurable rain fell on only 6 days, which was 11 days below the average, and wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.), or more, of rain falls) numbered 3, and that was 9 days below the average. Although just 6 of the first 11 days of the month were completely dry, measurable rain fell on only 1 day, the 8th, and then a mere 0.2 millimetres (0.01 ins.) were measured. On the 12th, a damp and drizzly day produced 1.8 millimetres (0.07 ins.) of rain, but the only measurable rain between the 13th and 25th was the 0.4 millimetres (0.02 ins.) recorded on the 16th. The last 5 days of the month were more unsettled, but of the 3 days that added to the monthly total, only the 26th and 30th recorded more than 0.2 millimetres (0.01 ins.). These 2 days accumulated 1.6 and 2.6 millimetres (0.06 and 0.1 ins.) respectively.

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham.

Thunder

No thunder was heard in this part of Shoreham.

Snow

Light snow was followed by sleet for a while mid evening on the 28th, but the precipitation barely dampened the ground.

Wind

High pressure was dominant during November with the mean sea level pressure readings around 6 millibars above average. The highest pressure was mostly to the west or southwest of the British Isles, and that resulted in an usually high number of days with winds blowing from between north and west. In Shoreham, winds from the northwesterly quadrant accounted for two thirds of the daily readings. It was less windy than a normal autumn month. At Shoreham Airport, southwesterly gusts reached 37 knots (42 mph) in the early hours of the 1st, but no further strong winds occurred until the 12th, when southwesterlies gusted to 30 knots (34 mph) late in the morning. On the 26th, northwesterly winds gusted to 30 knots (34 mph) during the late afternoon, with 43 knots (49 mph) from a similar direction recorded on the evening of the 27th after a very windy day. The wind decreased overnight, but not before 34 knots (39 mph) occurred in the early hours of the 28th. Late on the 30th, southwesterly gusts reached 34 knots (39 mph).   

Fog

There was a misty, drizzly evening on the 8th, but no fog was observed in this part of Shoreham.

Statistics for November 2021

Reporting Site	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham A/P	15.5	-2.2	4	1	7
Thorney Island	15.1	-1.8	8	2	13
Gatwick A/P	15.2	-1.9	11	3	10
Herstmonceux	14.6	-1.2	15	5	10
Bournemouth (Hurn)	15.5	-4.6	4	1	11
Middle Wallop	14.3	-1.3	16	4	13
Dieppe	14.4	-1.9	46	12	13

                Very Wet and Mild

 

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during October 2021 in Shoreham was 16.9 Celsius (63F), and that was over 1 Celsius (2F) above normal for the time of year. The average minimum temperature was 10.6 Celsius (51F), and that was close to 1 Celsius (2F) above the October average. It appears to have been the warmest October in the area since 2006.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 20.4 Celsius (69F) on the 9th, but the temperature reached 19.2 Celsius (67F) on the 14th and 19.6 Celsius (68F) on the 19th. Maxima were 17 Celsius (63F), or more, on a further 14 days. Unsurprisingly, the highest temperatures generally occurred early in the month, with only 1 high above 17 Celsius after the 20th. There were no cold days during October. In fact, only 3 days had temperatures below 15 Celsius (59F). The 22nd and 23rd had highs of 14.1 Celsius (57F) and 14.8 Celsius (59F) respectively, but the coolest day of the month was on the 21st when a high of 12.8 Celsius (55F) was recorded.

There were several very mild nights during October. On the 19th, a minimum of 16.5 Celsius (62F) was recorded, and 15.7 Celsius (60F) occurred on the following night. A further 5 nights had minima above 13 Celsius (55F), with 3 of these very mild nights occurring in the last week of October. There were only a few fairly cold nights. Although 13 nights had lows under 10 Celsius (50F), only 5 had minima below 7 Celsius (45F), and just 1 dipped below 6 Celsius (43F). That was on the 22nd, when the temperature fell to 3.4 Celsius (38F).

The sea temperature slowly fell from 18 Celsius (64F) at the beginning of October, to 14 or 15 Celsius (57-59F) at the end of the month.

Frost

No air frost occurred during October, but there was a grass frost on the 22nd with the temperature falling to minus 0.6 Celsius (31F). The next lowest grass temperature was 2.8 Celsius (37F) recorded on both the 11th and 12th. 

Rain

Rainfall in October amounted to 187.4 millimetres (7.4 ins.) which was around double the average for the month. Although wetter in October last year, this year it was probably amongst the top ten wettest Octobers during the last 100 years. Measurable rain fell on 20 days, which was 2 days above the average, and wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.), or more, of rain falls) numbered 12, and that was 1 day below the average. The month began very wet, with 28.2 millimetres (1.1 ins.) of rain falling on the 2nd, a further 13 millimetres (0.5 ins.) on the 3rd, followed by 33.4 millimetres (1.3 ins.) on the 4th. A relatively dry spell occurred between the 5th and 17th with only 2.2 millimetres (<0.1 ins.) of rain measured. However, another very wet interlude yielded 10.8 millimetres (0.4 ins.) on the 18th, followed by 22.8 millimetres (0.9 ins.) on the 19th, and in turn the wettest day of the month: on the 20th, a total of 36.4 millimetres (1.4 ins.) was measured. After 3 completely dry days, the unsettled weather resumed, and although amounts of rain were initially small, there were over 33 millimetres (1.3 ins.) in the 3 days beginning on the 28th, with the largest total of 12.8 millimetres (0.5 ins.) occurring on the 30th.

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham.

Thunder

No thunder was heard in this part of Shoreham.

Snow

No sleet or snow was observed this month in Shoreham. 

Wind

High pressure was dominant from the end of the first week of October to the beginning of the third week. During this period, winds were mainly light, otherwise, Atlantic westerlies prevailed, with winds from between southwest and northwest and often quite strong. At Shoreham Airport, the month began with southwesterly winds gusting over 35 knots (40 mph), with a peak gust of 37 knots (42 mph) occurring just after dawn. Southerly winds on the 2nd increased in strength during the afternoon, culminating in a gust of 44 knots (50 mph) early in the evening. Southwesterly gusts of 38 knots (43 mph) occurred on the afternoon of the 3rd, with an isolated squally gust of 43 knots (49 mph) occurring during a heavy shower on the morning of the 4th. The windy weather continued, with southerly gusts of 35 knots (42 mph) recorded overnight on the 5th, but it then became much quieter until the 20th, which was a windy day with many south to southwesterly gusts exceeding 35 knots (40 mph), and one of 40 knots (46 mph) late in the evening. The 29th was another windy day with a gust of 37 knots (42 mph) occurring late in the morning. The last day of the month was the windiest, especially during the morning, and a south-southeasterly gust of 50 knots (57 mph) was recorded in the late morning.   

Fog

There was fog overnight on the 8th, this clearing late in the morning on the 9th.

Statistics for October 2021

Reporting Site	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham A/P	19.2	2.3	121	21	18
Thorney Island	18.9	4.0	125	23	15
Gatwick A/P	19.0	3.0	146	27	15
Herstmonceux	21.1	3.6	152	30	17
Bournemouth (Hurn)	20.1	1.9	144	35	20
Middle Wallop	19.5	3.5	146	33	19
Dieppe	22.3	3.6	77	33	17

                  Warm and Sunny

 

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during September 2021 in Shoreham was 21.7 Celsius (71F), and that was 2 Celsius (3.5F) above normal for the time of year, and higher than the average maximum in both June and August. The average minimum temperature was 13.3 Celsius (56F), and that was almost 2 Celsius (3.5F) above the September average. It appears to have been the warmest September in the area since 1959.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 28.4 Celsius (83F) on the 7th. This was the warmest day of the year, beating the 28.0 Celsius (82F) recorded on 18th July. Both the 6th and 8th had maxima above 27 Celsius (81F) with highs of 27.9 Celsius (82F) and 27.3 celsius (81F) respectively. The 5th was another very warm day with 26.5 Celsius (80F) recorded. Remarkably, there were a further 20 days with maxima above 20 Celsius (68F). There were no especially cool days during September. On 6 days the temperature failed to reach 20 Celsius (68F), but the 10th, with a high of 19.9 Celsius (68F), was the only cooler day that occurred before the 19th. The 19th had a maximum of 17.7 Celsius (64F), with the remaining cooler days occurring at the end of the month. On the 29th, a high of 16.7 Celsius (62F) was recorded, with 17.2 Celsius (63F) measured on the 30th.

There were several warm nights during September. The 8th, with a minimum of 18.4 Celsius (65F), was the warmest night of the year, and the 9th, 10th and 11th each had minima above 17 Celsius (63F). A further 5 nights had lows above 15 Celsius (59F), but the 27th, with a minimum of 15.5 Celsius (60F), was the only one of these warmer nights that occurred after the 15th. On most nights, the temperature fell to between 10 and 15 Celsius (50-59F), but there were 4 cooler nights. The minimum on the 12th was 9.4 Celsius (49F), and lows between 8 and 9 Celsius (46-48F) were recorded on both the 22nd and 29th. However, the coolest night of the month was the 30th when the temperature dipped to 5.8 Celsius (42F).

The sea temperature was 18 or 19 Celsius (64-66F) throughout the month.

Frost

No air frost occurred during September. The lowest grass temperature was on the 30th when 4.4 Celsius (40F) was recorded. 

Rain

Rainfall in September amounted to 49.0 millimetres (1.9 ins.) which was less than 10% below the average for the month. Measurable rain fell on 11 days, which was 1 day below the average, and wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.) or more of rain falls) numbered 6, and that was also 1 day below the average. The first 7 days of September were dry, but rain on the evening of the 8th ended a spell of 17 days without measurable rain. A little rain fell overnight on the 9th, but the first 12 days of the month produced less than 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.) of rain. No more rain fell until the night of the 13th, but heavy rain gave 10.8 millimetres (0.4 ins.). Between the 14th and the 25th, there was measurable rain on 4 days, but the total was only 3 millimetres (0.12 ins.), with the largest amount (2 millimetres (0.08 ins.)) falling on the 19th. The last 5 days of September produced over 70% of the monthly total, and although rainfall was not enough to measure on the 29th, the 27th had 5.8 millimetres (0.2 ins.), the 28th had 17.6 millimetres (0.7 ins.), with the last day of the month recording 7.2 millimetres (0.3 ins.)

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham.

Thunder

There were thunderstorms, these mainly distant to the southeast, through most of the evening on the 8th. However, they only gave 0.4 millimetres (0.02 ins.) of rain.

Snow

No sleet or snow was observed this month in Shoreham. 

Wind

The wind was mainly from the northeast during the first week of September, but thereafter west or southwest winds prevailed. However, on most days winds were light, with just gentle afternoon sea breezes. On many evenings (9) the breezes died away completely. The exception to the light winds occurred at the end of the month when on the last 4 days a west or southwesterly wind was occasionally fresh or strong. At Shoreham Airport, westerly gusts reached 41 knots (47 mph) on the morning of the 27th, with further gusts from the southwest exceeding 30 knots (34 mph) during the afternoon. On the evening of the 28th, a southwesterly gust reached 37 knots (42 mph), and a similar gust occurred on the evening of the 30th, after a day when gusts exceeded 30 knots (34 mph) many times.   

Fog

No fog was observed in this part of Shoreham.

Statistics for September 2021

Reporting Site	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham A/P	26.7	4.4	31	10	9
Thorney Island	26.1	5.1	26	12	10
Gatwick A/P	28.8	4.5	42	12	10
Herstmonceux	29.2	4.1	44	15	10
Bournemouth (Hurn)	28.1	3.7	27	9	11
Middle Wallop	29.0	7.0	37	11	9
Dieppe	30.4	7.7	33	16	13

                  Cool and Rather Dry

 

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during August 2021 in Shoreham was 21.3 Celsius (70F), and that was over 1 Celsius (2F) below normal for the time of year. The average minimum temperature was 13.8 Celsius (57F), and that was almost 1 Celsius (<2F) below the August average.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was only 24.6 Celsius (76F), and that occurred on the 22nd. There were 3 other days when the temperature exceeded 23 Celsius (73F). On both the 23rd and 24th highs of 23.4 Celsius (74F) occurred, and on the 25th the maximum was 23.8 Celsius (75F). On most days (20) the temperature rose to between 20 and 23 Celsius (68-73F), but a few cooler days occurred. On 7 days the temperature failed to reach 20 Celsius (68F), but only 2 of these cooler days had maxima below 19 Celsius (66F). On the 2nd , a maximum of 18.1 Celsius (64F) was recorded, with 18.4 Celsius (65F) measured on the 30th.

There were no especially warm nights during August, but 7 nights, all these occurring between the 6th and 23rd,  had minimum temperatures above 15 Celsius (59F), including 3 nights with minima above 16 Celsius (61F). On the 12th, a minimum of 16.2 Celsius (61F) occurred, with 16.6 Celsius (62F) recorded on the 6th. On most nights (18) the temperature fell to between 12 and 15 Celsius (54-59F), but there were 6 cooler nights. On  3 nights, the 4th, 17th and 29th, the temperature fell to 11.4 Celsius (53F), but the coolest night of the month was the 28th with a low of 11.0 Celsius (52F).

The sea temperature was 19 Celsius (66F) during the first half of August, slowly falling to 18 Celsius (64F) by the end of the month.

Frost

No air frost occurred during August.  The lowest grass temperature occurred on the 17th when 8.3 Celsius (49F) was recorded.   

Rain

Rainfall in August amounted to 47.2 millimetres (1.9 ins.) which was over 30% below the average for the month. Measurable rain fell on 10 days, which was 4 days below the average, and wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.) or more of rain falls) numbered 7, and that was 2 days below the average. Rain fell on the first 2 days of the month, but it was fairly light with the highest total of 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.) occurring on the 1st. Following 2 dry days, a very unsettled spell of weather produced 4.8 millimetres (0.2 ins.) of rain on the 5th, with 7.4 millimetres (0.3 ins.) falling on the 7th, and a further 25.8 millimetres (1 inch) on the 8th. In fact, between the 5th and 9th (5 days) a total of 41.2 millimetres (1.6 ins.) of rain fell, amounting to 87% of the monthly total. From the 10th until the end of the month less than 5 millimetres (0.2 ins.) of rain fell, with the highest daily total of 2.8 millimetres (0.1 ins.) occurring on the 19th. After the 21st, there was no measurable rain for the remainder of the month.

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham.

Thunder

There was just 1 rumble of thunder heard during August. This occurred just after dawn on the 9th during some heavy rain.

Snow

No sleet or snow was observed this month in Shoreham. 

Wind

The first 3 weeks of August continued on from the July dominance of west or southwesterly winds. Winds from these directions dominated on 17 days. During the remainder of the month, winds were mostly from the north or northeast. The strongest winds mostly occurred in the afternoons with sea breeze enhancement  a major factor during the second and third weeks. At Shoreham Airport, southwesterly gusts of 31 knots (35 mph) occurred in the early hours of the 9th, but these were the only gusts above 30 knots (34 mph) during the month, although a few afternoons had gusts between 25 and 28 knots (29-32 mph).    

Fog

Sea fog occurred for a while on the afternoon of the 19th, otherwise the month was fog-free.

Statistics for August 2021

Reporting Site	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham A/P	23.8	9.7	29	11	11
Thorney Island	23.5	9.0	74	36	10
Gatwick A/P	23.6	7.9	47	21	9
Herstmonceux	22.8	9.8	32	12	10
Bournemouth (Hurn)	24.6	6.3	17	9	8
Middle Wallop	23.3	7.2	28	5	14
Dieppe	23.3	10.9	45	10	21

 

 

Changeable and Rather Wet

 

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during July 2021 in Shoreham was 22.5 Celsius (69F), and that was about 1 Celsius (<2F) below normal for the time of year. The average minimum temperature was 14.9 Celsius (59F), and that was slightly above the July average.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 28.0 Celsius (82F), on the 18th, but 7 other days had maxima above 25 Celsius (77F), including the 20th and 22nd, with both days having highs of 26.7 Celsius (80F). All of these warmer days occurred between the 14th and 23rd. On most days (17) maximum temperatures were between 20 and 25 Celsius (68-77F), but there were a few rather cool days. On 6 occasions maxima were below 20 Celsius (68F), including 3 days with highs under 19 Celsius (66F). There were 4 of these cooler days during the first week of July, but the coolest day was the 10th with a maximum of 18.0 Celsius (64F).

There were no especially warm nights during July, but 16 nights had minimum temperatures above 15 Celsius (59F), including 4 nights with minima above 16 Celsius (61F). All of these warmer nights occurred between the 22nd and 26th, with the highest reading occurring on the 22nd when 16.9 Celsius (62F) was recorded. No particularly cool nights occurred during July, although on 3 occasions minima were below 13 Celsius (55F). On 2 of these cooler nights the temperature dipped below 12 Celsius (54F). The coolest night was the 16th with a minimum of 11.5 Celsius (53F).

The sea temperature was 17 Celsius (63F) at first, but soon rose to 18 Celsius (64F), and for the remainder of the month it varied between 18 and 19 Celsius (64-66F),, although it briefly reached 20 Celsius (68F) at the beginning of the fourth week of July.

Frost

No air frost occurred during July The lowest grass temperature occurred on the 11th when 9.4 Celsius (49F) was recorded.   

Rain

Rainfall in July amounted to 64.0 millimetres (2.5 ins.) which was over 30% above the average for the month. Measurable rain fell on 15 days, which was 6 days above the average, and wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.) or more of rain falls) numbered 13, and that was 7 days above the average. None of the first 12 days of July were completely dry, although on 4 days there was too little rain to measure, and on most of the other 8 days amounts were small with only 1 day having a total above 4 millimetres (0.15 ins.). That day was the 5th when 19.8 millimetres (0.8 ins.) were recorded. Between the 13th and 22nd no rain occurred, but rain fell late in the evening on the 23rd, and from then until the end of the month there was only 1 completely dry day, and that was the 28th. Amounts of rain were generally small but 4 millimetres (0.15 ins.) were measured on the 23rd, with 15.6 millimetres (0.6 ins.) and 4.8 millimetres (0.2 ins.) falling on the 25th and 26th respectively.

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham.

Thunder

There were 4 days when thunder occurred during July. The first storm was heard early in the evening on the 19th. It was quite distant to the northeast and no rain fell. Late in the evening of the 23rd there was thunder and lightning which lasted intermittently into the early hours of the 24th. The last storms of the month occurred on the afternoon of the 31st. Although no rain was recorded in Shoreham, north of the Downs, some torrential bursts were observed, with Steyning measuring over 25 millimetres (1 inch) of rain.

Snow

No sleet or snow was observed this month in Shoreham. 

Wind

July was another ‘westerly’ month with winds blowing from the southwest or northwest, accounting for two-thirds of the daily observations. Southwesterlies were dominant with almost half of the days having winds from that quadrant. Although breezes were often light during the second, third and much of the fourth weeks, a few unusually windy days occurred. At Shoreham Airport, the 6th was a windy day with several gusts from between south and southwest reaching 38 knots (43 mph) both in the morning and afternoon. A northeasterly gust of 33 knots (38 mph) occurred in association with thunderstorms in the early hours of the 24th. The 28th was a windy day with afternoon and evening gusts from the southwest reaching 37 knots (42 mph). However, the windiest day of the month was the 30th. In an unusually destructive windstorm for the time of year, southwesterlies gusted over 40 knots (46 mph) with a peak gust of 43 knots (49 mph) early in the afternoon.    

Fog

There was early fog on the 2nd, and it stayed quite misty with low cloud until the 4th.

Statistics for July 2021

Reporting Site	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham A/P	26.1	9.3	44	12	14
Thorney Island	26.8	9.8	92	25	13
Gatwick A/P	30.6	9.3	116	23	15
Herstmonceux	29.1	11.2	83	15	18
Bournemouth (Hurn)	29.6	8.8	107	35	15
Middle Wallop	30.6	10.1	105	30	13
Dieppe	26.2	11.0	68	14	17

Very Dry and Cold

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during April 2021 in Shoreham was 12.8 Celsius (55F), and that was about 2.5 Celsius (4.5F) below normal for the time of year. The average minimum temperature was 2.9 Celsius (37F), and that was around 4 Celsius (7F) below the April average. Overall, it was the coldest April in the area since 1986, or perhaps 1983. Average minimum temperatures have not been lower in the last 56 years.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 17.6 Celsius (64F), on the 24th, although the 23rd was not far behind with 17.3 Celsius (63F). Only 3 other days had maxima above 15 Celsius (59F0, and the 1st, with a high of 15.7 Celsius (60F), was the only one of these milder days to occur before the 20th. On most days (18) maxima were between 10 and 14 Celsius (50-57F), but several cold days occurred during the early part of the month. On 4 days the temperature failed to reach 10 Celsius (50F), with all of these cold days falling between the 5th and 10th. On the 10th a high of 8.0 Celsius (46F) was recorded, but the coldest day was the 7th with a maximum temperature of just 7.5 Celsius (45F).

Anticyclonic weather, the mean sea level pressure was some 8 millibars above average, led to many calm and clear nights. As a result, there were very few mild nights. The first night of the month had a low of 10.3 Celsius (50F), but thereafter, the 24th, with a low of 7.2 Celsius (45F) was the only other night with a minimum above 6 Celsius (43F). A further 3 nights had lows between 5 and 6 Celsius (41-43F), but the majority of nights (21) recorded minima between 0 and 5 Celsius (32-41F). Colder nights did occur, and on both the 7th and 13th minimum temperatures of minus 1.8 Celsius (29F) were measured.

The sea temperature was around 9 Celsius (48F) during most of April, but struggled closer to 10 Celsius (50F) towards the end of the month.

Frost

Air frost occurred on 3 nights during April, and that was a couple of nights above average for the time of year. However, there were 19 grass frosts, and that was a remarkable 15 more than can be expected in a normal April. The 7th, 12th and 13th each had air frosts, but the air temperature fell to between 0 and 1 Celsius (32-34F) on 6 nights, and these nights had fairly low grass temperatures. Although no grass frosts occurred on the first 5 nights of April, only the 10th and 21st were completely frost-free between the 6th and 23rd. Grass frost was also observed on 3 out of the last 4 nights of the month. On many nights (10) the grass frost was slight with minimum readings between 0 and minus 2 Celsius (32-28F), but particularly early in the month, grass temperatures were much lower. On 3 nights, the 7th, 12th and 13th, grass minima were below minus 5 Celsius (23F), with the lowest value of minus 6.7 Celsius (20F) occurring on the 13th.   

Rain

Rainfall in April amounted to just 2.3 millimetres (0.1 ins.). This was about 7% of the monthly average. Measurable rain fell on 3 days, which is 6 days below average, and wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.) or more of rain falls) numbered 1 day, and that was 5 days below average. Although it was only the driest April in the area since 2007, it ranked in the top 5 dry Aprils in 140 years of local records. Almost uniquely, the first day of April was, like the first day of March, cloudless. A little precipitation occurred on 3 out of the first 9 days of the month, but not enough to dampen the ground. On the 10th the rain was just measurable (0.1 millimetres (less than 0.01 ins.) but only measurements of 0.2 millimetres (0.01 ins.) are considered to be significant. On the following day, the 11th, afternoon showers, followed by overnight precipitation gave 0.8 millimetres (0.03 ins.) with 0.2 millimetres (0.01 ins.) on the following day. No more measurable rain fell until the 28th, when light rain during the day produced 1.2 millimetres (0.05 ins.). Light showers occurred on the 30th, but failed to add anything to the monthly total.

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham.

Thunder

No thunder was heard in this part of Shoreham.

Snow

Light sleet and snow showers occurred early and late in the afternoon on the 6th, and sleet, with a little wet snow, was observed on the morning of the 12th. 

Wind

With high pressure dominating, winds were often light, especially at night, and directions were variable, although northeasterly breezes accounted for almost a third of the observed directions, and several mornings had northwesterly winds blowing down the Adur valley. At Shoreham Airport, the weather station was not operational between the 9th and 19th, but during the remainder of the month there were no gusts of 30 knots (34 mph) or more reported.    

Fog

Patchy sea fog occurred for a while in the afternoon on the 20th,

Statistics for April 2021

Reporting Site	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham A/P	16.7	-2.7	*	*	*
Thorney Island	16.1	-3.0	1.4	0.6	3
Gatwick A/P	17.5	-4.9	7	2	4
Herstmonceux	16.3	-3.5	5	3	6
Bournemouth (Hurn)	17.3	-5.2	9	4	5
Middle Wallop	17.8	-2.6	19	13	4
Dieppe	17.8	-2.2	19	15	5

* Data missing

Dry and Anticyclonic

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during March 2021 in Shoreham was 11.6 Celsius (53F), and that was about 1 Celsius (<2F) above normal for the time of year. The average minimum temperature was 4.2 Celsius (40F), and that was around 0.5 Celsius (<1F) below the March normal.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 19.6 Celsius (67F), on the 30th, and on the 31st a maximum of 18.5 Celsius (65F) occurred. However, the only other day with a temperature above 15 Celsius (59F) was on the 16th, when 15.1 Celsius (59F) was measured. On most days, the temperature rose to between 10 and 15 Celsius (50-59F) but there were a few cool days, mainly during the first week of March. On 7 occasions the temperature failed to reach 10 Celsius (50F), but the only cool day after mid-month was the 18th with a high of 9.8 Celsius (50F). A cluster of cool days occurred between the 4th and the 8th, and although the 5th and 7th both had maxima below 8 Celsius (46F), the 4th, with a maximum of 6.4 Celsius (44F), was the only day when the temperature was under 7 Celsius (45F).

No particularly mild nights occurred during March, but the temperature only fell to 9.0 Celsius (48F) on the 11th, and there were minima of 8.7 Celsius (48F) on the 26th and 8.6 Celsius (47F) on both the 28th and 29th. However, there were only 4 other nights when the temperature stayed above 6 Celsius (43F). On many nights (11), the minima were between 2 and 4 Celsius (36-39F), but some colder nights occurred. On the 7th a low of minus 0.6 Celsius (31F) occurred, with minus 2.6 Celsius (27F) was measured. After the 9th, the only temperature below 2 Celsius (36F) was the low of 0.3 Celsius (32F) recorded on the 20th.

The sea temperature was around 7 Celsius (45F) at the beginning of March, before slowly rising to 8 Celsius (46F), and then to 9 Celsius (48F) on the last 2 days of the month.

Frost

Air frost occurred on 2 nights during March, and that was average for the time of year. However, there were 17 grass frosts, and that was 8 more than can be expected in a normal March. No prolonged period was free of grass frost during March, with 3 consecutive days, beginning on the 3rd, the longest spell. On each night between the 6th and 10th, and again between the 22nd and 25th, grass frost occurred, but on many nights throughout the month, frost was slight. On 7 nights the grass temperature dipped below minus 3 Celsius (27F), but the only night with a minimum below minus 5 Celsius (23F) was on the 8th when minus 7.2 Celsius (19F) was measured.   

Rain

Rainfall in March amounted to 30.6 millimetres (1.2 ins.). This was about 50% of the monthly average. Rain fell on 10 days, which is 8 days below average, and wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.) or more of rain falls) numbered 6 days, and that was 6 days below average. The month began cloudless, but rain on the 3rd amounted to 3.4 millimetres (0.13 ins.). No measurable rain fell between the 4th and the 9th, but during an unsettled spell that lasted around a week, the bulk of the month’s rain fell. On the 10th, a total of 9 millimetres (0.35 ins.) was measured, and the 12th, with 11.2 millimetres (0.44 ins.), was the wettest day of the month. After the 11th, rain was sporadic and mostly light. The largest amount was 2 millimetres (0.08 ins.) on the 25th, and between the 13th and the end of the month (19 days) less than 7 millimetres (0.25 ins.) of rain fell.

Hail

Small hail briefly fell in heavy showers late in the afternoon and early in the evening on the 12th.

Thunder

No thunder was heard in this part of Shoreham.

Snow

No sleet or snow fell in this part of Shoreham. 

Wind

Although the mean sea level pressure readings were much higher than average (around 11 millibars on the barometer), the winds were often quite strong, especially during the second and last weeks of March. There was no dominant direction, with the daily readings equally divided between southwest and northeast, with several days having winds from the northwest. At Shoreham Airport, southwesterly gusts reached 35 knots (40 mph) on the evening of the 10th, and squally southwesterly gusts peaked at 45 knots (51 mph) in the early hours of the 11th. The strong southwest winds continued through the rest of the day, and into the 12th and 13th. A gust of 33 knots (38 mph) occurred on the afternoon of the 12th, with 42 knots (48 mph) recorded on the morning of the 13th. Lighter winds then prevailed until the 26th when a southwesterly gust of 32 knots (36 mph) was registered. Although breezy on the 28th, no further gusts above 30 knots (32 mph) were reported during March.    

Fog

Both the 2nd and 3rd were very misty at times, but no fog was reported at the time of the morning observation (0900 UTC).

Statistics for March 2021

Reporting Site	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham A/P	16.6	-3.9	21	6	13
Thorney Island	17.4	-4.2	21	13	10
Gatwick A/P	23.0	-5.3	39	10	14
Herstmonceux	20.8	-3.4	36	8	14
Bournemouth (Hurn)	20.2	-5.0	35	10	14
Middle Wallop	21.8	-1.2	39	9	13
Dieppe	23.8	-0.5	31	5	16

A Month of Contrasts

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during February 2021 in Shoreham was 8.0 Celsius (46F), and that was about 0.5 Celsius (<1F) below normal for the time of year. The average minimum temperature was 4.1 Celsius (39F), and that was around 0.5 Celsius (<1F) above the February normal.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 12.9 Celsius (55F), on the 27th, but the maximum on the 21st was 12.7 Celsius (55F), and 2 other days had highs above 12 Celsius (54F). On a further 9 days the temperature exceeded 10 Celsius (50F). Apart from the 2nd and 5th, all of these milder days occurred after the 17th. There was a brief cold spell during the second week. In fact, apart from the 1st, when a high of 4.9 Celsius (41F) was recorded, there were only 7 other days with maxima below 5 Celsius (41F). Each of these days had highs of 3 Celsius (37F) or lower. The temperature only reached minus 0.8 Celsius (30F) on the 8th, with 0.4 Celsius (32F) recorded on the 9th.

No especially mild nights occurred during February, but the temperature only fell to 10.1 Celsius (50F) on the 24th, and there were 5 other nights with minima above 8 Celsius (46F), including a low of 9.8 Celsius (50F) on the 20th. The only one of these milder nights occurring before the 18th, was on the 3rd, when a minimum of 8.1 Celsius (46F) was measured. The coldest nights were clustered between the 7th and 14th when each of these nights had minima below 3 Celsius (37F). On 5 other occasions, the temperature fell to between 2 and 3 Celsius (36-37F), including each of the last 3 nights of the month. The lowest temperature was minus 2.6 Celsius on the 11th, but minus 2.3 Celsius was recorded on the 13th.

The sea temperature was around 7 Celsius (45F) at the beginning and end of February, but dropped to 6 Celsius (43F) for a while during, and after, the cold weather.

Frost

Air frost occurred on 6 nights during February, and that was 1 day above average for the time of year. All the air frosts occurred between the 8th and 13th, and although numerically they were mostly slight, combined with brisk east winds, they proved to be damaging to the more tender plants and shrubs. There were 13 nights with grass frosts, which is 1 below the average. The grass frosts occurred in 2 batches. These were from the 4th to the 14th, with 9 frosts, and from the 23rd to the 28th, when 4 grass frosts were recorded. Grass temperatures were not particularly low, with the lowest values being minus 6.7 Celsius (20F) on the 11th and minus 4.4 Celsius (24F), on the 13th.   

Rain

Rainfall in February amounted to 55.8 millimetres (2.2 ins.). This was less than 10% below average for the month. Rain fell on 13 days, which is 5 days below average, and wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.) or more of rain falls) numbered 11 days, and that was 1 day below average. The month began wet with 6 millimetres (0.25 ins.) of rain falling overnight on the 1st, with a further 9 millimetres (0.35 ins.) on the 2nd. In fact, measurable precipitation was recorded on each of the first 7 days of February, including a fall of 7 millimetres (0.3 ins.) on the 4th. The next measurable rain fell on the 14th, and it was the wettest day of the month with 11.6 millimetres (0.45 ins.) recorded. A further 6.8 millimetres (0.3 ins.) were added to the total on the 16th, but the second half of February was considerably drier than the first half. Between the 17th and the end of the month, there were only 2.6 millimetres (0.1 ins.) of rain.

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham.

Thunder

No thunder was heard in this part of Shoreham.

Snow

Sleet or snow fell on 4 days during February. Light snow or snow grains fell from late morning until late afternoon on the 7th, and on the 8th light snow or snow grains fell throughout the day. A little snow fell on the morning of the 9th, and light snow showers occurred on the 10th. Lying snow (grassy surfaces more than half covered) was recorded on 2 mornings, the 8th and 9th, but it amounted to little more than a dusting, although a few patches remained until the evening of the 12th. 

Wind

Southeasterly winds were dominant during February, accounting for nearly half of the daily observations. Just over a quarter of the days had southwesterly winds, with a similar proportion having winds from the northeast. On many days the wind was gentle or moderate, but during the cold spell, the easterlies were occasionally fresh. At Shoreham Airport, southwesterly gusts reached 32 knots (36 mph) on the evening of the 2nd, and northeasterlies gusted to 36 knots (41 mph) on the evening of the 7th with the temperature just below 0 Celsius (32F). The temperature was also below zero when northeasterly winds gusted to 32 knots (36 mph) on the afternoon of the 9th, but during the rest of the month there were no further gusts above 30 knots (34 mph).    

Fog

There was 1 day with fog at the time of the morning observation (0900 UTC), and that was on the 6th. However, there was early fog on the 5th, and the 22nd was foggy for a while in the afternoon. Also, the morning of the 28th was very misty over the hills (viewed from Shoreham Airport).

Statistics for February 2021

Reporting Site	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham A/P	12.3	-4.3	48	10	16
Thorney Island	12.0	-4.4	56	8	19
Gatwick A/P	14.5	-5.3	53	11	17
Herstmonceux	14.2	-4.2	57	14	15
Bournemouth (Hurn)	13.7	-4.7	76	18	20
Middle Wallop	14.0	-3.8	58	10	27
Dieppe	18.9	-5.3	26	5	15

Cold and Very Wet

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during January 2021 in Shoreham was 6.8 Celsius (44F), and that was almost 2 Celsius (>3F) below normal for the time of year. The average minimum temperature was 2.4 Celsius (36F), and that was also nearly 2 Celsius (>3F) below the January normal.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 11.8 Celsius (53F), on the 29th, but the previous day had a high of 11.3 Celsius (52F). On 2 other days, the 13th and 14th, temperatures rose above 10 Celsius (50F). On most days (19) the temperature rose to between 5 and 10 Celsius (41-50F), although 7 of these days had highs between 5 and 6 Celsius (41-43F). On 5 occasions the temperature failed to rise above 3 Celsius (37F), with all of these lower values occurring within the first 10 days of the month. There were 4 consecutive cold days beginning on the 7th, but the only day with a temperature below 2 Celsius (36F) was the 10th, when a high of 0.9 Celsius (34F) was recorded.

No especially mild nights occurred during January. In fact, only 9 nights had minimum temperatures above 5 Celsius (41F). The mildest night was the 20th, with a low of 9.2 Celsius (49F), but a further 4 nights had minima above 8 Celsius (46F). The coldest nights were early in the month and during the fourth week. On each of the first 11 nights of January the temperature fell below 3 Celsius (37F) and 5 consecutive nights, beginning on the 22nd, had minima below 0 Celsius (32F). The lowest temperature was minus 3.4 Celsius (26F) on the 8th, but minus 2.9 Celsius (27F) was recorded on the 10th, and minus 2.7 Celsius (27F) occurred on the 24th.

The sea temperature was around 8 or 9 Celsius (46-48F) at the beginning of January, but for much of the month it was nearer to 7 or 8 Celsius (45-46F).

Frost

Air frost occurred on 11 nights during January, and that was 8 days above average for the time of year. Most of the frosts were slight and occurred in 2 spells. The 7th to the 10th, and the 22nd to the 26th inclusive. The exceptions were on the 1st and 18th, when slight frosts gave minimum temperatures of minus 0.1 Celsius (32F) and minus 0.8 Celsius (31F) respectively. There were 13 nights with grass frosts, which is 1 above the average. The lowest grass minimum temperature was minus 7.8 Celsius (18F) on the 24th, but minus 7.2 Celsius (19F) occurred on the 26th, and on a further 3 nights the grass temperature fell to minus 5 Celsius (23F) or lower.   

Rain

Rainfall in January amounted to 102.4 millimetres (4 ins.). This was more than double the monthly average. Rain fell on 24 days, which is 6 days above average, and wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.) or more of rain falls) numbered 19 days, and that was 7 days above average. Precipitation was measured on the first 7 days of the month, but most of it was light, with the highest daily total only 3.2 millimetres (0.1 ins), this occurring on the 5th. In fact, the reading of 0.4 millimetres (0.02 ins.) on the 7th was entirely made up of melted frost and dew. The 8th, 9th and 10th were all completely dry days, with only 2 other completely dry days observed during the rest of January. Daily totals of 5 millimetres (0.2 ins) or more were measured on the 14th, 15th and 16th, and after a dry day on the 17th, a further 2 consecutive days received more than 5 millimetres (0.2 ins.) of rain. The last completely dry day occurred on the 25th, and this was followed by some of the heaviest rain of the month. The last 6 days of January had over 43 millimetres (1.7 ins.) of rain, including daily totals of 14.8 millimetres (0.6 ins.) on the 27th and 11.6 millimetres (0.45 ins.) on the 28th.

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham.

Thunder

No thunder was heard in this part of Shoreham.

Snow

A little sleet fell in a shower around dawn on the 6th. Sleet was observed briefly late morning on the 24th and light snow fell late evening on the same day, although it failed to settle. 

Wind

Winds were predominantly from the north or northwest during January, accounting for just over half the monthly total. The remaining days were fairly evenly divided between northeast and southwest winds. During the first half of the month, gentle or moderate breezes blew, but in the second half of January, the wind was often fresh or strong. At Shoreham Airport, a southerly gust of 30 knots (34 mph) occurred on the morning of the 16th, the first significant gust of the month. The 19th, 20th and early part of the 21st were windy, with southwesterly gusts of 35 knots (40 mph) in the early hours of the 19th, a gust of 38 knots (43 mph) on the evening of the 20th, and 46 knots (53 mph) around midnight on the 21st. Southwesterly winds again on the 29th gusted to 37 knots (42 mph) in the late morning, but on the 30th winds became northeasterly and a gust of 31 knots (35 mph) was measured in the late morning.    

Fog

There were 4 days when fog was observed at the mid morning observation. On the 9th there was mist, fog and low cloud in the morning, with fog returning in the evening. Dense freezing fog occurred on the morning of the 10th, and fog formed for a while after overnight rain on the 13th. Lastly, sea fog formed between rain bands on the morning of the 28th.

Statistics for January 2021

Reporting Station	Highest Temp	Lowest Temp	Rain Total (mm)	Wettest	Rain days
Shoreham A/P	12.0	-5.2	78	14	23
Thorney Island	12.2	-4.1	70	12	20
Gatwick A/P	13.4	-4.8	106	17	22
Herstmonceux	12.4	-4.7	99	17	22
Bournemouth (Hurn)	13.3	-5.2	98	19	20
Middle Wallop	13.3	-2.9	90	19	20
Dieppe	13.2	-3.4	101	13	23