Weather in Shoreham – July 2023

                                                         Wet, Cool and Windy

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during July 2023 in Shoreham was 21.2 Celsius (70F), and that was more than 2 Celsius (4F) below normal for the time of year.  The average minimum temperature was 14.4 Celsius (58F), which was less than 0.5 Celsius (<1F) below average for July.  Overall, it was the coolest July for 11 years. 

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 28.9 Celsius (84F) on the 7th, but the next warmest day was the 8th, with a high of 24.7 Celsius (76F), followed by the 1st and 10th,  with these days both having highs of 23.3 Celsius (74F). Only 2 more days had maxima above 22 Celsius (72F),  with the vast majority of days having highs ranging from 19 to 22 Celsius (66-72F). There were  3 exceptions, these all occurring during the last week of the month.  On the 27th, a maximum of 18.3 Celsius (65F) occurred, with 18.5 Celsius (65F) and 18.4 Celsius (65F), on the 30th and 31st respectively. 

There were no especially warm nights during July, although the temperature on the 8th only fell to  19.8 Celsius (68F), and for much of that night the temperature stayed between 22 and 24 Celsius (72-75F).  The next warmest night was on the 28th with a low of 17.4 Celsius (63F),  but there were a further 13 nights with minimum temperatures above 15 Celsius (59F).  The remainder of the nights had minima between 11 and 15 Celsius (52-59F) but 4 exceptions occurred. The 5th, 7th and 18th each had minima between 10 and 11 Celsius (50-52F), but the 26th had a low of 9.4 Celsius (49F), making it the coolest night of the month.  

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

 

Frost

 

There were no air or grass frosts during July. The lowest grass temperature was 6.1 Celsius (43F) on the 26th. 

 

Rain

 

Rainfall in July amounted to 88.4 millimetres (3.5 ins.),  which was around double  the monthly average.  It was the wettest July in  the area since 2012. Measurable rain fell on 14 days, which was 5 days above the average, and  wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.), or more, of rain falls) numbered 8, which was 1 day above the average. The first 2 days of the month were dry, but light showers on the 3rd gave 0.2 millimetres  (0.01 ins.), followed by heavier showers and some more prolonged rain on the 4th which yielded 8.4 millimetres (0.3 ins.).  Showery bursts of rain gave 4.6 millimetres (0.2 ins.) on the 8th, and heavier rain on the 14th produced 11.4 millimetres (0.45 ins.) No significant rain fell during the following week,  but heavy rain and drizzle occurred at times on the 22nd to give a total of 20.0 millimetres (0.79 ins.). Although some dry weather occurred, the remainder of the month was changeable and, at times, wet. On the 24th, rainfall amounted to 6.4 millimetres (0.25 ins.) , and another 28 millimetres  (1.1 ins.) were measured on the 26th. Further, mostly light, rain fell during the rest of the month. On the 30th  5.4 millimetres (0.2 ins.) were measured, with 3 millimetres (0.12 ins.) on the last day of July.  

 

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham.  

 

Thunder

Thunder occurred from around mid morning until early afternoon on the 8th, although amounts of rain associated with the storm cells were mainly small.

 

Snow

 

There was no sleet or snow observed in this part of Shoreham.

 

Wind

 

Apart from 2 days during the first week, winds during July blew from between southwest and northwest,  and southwesterly winds outnumbered the northwesterlies by a ratio of 2 to 1.  Winds were unusually strong for the time of year, and even on fine days, fresh or strong sea breezes occurred on many afternoons. At Shoreham Airport, southwesterly winds gusted to 37 knots   (42 mph) in the afternoon on  the 3rd, with gusts to 31 knots (35 mph) from a similar direction on the afternoon of the 5th. Although, breezy on  most afternoons, the next gusts above 30 knots (34 mph) did not occur until the 12th, when 32 knots (36 mph) were recorded during the afternoon. A gust of 33 knots (38 mph) occurred on the evening of the 14th, with 43 knots (49 mph) on the following evening, again from the southwest. The strong winds continued into the 16th with 36 knots (41 mph) occurring in the early hours. Southwesterly winds gusted above 30 knots (34 mph) during the afternoon and evening on the 22nd, peaking at 36 knots (41 mph) at midnight.    It remained breezy, but gusts stayed below 30 knots (34 mph) until the 27th, when overnight gusts reached 32 knots (37 mph). The  29th was mostly sunny, but the southwesterly sea breeze spoiled the  day, with gusts in the afternoon reaching 31 knots (35 mph). The windy theme continued until the end of the month with gusts reaching 34 knots (39 mph) in the evening of the 30th,   and 35 knots (40 mph) in the early hours of the 31st.   

 

Fog

 

It was often  misty with low cloud covering hill tops in association with the drizzly spells.

 

Statistics for July 2023

 

Reporting Site Highest Temp Lowest Temp Rain Total (mm) Wettest Rain days
Shoreham A/P 27.1 8.6 94 32 18
Thorney Island 26.6 9.4 99 31 18
Gatwick A/P 29.8 7.1 102 27 21
Herstmonceux 29.8 8.7 117 32 17
Bournemouth (Hurn) 26.4 6.7 127 24 19
Middle Wallop 27.4 8.5 131 24 20
Dieppe 30.2 11.1 110 22 22
  • Rainfall totals unreliable for all stations

Weather in Shoreham – June 2023

                                                  Exceptionally Warm

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during June 2023 in Shoreham was 23.7 Celsius (75F), and that was around 3 Celsius (5.5F) above normal for the time of year.  The average minimum temperature was 13.8 Celsius (57F), which was close to 1 Celsius (2F) above average for June. Overall, it was the warmest June since before 1880, surpassing the previous record, set in 1976, by more than 1 degree Celsius (2F) 

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 29.6 Celsius (85F) on the 13th, but there were 8 other days with maxima above 25 Celsius (77F), including highs of 29.0 Celsius (84F) on the 10th and 28.6 Celsius  (83F) on the 14th. Most of the very warm days occurred between the 9th and 17th. The only exception was on the 25th,  when a high of 26.6 Celsius (80F) was recorded. On most other days (19) the maximum temperature ranged from 20 to 25 Celsius (68-77F). However, there were 2 days when the temperature failed to reach 20 Celsius (68F).  The maximum on the 2nd was 19.2 Celsius (67F), and on the 30th it was 19.4 Celsius (67F). 

There were no especially warm nights during June, although on 11 nights the minimum temperature was above 15 Celsius (59F). The warmest night was the 28th with a low of 18.0 Celsius (64F), but 17.3 Celsius (63F) was recorded on the 18th, with 17.2 Celsius (63F) occurring on the 11th. A total of 11 nights had minima between 12 and 15 Celsius (54-59F) and there were 8 rather cool nights, these occurring on the first 8 nights of the month. On 5 of these nights the minimum was between 10 and 11 Celsius (50-52F), but on the 5th a low of 8.9 Celsius (48F) was recorded, with 9.2 Celsius (49F) and 9.7 Celsius (50F) on the 3rd and 6th respectively.  

The sea temperature was 15 Celsius (59F) at the beginning of June, rising to 19 Celsius (66F) by the fourth week, before decreasing slightly at the end of the month.

 

Frost

 

There were no air or grass frosts during June. The lowest grass temperature was 7.2 Celsius (45F) on both  the 5th and 6th. 

 

Rain

 

Rainfall in June amounted to 39.4 millimetres (1.55 ins.),  which was around 20% below  the monthly average.  Measurable rain fell on only 6 days, which was 5 days below the average, and  wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.), or more, of rain falls) numbered 4, which was 4 days below the average. The first rain of the month occurred on the 11th, and in the afternoon  there was just enough to be measured. The 0.2 millimetres (0.01 ins.) that fell was the first significant rain since 12th May, a total of 30 days. No more measurable rain fell until the 17th resulting in less than 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.)  of rain  between the 8th May and 17th June, a total of 40 days. The rain on the 17th mostly occurred in the evening and overnight, and amounted to 3.4 millimetres (0.13 ins.). Rain  on the afternoon of the 18th added another 5.6 millimetres  (0.22 ins.)  to the total, but the following night produced the heaviest rain of the month.  After dawn on the 20th,  torrential rain produced 27.2 millimetres (1.07 ins.), with  26.8 millimetres (1.05 ins.) falling  in  one hour. That hour, between 0600 and 0700 , had a peak rainfall rate of 43 millimetres (1.7 ins.) per hour. The heavy rain was followed by 7 dry days, but the month ended with a little rain,  giving totals of 2.4 millimetres (0.09 ins.)  and 0.6 millimetres (0.02 ins.) on the 28th and 30th respectively.  

 

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham.  

 

Thunder

There were 3 days with thunder during June. On the 10th there was lightning to the south in the evening, but no thunder was heard. Thunderstorms, albeit quite distant, occurred late in the evening on the 17th, with one rumble of thunder in the early hours of the 18th. The last thunder of the month preceded, and was in association with, the heavy rain early in the morning on the 20th.

 

Snow

 

There was no sleet or snow observed in this part of Shoreham.

 

Wind

 

Brisk winds from between northeast and northwest occurred on each day until the 9th, with night-time winds falling light. Winds were generally light and variable during the following 2 weeks, with gentle southeast or southwest sea breezes on several afternoons. The last week of the month was characterized by more typical early summer weather with southwesterly winds dominant, with these occasionally moderate or fresh in the afternoons. At Shoreham Airport, although gusts exceeded 20 knots (23 mph) on  many afternoons early and late in the month, the only gusts above 30 knots (34 mph) occurred on the last day of June. In the afternoon of the 30th, southwesterly gusts peaked at 32 knots (37 mph).      

 

Fog

 

It was often  misty following the thunderstorms during the third week of June, and on the morning of the 19th there was sea fog.

 

Statistics for June 2023

 

Reporting Site Highest Temp Lowest Temp Rain Total (mm) Wettest Rain days
Shoreham A/P 28.4 8.2 37 21 5
Thorney Island 27.5 9.0 25 12 5
Gatwick A/P 31.6 7.4 82 29 8
Herstmonceux 31.4 8.9 52 30 7
Bournemouth (Hurn) 30.1 7.4 38 26 6
Middle Wallop 30.1 7.6 49 32 8
Dieppe 31.5 10.8 * * 10
  • *Data missing

Weather in Shoreham – May 2023

                                           Wet at first, then Very Dry

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during May 2023 in Shoreham was 18.6 Celsius (66F), and that was very slightly above normal for the time of year.  The average minimum temperature was 9.2 Celsius (49F), which was close to average for May.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 22.8 Celsius (73F) on the 28th, but maxima exceeded 20 Celsius (68F) on 5 other days, with all of these warmer days occurring after the 19th. Highs included 21.5 Celsius (71F) on the 22nd, and 22.1 Celsius (72F) on the 27th. On most days (19) the top temperature was in the range 17 to 20 Celsius (63-68F), but there were some cooler days before mid-month. On 6 days the temperature failed to rise above 17 Celsius (63F), but only 2 of the days had maxima below 15 Celsius (59F). On the 8th, a high of 14.7 Celsius (59F) occurred, but the coolest day of the month was the 6th,  when the high was only 13.1 Celsius (56F).

There were no especially mild nights during May, although minima were above 10 Celsius (50F) on 8 nights. A total  of 6 of these milder nights occurred before mid-month, with 5 of these having minima above 11 Celsius (52F).  A low of 11.4 Celsius (53F) occurred on the 15th, but the mildest night of the month was the 9th with a low of 12.2 Celsius (54F). Other nights had lows ranging from 7 to 10 Celsius (45-50F), but there were 2 exceptions. On the 16th, a minimum of 6.2 Celsius (43F) occurred, but the 3rd was the coolest night of the month with a minimum of 6.0 Celsius (43F). 

The sea temperature was 12 Celsius (54F) at the beginning of May, rising to 14 or 15 Celsius (57-59F) at the end of the month.

 

Frost

 

There were no air or grass frosts during May. The lowest grass temperature was 2.2 Celsius (36F) on the 3rd. 

 

Rain

 

Rainfall in May amounted to 35.0 millimetres (1.4 ins.),  which was around 10% below  the monthly average.  Measurable rain fell on only 6 days, which was 5 days below the average, and  wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.), or more, of rain falls) numbered 4, which was 4 days below the average. Showers on the 1st produced 0.8 millimetres (0.03 ins.), but the following 2 days were dry. The 7th was also dry, but the period between the 4th and 8th gave the only spell of unsettled weather during the month. During these 5 days there were 33.6 millimetres (1.3 ins.) of rain,  with the vast bulk  (86%) occurring on just 2 days. On the 6th, 13.6 millimetres  (0.5 ins.) of rain was measured, with 16.6 millimetres (0.65 ins.) occurring on the 8th. During the remainder of the month there was only 1 more day with measurable rain. That day was the 12th, when 0.6 millimetres (0.02 ins.) was recorded.  

 

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham.  

 

Thunder

No thunder was heard in this part of Shoreham.

 

Snow

 

There was no sleet or snow observed in this part of Shoreham.

 

Wind

 

Pressure during May was higher than average, with the centre of the anticyclones mostly positioned over, or to the west, of the UK. As a result, the usual pattern of southwesterly winds was largely reversed.  Winds from the southwesterly quadrant occurred on only 4 days, whereas winds from between northwest and northeast were observed on 14 days, with the second half of May having winds from between north and east dominating. These latter winds were often quite brisk through both the day and the night, otherwise, there were no particularly strong winds during the month. At Shoreham Airport, the only gust above 30 knots (34 mph) during May occurred during the last hour of the month. Later in the evening of the 31st a northeasterly gust of 32 knots (36 mph) was recorded.      

 

Fog

 

There was sea fog for a while early in the evening on the 14th.

 

Statistics for May 2023

 

Reporting Site Highest Temp Lowest Temp Rain Total (mm) Wettest Rain days
Shoreham A/P 21.7 4.1 39 21 7
Thorney Island 22.5 6.4 37 16 6
Gatwick A/P 21.7 3.4 49 24 6
Herstmonceux 21.8 3.9 26 12 5
Bournemouth (Hurn) 24.1 2.9 62 16 9
Middle Wallop 22.5 4.1 45 13 8
Dieppe 23.2 4.9 13 11 5

 

Weather in Shoreham – April 2023

                                                     Rather Cool and Extremely Wet

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during April 2023 in Shoreham was 13.9 Celsius (57F), and that was around 1 Celsius (<2F) below normal for the time of year.  The average minimum temperature was 6.2 Celsius (43F), which was close to average for April.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 17.8 Celsius (64F) on the 19th, but only 4 other days, the 15th, 20th, 28th and 30th, had maxima above 16 Celsius (61F). The mildest of these days was the 28th, with a high of 16.8 Celsius (62F). On most days (21) the maximum temperature was in the range 12 to 16 Celsius (54-61F), but there were 4 cooler days, the 4th, 9th and 12th had maxima between 11 and 12 Celsius (52-54F), but the temperature on the 14th only reached 9.4 celsius (49F).

There were no especially mild nights during April, although a minimum of 11.2 Celsius (52F) occurred on the 28th, and 4 nights, the 1st, 10th, 17th and 23rd,  each had minima between 9 and 10 Celsius (48-50F). A further 5 nights had minima between 7 and 9 Celsius (45-48F). On many nights (15) the minimum temperature was in the range 4 to 7 Celsius (39-45F), but there were several colder nights. On 5 occasions the temperature fell below 4 Celsius (39F). The 25th, with a low of 2.6 Celsius (37F), was the only colder night after the 8th, but 3 nights during the first week of April  had minima below 2 Celsius (36F). They were the 3 consecutive nights beginning on the 3rd. The only one of these nights to have a minimum temperature below 1 Celsius (34F) was the 5th,  when 0.7 Celsius (33F) was recorded. 

The sea temperature was around 9 Celsius (48F) at first, slowly rising to 12 Celsius (54F) by the end of the month.

 

Frost

 

There were no air frosts during April. Grass frost occurred on 5 nights , which was 2 nights below the average. The only grass frost after the 8th was on the 25th,  when minus 0.6 Celsius (31F) was recorded. A similar minimum occurred on the 8th, with the other 3 grass frosts occurring between the 3rd and 5th. The lowest temperature on these nights was minus 2.8 Celsius (27F),  recorded on both the 4th and 5th. 

 

Rain

 

Rainfall in April amounted to 111.6 millimetres (4.4 ins.),  which was around 4 times the monthly average. It was the wettest April since 2012, but in records going back to 1880, April 2023 is ranked as the second wettest. So far this year there have been 3 months with rainfall exceeding 100 millimetres (4 ins.). Measurable rain fell on 15 days, which was 8 days above the average, and  wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.), or more, of rain falls) numbered 10, which was 5 days above the average. Only 7.2 millimetres (0.3 ins.) of rain fell during the first 8 days of April,  with 6.8 millimetres (0.27 ins.) of that falling on the night of the 5th/6th. Very wet weather followed, this commencing overnight on the 9th. Over 53 millimetres (2.1 ins.) fell during the following 6 days, including 11 millimetres (0.4 ins.) on the 9th, and 18 millimetres (0.75 ins.) on both the 11th and 14th.  Only 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.) of rain fell between the 15th and 21st, but in a fairly changeable end to the month 25 millimetres (1 in.) of rain fell on the 22nd and another 20 millimetres (0.8 ins.) were recorded on the 27th.  

 

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham.  

 

Thunder

No thunder was heard in this part of Shoreham.

 

Snow

 

There was no sleet or snow observed in this part of Shoreham.

 

Wind

 

Pressure during April was very close to average overall, but day to day pressure changes were quite marked and, unusually, southwesterly winds were in the minority. There were 14 days when the wind blew from the northeasterly quadrant, but there were only 2 days with southwesterlies blowing. The wind direction during the rest of the month was equally divided between the other two quadrants (SE and NW). Winds were mostly gentle or moderate, but occasionally fresh or strong during the second and third weeks. At Shoreham Airport, there was a southwesterly gust of 33knots (39 mph) during the afternoon of the 10th, with 38 knots (43 mph), again from the southwest, occurring in the evening of the 11th. The strong wind continued throughout the 12th with southwesterly gusts in the afternoon peaking at 50 knots (57 mph) in the afternoon before veering westerly during the evening.  During the rest of the month the wind mainly blew from a northeasterly quadrant, and although breezy at times, there were no further gusts above 30 knots (34 mph).      

 

Fog

 

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

 

Statistics for April 2023

 

Reporting Site Highest Temp Lowest Temp Rain Total (mm) Wettest Rain days
Shoreham A/P 17.2 -0.6 * 25 16
Thorney Island 18.9 -0.3 * 25 16
Gatwick A/P 18.8 -3.4 * 40 19
Herstmonceux 17.2 0.0 * 20 15
Bournemouth (Hurn) 18.1 -2.9 * 40 14
Middle Wallop 18.6 -1.1 * 34 15
Dieppe 18.2  -0.5 71 18 15

* Totals unreliable

 

Samys Cafe

More like a transport cafe than a fully-fledged restaurant, this High Street eaterie nevertheless offered good portions of freshly-prepared food at reasonable prices. Music was emanating from the speakers when we lunched there, perhaps a bonus for ‘soul’ fans.

Ropetackle Fish and Chips

Not many tables in this restaurant, but it is well worth a visit at lunchtime for the battered cod and chips served by smiling staff at an affordable price.

Weather in Shoreham-March 2023

                                                     Very Wet with Chilly Days

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during March 2023 in Shoreham was 10.4 Celsius (50F), and that was around 1 Celsius (<2F) below normal for the time of year.  The average minimum temperature was 5.9 Celsius (43F), and that was around 1 Celsius (<2F) above average for March.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was only 13.6 Celsius (56F) on the 25th, and this was 0.2 Celsius (<0.5F) lower than the highest temperature recorded during February. However, there were a further 5 days when the temperature reached, or exceeded, 13.0 Celsius (55F), and on 5 more days the maximum was between 12 and 13 Celsius (54-55F). All of these milder days occurred after the 12th. The coldest days were during the first half of March, and with the exception of the 20th, which had a high of 9.8 Celsius (50F), all of the 12 days that had maxima below 10 Celsius (50F) occurred before mid-month.  Only 4 days had maxima below 7 Celsius (45F), with all of these coldest days occurring between the 5th and 10th. On the 10th a high of 5.6 Celsius (42F) was recorded, but the coldest day of the month was the 7th with a top temperature of 5.4 Celsius (41F).

There were many cloudy nights during March and this significantly helped to keep temperatures from falling. This led to several mild nights. On 3 of these, the 13th, 30th and 31st, the temperature failed to fall below 10 Celsius (50F). The mildest of these nights was the 30th with a low of 10.4 Celsius (50F). A further 8 nights had minima between 8 and 10 Celsius (46-50F) with all of these milder nights occurring after mid-month and including 5 consecutive nights commencing on the 21st. Some quite cold nights occurred, and on 14 occasions the temperature fell below 5 Celsius (41F). Apart from 27th, when a minimum of 4.7 Celsius (40F) was recorded, all of these colder nights occurred before mid-month. On 6 nights the temperature fell below 2 Celsius (36F), but only 2 of the nights had minima under 1 Celsius (34F).  The 2nd had a low of 0.2 Celsius (32F), but the coldest night of the month was the 11th when the temperature fell to minus 1.5 Celsius (30F). 

The sea temperature was around 8 Celsius (46F) at first, but for most of the month it was nearer 9 Celsius (48F).

 

Frost

 

There was air frost on 1 night during March,   around 1 night below average. It occurred on the 11th when the temperature fell to minus 1 Celsius (30F). Grass frost occurred on 6 nights, which  was 5 nights above average. The first 3 nights of the month each had grass frost with a low of minus 3.3 Celsius (26F) recorded on the 2nd. A similar value was recorded on the 15th. The other 2 grass frosts occurred on the 6th and 11th with ground minima of minus 1.7 Celsius (29F) and minus 6.7 Celsius (20F) respectively. 

 

Rain

 

Rainfall in March amounted to 135.2 millimetres (5.3 ins.) which was almost 3 times the monthly average. It was the wettest March in the area since 1981, when 155 millimetres (6.1 ins.) were recorded.  Measurable rain fell on 22 days, which was 7 days above the average, and  wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.), or more, of rain falls) numbered 20, which was 10 days above the average. No measurable rain fell during the first 5 days  of the month, but after that there was no completely dry day, although on 4 days there was just a trace of rain. The first rain of the month,  on the 6th,  amounted to just 2.6 millimetres (0.1 ins.), but on each of the following 3 days precipitation exceeded 10 millimetres (0.4 ins.). The wettest of these days was the 9th when 23.6 millimetres (0.92 ins.) were recorded. Fairly heavy falls of rain then often occurred during the rest of the month. On the 12th, 16th, 17th, 23rd and 31st the daily total ranged between 5 and 10 millimetres (0.2 and 0.4 ins.), with totals of 12.2 millimetres (0.48 ins.)  on the 25th,  and 14.0 millimetres (0.55 ins.) on the 30th.  

 

Hail

No hail was observed in this part of Shoreham.  

 

Thunder

No thunder was heard in this part of Shoreham.

 

Snow

 

There were a few large wet snowflakes in the rain around mid morning on the 7th, and in the early hours of the 8th the temperature fell to 1.3 Celsius (34F) and the rain turned to sleet for almost 2 hours.

 

Wind

 

In marked contrast to February, the month of March was cyclonic and, at times, quite windy. On most occasions (18) the wind blew from between south and west, but there were northerlies at the beginning of the month,  and on some days the wind was cyclonic variable. At Shoreham Airport, there was a southwesterly gust of 30 knots (34 mph) late in the afternoon of the 6th, and a rapid rise of pressure on the morning of the 10th was accompanied by gusty northwesterly winds with the highest gust 35 knots (40 mph). The 13th was a breezy day with the southwesterly winds peaking at 36 knots (41 mph) around dawn. Late on the 22nd southwesterly gusts peaked at 32 knots (36 mph). and during the 24th and 25th southwesterly gusts of 32 and 33 knots (36-37 knots) were recorded. The last day of the month was the windiest with southwesterly gusts reaching 43 knots (49 mph) during the afternoon.       

 

Fog

 

It was often misty and drizzly with hill fog,  but on the morning of the 29th the hill fog lowered into the town for a while.

 

Statistics for March 2023

 

Reporting Site Highest Temp Lowest Temp Rain Total (mm) Wettest Rain days
Shoreham A/P 13.5 -2.0 * 21 24
Thorney Island 13.8 -0.9 * 23 24
Gatwick A/P 15.1 -4.1 * 31 25
Herstmonceux 14.9 -2.0 * 29 24
Bournemouth (Hurn) 14.7 -2.9 * 35 25
Middle Wallop 14.9 -2.8 * 24 25
Dieppe 20.5  1.4 86 17 20

* Totals unreliable

 

Weather in Shoreham – February 2023

Very Dry and Anticyclonic

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during February 2023 in Shoreham was 10.0 Celsius (50F), and that was almost 1 Celsius (<2F) above normal for the time of year. The average minimum temperature was 3.8 Celsius (39F), and that was around 0.1 Celsius (<0.2F) below average for February.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 13.8 Celsius (57F) on the 19th, but this was the only maximum above 13 Celsius (55F). The next mildest day was the 3rd with 12.1 Celsius (54F) recorded. However, a further 11 days had maxima above 10 Celsius (50F), including the spell between the 13th and 19th which culminated in the mildest day of the month. There were no cold days during February, although the temperature failed to reach 9 Celsius (48F) on 7 occasions, including the last 3 days of the month. However, only 3 of these less mild days had maxima below 8 Celsius (46F). On the 26th and 28th there were highs of 7.9 Celsius (46F) and 7.8 Celsius (46F) respectively, but the coolest day of the month was the 7th with a maximum of 7.2 Celsius (45F).

There were no particularly mild nights during February, but a minimum of 9.3 Celsius (49F) occurred on the 18th,  and 2 other nights had minima above 8 Celsius (46F). The 3rd had a low of 8.4 Celsius (47F), and  the 17th had a minimum of 8.8 Celsius (48F). A further 9 days had minima above 5 Celsius (41F), including each night between the 16th and 23rd.  The coldest nights were mainly confined to the second week and the last 5 nights of the month. There were 12 nights with minimum temperatures below 3 Celsius (37F), with all of these colder nights  occurring between the 6th and 14th, and after the 23rd. The coldest nights occurred in the earlier period with minima of minus 1.6 Celsius (29F) and minus 3.7 Celsius (25F). 

The sea temperature was around 7 or 8 Celsius (45-46F), but briefly reached 9 Celsius (48F) after mid-month.

 

Frost

 

There was air frost on 4 nights during February,   around 1 night below average. Air frost occurred on 3 consecutive nights, beginning on the 7th, although the frost on the last night was slight with a minimum termperature of minus 0.6 Celsius (31F). The other air frost occurred on the 14th with a low of minus 0.8 Celsius (30F)  recorded. Grass frost occurred on 17 nights,  which was 3 nights above average. Grass frost occurred on the first night of the month, and after 3 frost-free nights, there was frost on every night until the 15th, except for the 12th. The 19th was the only night with a grass frost between the 16th and 23rd, but the last 5 nights of the month were frosty.  Grass temperatures were between minus 1 Celsius (30F) and minus 4 Celsius (25F) on most nights, but the 14th had a low of minus 5.6 Celsius (22F) and the grass temperature fell to minus 6.1 Celsius (21F) on the 8th. 

 

Rain

 

Rainfall in February amounted to 7.2 millimetres (0.28 ins.), which was only around 12% of the monthly average. It was the driest February this century.  Measurable rain fell on 10 days, which was 6 days below the average, although, interestingly, 4 of the 10 ‘rain’ days had no rain falling, ,  but dew or melted frost contributed to the monthly total.  Wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.), or more, of rain falls) numbered 3, which was 9 days below the average.  There was no measurable rain during the first 14 days of February, but 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.) of dew and frost were collected on 4  different nights. Rain and drizzle occasionally fell between the 16th and 18th, but the total for the 3 days was only 1.8  millimetres (0.07 ins.). Light rain fell at times on both the 21st and 22nd, and the 22nd was the wettest day of the month, but with a mere 2.6 millimetres (0.1 ins.) measured. The last measurable rain of the month fell on the evening of the 28th, but only another 1.4 millimetres (0.05 ins.) were added 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

 

There was no sleet or snow observed in this part of Shoreham.

 

Wind

 

High pressure dominated during February with the average daily reading of 1030 millibars being around  13 millibars above average. The centres of the high pressure areas were over the country,  or west or southwest of the British Isles, although the last few days of the month saw a migration of the anticyclones northwestwards. The wind was light or gentle during the first half of February,  but southwesterlies during the third week, and northerlies during the fourth week, were quite brisk at times.  At Shoreham Airport, the highest gust recorded during the month was 28 knots (32 mph) from the southwest on the morning of the 17th.       

 

Fog

 

There was  fog observed on 3 mornings during February. On the 7th there was dense freezing fog until late morning towards the west, with similar fog distribution occurring on the 14th, and there was another misty Tuesday on the 21st, with hill fog lowering at times until early afternoon.

 

Statistics for February 2023

 

Reporting Site Highest Temp Lowest Temp Rain Total (mm) Wettest Rain days
Shoreham A/P 13.6 -4.6 7 2 9
Thorney Island 13.4 -4.0 12 9 7
Gatwick A/P 14.1 -6.7 8 4 5
Herstmonceux 13.1 -2.4 11 3 11
Bournemouth (Hurn) 13.7 -7.3 21* 10 9
Middle Wallop 13.7 -5.8 14* 8 8
Dieppe 15.2 -3.9 7 3 8

* Totals unreliable

 

 

Weather in Shoreham – January 2023

Mild and Very Wet, then Dry and Rather Cold

Temperatures

The average maximum temperature during January 2023 in Shoreham was 8.7 Celsius (48F), and that was almost 0.5 Celsius (1F) above normal for the time of year. The average minimum temperature was 3.8 Celsius (39F), and that was around 0.2 Celsius (<0.5F) above average for January.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 12.1 Celsius (54F) on the 4th, but the temperature reached, or exceeded, 11.0 Celsius (52F) on 11 further occasions, including 11.7 Celsius (53F) on both the 10th and 14th. The maximum reached 11.6 Celsius (53F) on both the 1st and 5th, a value shared with the 31st. However, the maximum on the 31st was the only high above 10 Celsius (50F) between the 15th and the end of the month. Whereas, between the 1st and 14th, there were only 2 days with maxima below 10 Celsius (50F). The coolest of these was the 9th with a high of 9.4 Celsius (49F). The cold weather arrived quickly after mid-month. A high of 5.6 Celsius (42F) on the 16th was followed by a maximum of 1.4 Celsius (34F) on the 17th. The temperature then stayed below 7 Celsius (45F) until the 26th and included highs of 4.4 Celsius (40F) on the 23rd, and values between 5.0 and 5.3 Celsius (41F) on the 18th, 19th, 24th and 25th.

There were several mild nights during January, with all of them, bar 1,  occurring before the 14th. On 4 nights the temperature stayed above 10 Celsius (50F) . The minimum was 11.2 Celsius (52F) on the 4th, the mildest night of the month, but 10.6 Celsius (51F) was recorded on the 1st, and 10.3 Celsius (50F) occurred on both the 7th and 12th. A further 5 nights had minima above 7 Celsius (45F), but only 1 of these milder nights occurred after the 13th. That night was the 30th when 7.1 Celsius (45F) was recorded. Almost all the cold nights were during the second half of January. A minimum of 2.7 Celsius (37F) was measured on the 10th, but this was the only cold night before the 16th. From the 16th until the end of the month there were 12 nights with lows under 3 Celsius (37F). It was particularly cold at night from the 17th to the 23rd with minima of minus 3.5 Celsius (26F), minus 4.3 Celsius (24F) and minus 3.2 Celsius (27F) on the 17th, 18th and 23rd respectively. 

The sea temperature was around 9 Celsius (48F) until mid month, then 7 or 8 Celsius (45-46F).

 

Frost

 

There was air frost on 7 nights during January,   around 2 nights above average. All of the air frosts occurred between the 17th and 23rd and they were slight or moderate with night temperatures ranging from minus 0.7 Celsius (31F) on the 21st to minus 4.3 Celsius (24F) on the 18th. A total of 12 ground frosts occurred, and that’s 1 below the average. Each night between the 17th and 23rd  had  air frost and grass frost, with 6th, 10th, 26th,  28th and 31st also having grass frosts. The cold spell around the third week had the lowest grass minima, with minus 5 Celsius (23F) on each night. The lowest value was minus 7.2 Celsius (19F) measured on both the 17th and 18th. 

 

Rain

 

Rainfall in January amounted to 115.8 millimetres (4.6 ins.), which was double the monthly average. It was the wettest January for 6 years.  Measurable rain fell on 17 days, which was 1 day below the average, and wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.), or more, of rain falls) numbered 14, which was 1 day above the average.  Steady rain fell during the afternoon and into the evening of the 1st producing a total of 5.8 millimetres (0.23 ins.). Rain then fell  at times on each of the following 14 days. Some of the rain was quite heavy,  with 8.2 millimetres (0.32 ins.) measured on the 3rd and 5.8 millimetres (0.23 ins.) on the 7th. However, the heaviest rain of the month occurred during the 6 day period commencing on the 10th. A total of 80.6 millimetres (3.2 ins.) were recorded with 5 of the 6 days having over 10 millimetres (0.4 ins.) of rain. The highest daily totals were 17.0 millimetres (0.67 ins.) on the 13th, and 28.6 millimetres (1.13 ins.) on the 15th. The second half of January was completely different. Pressure rose steadily from the 16th and measurable rain only fell once, although melted frost added 0.2 millimetres (0.01 ins.) to the total on the 20th. The only day with measurable rain  was the 25th when a wet evening gave 2.8 millimetres (0.11 ins.).  

 

Hail

Small hail fell on 3 days during January. On the 8th, showers were accompanied by hail mid-afternoon and again in the late evening. A heavy, squally shower late on the evening of the 12th contained hail, and hail was also observed in  a mid-afternoon shower on the 15th.  

 

Thunder

There was heard on 2 days during January. A short-lived thunderstorm occurred on the afternoon of the 11th, and on the 12th, there were 2 rumbles of thunder in the late evening.

 

Snow

 

There was no sleet or snow observed in this part of Shoreham.

 

Wind

 

In the first half of January, southwesterly winds dominated on every day  except the 2nd,  when northwesterlies blew. During the second half of the month, winds were more variable with a slight dominance of winds from the northwest. The first half of the month was often very windy, whereas in the second half of the month winds were much lighter. At Shoreham Airport, the 1st was breezy, but the first gusts above 30 knots (34 mph) occurred on the afternoon of the 3rd, these peaking at 36 knots (41 mph) in the early evening. The brisk southwesterlies continued through the 4th with 37 knots (42 mph) recorded just before dawn. After somewhat of a lull during the 5th, a gust of 31 knots (35 mph) was registered early  on the 6th. The 7th was windy all day, with the southwesterlies producing a peak gust of 44 knots (50 mph) in the early evening. Many gusts over 30 knots (34 mph) occurred on the 8th, with the highest of 36 knots (41 mph) occurring in the late evening, followed by a gust of 34 knots (39 mph) occurring just after midnight on the 9th. Gusts of 34 knots (39 mph) occurred again in the afternoon and evening of the 10th. A gust of 46 knots (53 mph) occurred early in the evening of the 11th, with 45 knots (51 mph) measured early on the 12th during this especially windy spell. The 13th was breezy until late afternoon  with several gusts of 33 knots (38 mph). The 14th was windy, particularly during the morning with gusts of 40 knots (46 mph) observed. Early on the 15th, southwesterly gusts of 33 knots (38 mph) occurred, but winds veered westerly in the afternoon and became much lighter. As pressure built rapidly on the morning of the 16th, northwesterly increased to strong for a while with gusts peaking at 31 knots (35 mph), but during the rest of the month there were no further gusts above 30 knots, (34 mph) and not that many over 15 knots (17 mph).       

 

Fog

 

There was mist and morning fog on the 5th, and it was also very misty at times on the 25th.

 

Statistics for January 2023

 

Reporting Site Highest Temp Lowest Temp Rain Total (mm) Wettest Rain days
Shoreham A/P 12.2 -5.2 * 38 20
Thorney Island 12.6 -4.9 * 38 21
Gatwick A/P 13.0 -7.4 * 28 18
Herstmonceux 12.0 -4.5 * 59 19
Bournemouth (Hurn) 13.3 -7.7 * 72 20
Middle Wallop 12.9 -6.7 * 42 22
Dieppe 13.5 -0.8 69 12 19

* Totals unreliable