Extreme weather events in the Sidlaws north of Dundee (Pitroddie, Lundie, Newtyle)

Since records began in September 1996.

2000.

An average year for temperatures, with no notable extremes. A wet year but not as wet as 1998.

January 2000. A very mild month; indeed the record warmest since I moved here, with a mean of 5.3. The maxima were consistently high (8.2), and there was no severe frost. It was also very sunny and quite dry (35.4mm). Most of the rain fell on the last two days.

February 2000. A very sunny, quite mild, and rather dry month, but exceptional events were rare on the ground (and in the air). Windy at times, too. So that's another winter gone.

March 2000. Quite mild, dry, and sunny, but not as much so as March 1997. Generally an anticyclonic month.

March 5-21.A notable warm spell early on, starting on Sunday 5th (with a maximum of 10.4C). It reached 13.6 on Monday 6th, 14.4 on Tuesday 7th, and 15.6 on Wednesday 8th. The minimum on the 6-7th was 10.1. A cool day on the 14th in the middle of the warm spell. So far this high was only beaten by 16.1 on 30 March 1997. The anticyclone seemed fixed for ever. Saturday 18th was a beautiful cloudless day, with a high of 12.7. I started to worry about having to water the garden.

March 8. The first day this year over 60F (just)! This is the earliest so far.

March 23. A front brought 14.8mm of rain, relieving the dry spell.

April 2000. Cool (but not as cold as 1998) with average rainfall - places nearby were very wet, particularly in a wet spell near the end of the month.

April 2. A cold front brings dramatically colder air and some snow. There's not enough to settle though - one of the disadvantages of the east coast perhaps. A bitter NE wind brings a wind chill of -12. At 4.4C, my record coldest April daytime maximum so far.

April 5 & 6. Low relative humidity of only 33% recorded.

April 27. Last rain before the start of the drought.

April 28. Pressure builds and the rain is killed off.

April 30. The first warm day of the year (18.3) in a dry spell with some warm days marred by easterlies.

May 2000. Started off dry with some warm days. The first half was very dry, and the second half very wet. So about average rainfall and temperatures overall.

9 May. Equals my record May maximum with 22.6;C also the earliest date such a high has been attained.

15 May. 2.0 mm of rain ends the 17 day drought.

28 May. A shower in the evening gives 13.0mm of rain in 5 hours.

29 May. A small thunderstorm at 4pm gives 8mm hail - the largest I've ever seen, I think. We keep some in the freezer. The drifts really did look like snow.

June 2000. An average sort of month, with a quiet end.

3 June. A record low of 2.9 C and a ground frost (-0.5).

12-13 June. A gale in summer!

15 June. Relative humidity low of only 38%.

22 June. The great Pitroddie downpour: in a shower between 5 and 6 pm 10.8 mm of rain fell - 4.2 mm of it in 10 minutes.

July 2000. A month of two contrasting halves. A quiet start, with dull, grey weather produced by persistent NEs, followed by a brighter, warmer second half from the 16th on. Overall cool (lowest average minima so far), dull, and dry - at 21.6 mm, a record driest July month.

17 July. The new record daily range so far, from 4.3C to 22.8, a range of 18.5C.

August 2000 Warm and wet. This was the record wettest August so far, with 59.6 mm. Although not as warm overall as August 1997, the average maxima were the record hottest so far, at 20.3. It was the third warmest month to date.

September 2000. Overall very wet (but not quite as wet as the wettest month, which was October 1998), dull, but with average temperatures.

11 September. Extremely dull and wet. The rainfall total for the day was 20 mm; for the 18 hours including the night before, 29.6 mm fell before 5pm.

October 2000. Overall average temperatures and rainfall; a changeable yet quite sunny month.

3 October. The record warmest October day so far, at 18.4C.

9 October. 17.2 mm of rain between 4 pm and midnight.

28-29 October. A severe gale cut off our electricity for over 12 hours.

November 2000. An average month in most respects, with rainfall and temperatures very close to average. It was however quite sunny. Changeable, with a mean pressure beneath 1000 (at 995). There were 21 ground frosts but no air frosts.

6-7 November. New record for continuous rainfall: 24 hours.

December 2000. The first three weeks were very mild and quite wet, but the last week was much colder.

15 December. The first air frost of the winter! (-0.2).

25 December. A technical white Christmas in Pitroddie, with snow showers.

27 December. Minimum of -6.0C.

26-28 December. 38 hours of continual frost.

31 December. Heavy snowfall as the cold snap ends, with wet snow and strong winds.

2001.

The coldest, snowiest, frostiest, and by far the driest year so far.

January 2001. After a wet start a mainly anticyclonic month. It was overall the coldest month so far, for 5 years, at 2.7C. It was also dry overall, with only 28.2 mm of rain.

15 January. Just before dawn the temperature dipped to a new record January low of -6.6. The frosts were harsh and early to start and late to lift; everything became coated in a layer of rime.

23 January. Very low pressure: 966 mbars.

February 2001. Cold at first, then mild and unsettled, then anticyclonic but mild, then cold again. Overall it was quite cold (the coldest here since 1996), sunny, but with average rainfall. At least there were some reasonable amounts of snow.

3-5 February. The great Pitroddie blizzard - the most impressive since my records began here (and indeed, in my memory, since the Midlands snowstorm of December 1990). It began with sleet on the afternoon of Saturday 3rd around 3pm. Although recently forecast, I wasn't optimistic that morning giving temperatures of 5C. Temperatures fell through the afternoon, to 0.2 in the early evening, when the snow began to settle. By Sunday (4th) morning, snow was 11 cm deep, and it was still snowing. We even had 5 cms long icicles on the window frame. By early evening the snow was lighter, more intermittent, and powdery rather than the earlier large flakes. It finally stopped around 11 pm, after 32 hours of continuous snow (a new record snowfall/rainfall duration). More fell during the night, however, giving a total depth of 18 cms by the morning of Monday 5th. The maximum on the 4th was only +0.3, a new record low maximum for February. There was no sun at all from the 1st to 6th inclusive.

10 February. A warm front brings rain, much milder air, and a thaw. Anticyclonic and mild after that.

22 February. The cold air returns with snow flurries and a frost.

26 February. More severe weather, with snow from about 6 am, giving 8 cms by 2 pm.

March 2001 Generally cold - at 4.1, the coldest in the area since 1996, but with quite a mild second week. An exceptional cold start, with snow and severe frost.

1 March. A day of continuous frost, with more fresh snow (another 1-2 cms). There were 41 hours of frost, from 8pm on the 28 February to 1pm on the 2 March, with a new record low maximum of -0.4 on the 1st.

2 March. On the morning of Friday 2 March a new record low was set - not just for March, but by some considerable margin: -9.5 C. It followed a day of continuous frost, fresh snow, clearing skies, and easing wind. Classic conditions.

April 2001. Overall, an unexceptional month: fairly dry, on the cool side (but not exceptionally so), and quite sunny. The minima were low, and there was no maximum over 15.6C.

11 April. At last I catch a fine display of aurora borealis.

May 2001 Overall the record warmest since records began. This was wholly because of the consistently and exceptionally maxima; in fact, the nights were on average the coolest in some years. It was also very dry. It was also the driest May so far.

1 May. At last over 60F: 16.6C.

12 May. In a dry, anticyclonic spell, after several sunny days with the temperature brought down by easterlies, the temperature soars. This Saturday was the record warmest May Day so far - and beats any June maximum so far to boot as well, with 23.4C.

1-15. Drought! It was ended with 5.0 mm of rain on the 15th.

22 May. The record didn't last long. As a new anticyclone built, a new record high of 23.6C.

23 May. The new record lasted for an even shorter time, as Wednesday peaked at the new record of 24.9C.

June 2001. A cool first half, with frequent northerlies, but a warm spell late in the month meant that the overall mean was only slightly beneath normal. Slightly drier than usual.

15 June. A maximum of only 9.9C - the latest date on which the maximum has been under 10C.

25 June. A new record June maximum of 24.2C.

26 June. The mini-heatwave broke down with thundery rain. There was a fine thunderstorm at 2 am early the following morning. The minimum in the morning was a new record high minimum for June of 14.5.

July 2001. An unremarkable month - everything was pretty average. It was perhaps slightly duller than usual. A warm and fairly humid beginning and end was balanced by a cooler, unsettled midmonth.

29 July. A new record high minimum for July of 15.7C.

August 2001. Changeable, and pretty average overall in every respect. Also remarkably similar to July 2001.

18-19 August. A depression gave a total of 29.0 mm of rain. It started raining at 5pm on the 18th, and carried on, with a short break, until just after midnight the next day. I was away ...

September 2001.

Overall very slightly cooler than average, completely due to low minima. There were some low temperatures midmonth, from the 14th on.

18 September. The first ground frost of the season happened on the morning of the 18th: -0.5 (air minimum 3.7C). This is the earliest date yet - in previous years, the earliest ground frost was in October. The air mimum was down to 3.7C; this is a record low for September so far.

26 September. The record lowest maximum - only 11.4C. And what a dull, depressing day it was too, misty and with a light NEly.

October 2001. Easily the record mildest on record (12.1C average). The minima were particularly high - the average was higher than that for September. In addition to being so warm, the month was also wet, windy, and quite cloudy.

1-2 October. A very unsettled start, with gale force winds (particularly on Tuesday 2nd; a gust of 51 mph recorded in Dundee) and some heavy rain. 13.6 mm of rain fell on Monday 1st, most of it between 4 and 8pm, with hourly rainfall totals of 5.2, 3.4, 2.6, and 1.8 mm.

11-14 October. Very mild. 17.9C on the 12th - the highest reading for so late in the year, and the latest dat on which 17C has been exceeded (since my records began); 17.5C on the 12th.

18-20 October. Some extremely dull weather; three mornins of fog; and from Friday 19th to Saturday 20th perpetual fog (low cloud), with wind and heavy rain at times.

31 October. At last an autumnal day: a clear, windy, crisp day, with a maximum of only 10.3.

November 2001. Mild, dry, and sunny. The driest November so far (33.6 mm), and the one with the highest mean maxima (10.4C) although low minima kept the overall mean down.

7-9 November. The first taste of winter, with the first sprinkling of snow overnight on Wednesday-Thursday. It isn't quite the earliest date on which snow has fallen in the year (see November 4th, 1998). There is more snow overnight on the night of the 8-9th, giving a light cover, and the first air frost of the season.

30 November. A maximum of 13.7C - the record highest yet recorded so late in the year. It happened after dark, too.

December 2001. Cool, anticyclonic, sunny, and the record driest so far, with only 26.8 mm of rain.

2002.

This year the temperature did not exceed 21C until the record late date of 15 July.

January 2002. A cold, anticyclonic start. The record wettest January so far (104.4 mm). The first five days were cold. It was then mild and dry. The final two weeks were exceptionally wet and stormy at times.

2-5 January. Cold spell. The 2nd was a frost day; after a low minimum of -6.2C, the maximum during the day was only -1.1. Temperatures fell rapidly away after sunset, but rose before midnight to end up just above freezing around 6 am. The 4th was a true frost day, with freezing fog. Although there was no snow, the rime and ice on the ground was so thick that it looked like it.

18 January - 1 February. Exceptionally wet: 110.2 mm of rain fell in this two week period.

21 January. After the short cold spell it became very mild, and eventually the dry weather also broke down. On the 21st the maximum was 12.3 (close to the record set in 1998).

22 January. A gust of 31 mph in the sheltered garden site.

28 January. An exceptional gale: I record a gust of 38 mph. Widespread damage and travel chaos. The worst I can remember.

February 2002. Very wet and mild first half; the second half was average. Overall a record wet February (100.6 mm), and quite mild, too (5.2C). Otherwise I was disappointed by the lack of another real winter month. There was no real snow again.

13 January - 13 February. In this month period 176.0 mm of rain fell - easily a record.

March 2002. Average with a pleasant warm spell at the end.

25 - 31 March. Pleasantly mild, with 14.7C reached on the 28th (this is not a record).

April 2002. Overall quite mild and dry, with only one air frost. Much anticyclonic gloom in the first half. Rather more changeable from the 20th.

7 April. The only air frost of the month, at -0.9C, a new record high lowest minimum.

22 April. A new high minimum record of 11.1C.

23 April. The warmest day of the year so far - 17.4C.

27 April. Relative humidity of only 40%.

May 2002. An unexceptional month with little of note. Overall, quite wet, sunny, with average temperatures.

June 2002. Warm, quite wet (particularly in the first half), and quite cloudy. With 11 days of winds from the SW, the most SW month since January 1999.

July 2002. A cool month. Cool showery start.

2 July. A remarkable downpour, with 2.0 mm in about 10 minutes. Unfortunately the shower was very brief.

13 July. At last! The temperature exceeds 21C (70F) for the first time this year, with 22C. This is the longest we've had to wait for a reading over 21.

August 2002. Warm (the warmest since 1997, and the second warmest of the last 20 years) and wet (the wettest August in my records). Pleasingly the hottest day was the first day of the month, and the coolest the last.

1 August. The hottest day of the year (25.7C).

September 2002. The second warmest in my records, and the record driest, with only 14.0 mm. A quiet, anticyclonic month, with very little wind, and a lot of mist.

24 September. With a minimum of only 3.6, this is the new record lowest September low.

October 2002. A very exciting month.

1-2 October. A new extraordinary record warmest October day (20.0C) on the 1st - the 2nd was good too, with 19.9C recorded.

11-13 October. The first substantial rainfall since the end of August: 30 mm in about 30 hours. 17.2 mm fall on Friday 11th, and another 12.8 mm on Saturday 12th. Then as the weather clears, it turns cold, and the first ground frost of the year on the morning of Sunday 13th (the latest date so far for the first ground frost) - and after that, we get dense fog.

19 October. The first air frost of the year (-0.6C) - cold, clear, and windy. This is the record earliest date for an air frost so far.

20 October. An air minimum of -1.4C; this is the record lowest temperature for October here so far.

21-22 October. The first very wet day (defined as >25.0 mm) since November 1998: nonstop rain, heavy at times, gives 27.6 mm in the observing day. (It might well have been more, as our hedge has grown to the east.) We also had the record longest period of continuous rain (43 hours,from 0.00 midnight on the 21st, to 7 pm on the 22nd). The 22nd was also the second coldest October day in my records (only 6.6C).

23 October. It gets colder. A new record low maximum for an October day of only 5.6C.

24 October. More heavy rain in the evening turns to sleet as temperatures fall - this is the record earliest sleet/snow we have had yet. Perhaps a bit feeble, but sleet it was nevertheless. What a month.

November 2002. A mild and wet month, but with little extreme weather of note. Although it wasn't particularly cloudy, at times it was exceptionally dull.

December 2002. A dull month with a notable cold snap.

7 December. With a Scandinavian high, the winds swing round to the east, and it becomes cool and very, very dull. We see hardly any sun for the next 10 days.

12-16 December. No sun at all for five days.

19 December. Freezing fog, and a minimum of -5.8C. There are 39 hours of frost from the 18th to midday on the 20th. The maximum on Thursday 19 December is -1.7C, a new record low maximum overall.

2003.

An outstanding summer, with temperatures over 80F for the first time. An exceptionally dry autumn. The warmest (9.8C), sunniest year so far - and by far the driest.

January 2003. A month of exceptional contrasts. After a cold first week it turned exceptionally mild. The month ended cold and snowy.

26-27 January. A new record maximum for January of an incredible 14.3C on the 26th. (This was the same day that the national record was equalled.) The following morning the minimum was a new record high one of 11.0C.

February 2003. Overall cool and very dry. A cold snowy start. From the 14th it became quite cold but very sunny.

18 February. A new record minimum for February of -7.8C on the 26th. It was rather surprising, in as much as although the weather had been quite cold, particularly low minima were not forecast. This indeed is the second lowest minimum since 1996, after 2 March 2001. Lovely weather too; clear blue skies, cool by day, cold and clear by night.

March 2003. Drought! Overall dry and anticyclonic. Although often misty, there were some fine days in the middle of the month. With 25.6 mm of rain, it was the record driest March so far.

10 March. A day of showers gave the last rain we were to see for some time.

11 March. In a rapid turnaround, pressure rose 40 mbar in 24 hours on the 11th.

13 March. The minimum of -1.6C is the new record highest lowest minimum for March.

24 March. A maximum of16.6C, breaking the magic 60F barrier - earlier than usual (but not as early as March 2000). It is also a new record maximum for March.

31 March. The drought ends with overnight rain. At 20 days, it's the second longest so far (after summer 1999).

April 2003. Very warm (indeed, with a mean of 9.3C, the new record warmest April we've had here) and quite sunny. The first three weeks were very dry, but the end was unsettled and quite wet.

23 April. From the highest maximum of the month (18.6C) ...

24 April. ... to the lowest (8.0).

25 April. The prolonged dry spell ends with a downpour.

May 2003. Overall sunny, quite wet, with average temperatures.

17 May. Thundery rain, and a very heavy downpour: 10.8 mm of rain in one hour, a new record hourly rainfall rate.

June 2003. Easiest the warmest June on record; at 15.0C it's nearly 1 and 1/2 degrees above the second warmest, and nearly 2C above the average. The month was marked by consistently high maxima. It was also quite sunny and dry. Very pleasant.

July 2003. Overall a hot month (indeed the hottest overall on record), but with about average rainfall.

4 July. A new record highest maximum - 27.1C. This is also the first time in my records that we have exceeded 80F here. A magical day, with early sunshine. The maximum happened at 3.17 pm. Unfortunately the later afternoon and evening were cloudier.

20 July. A torrential downpour around 10 am; 14.4 mm falls in under half an hour, given an equivalent rainfall hourly rate of 28.8 mm, a new record hourly rainfall rate.

August 2003. Hot (as hot as 1997) and very dry - the driest August on record, and the second driest month overall. There were 17 consecutive days over 20C.

7 August. A new overall record highest maximum for any month of 28.4C.

September 2003. Not a particularly notable month: warm first half, quite dry, some cool nights.

20 September. I'd say autumn really got going around this date - much cooler, and the first substantial rain for some time.

23 September. A new record lowest minimum for September of 2.2C

October 2003. Extremely dry - with only 9.4 mm of rain the driest month so far. The period August-October 2003 was the record driest three consecutive calendar months - just 58.4 mm.

29 - 30 October. Two outstanding aurora.

30 October. A new record October minimum of -1.6C.

November 2003. Very mild (but not as mild as November 1997), slightly drier than average. Autumn 2003 is the record driest so far.

6 November. A new record November maximum of 16.7C.

December 2003. Overall an average month, but highly variable, with some notable mild and cold spells. Mild early, midmonth and around Christmas. A notable snowfall on Christmas Eve (forecast to "turn to rain"). Also the month is notable for our move of house and station.

9 December. A new record December minimum late night on the 8-9th - actually it occurred well before dawn, as the temperature started rising after midnight. It followed a heavy rime frost, freezing fog the like of which I haven't seen since I left the Midlands, and a frost day.

19 December. We move house and station 9 miles NE from Pitroddie to Lundie, near Auchterhouse, in the Sidlaws. The climate is probably similar, although we are slightly higher (175 m rather than 50) and a little more sheltered.

25 December. A mild, forgettable Christmas day.

31 December. A notable snowfall. It starts at 4 pm on Thursday, New Year's Eve, and continues till midnight. We have about six inches of level snow, and are snowed in until Saturday morning.

2004.

The coldest year in my records - with an overall mean of 8.8C. Of course, I have moved very slightly north and up in altitude, which probably has something to do with it. Only time will tell how much.

January 2004. Snowy beginng and end, mild midmonth. Pretty average overall.

1 January. Deep fresh snow - if only it had been a week earlier.

8 January. A very miserable day - wet, windy, and extremely dull. The birds gave up at lunchtime.

February 2004. Snow at the beginning and end, very mild midmonth, to give about average temperatures overall. A very sunny month. It was also exceptionally dry, with only 11.0 mm (the driest February so far, and the third driest month, after October 2003 and April 1997).

March 2004. An average sort of month without any great excitement. Mixed, with cold start, and mild interludes. Some snow, and slightly cooler than average.

April 2004. Quite wet, cloudy, and slightly cooler than average.

24-25 April. Warm spell: first day over 60F (just) on Saturday 24th. This is the new record latest date on which this has happened.

May 2004. Quite dry and sunny, with some warm days and cool nights - remarkably, with the lowest average minima yet recorded, there wasn't even a ground frost.

June 2004. Average overall, but wet.

5 June. First day of the year over 70F (with 21.8C).

14 June. A new record maximum for June: 24.7C. The odd thing about the day was how windy it was.

23 June. A wet day, with 14 hours of continuous rain giving 22.6 mm.

July 2004. The new record coldest July, with an average of only 13.6C. The highest maximum of the month (21.8C on the 27th) is the lowest July highest maximum on record so far.

August 2004. Not just a new record wettest month, but extraordinarily so (194 mm). There was an exceptional wet spell in the second week. It was also cool, thundery, and dull, with much low cloud.

1-12 August. Perhaps the worst week of summer weather I can remember: almost perpetual dense fog (low cloud), very dull, and with some periods of heavy rain. Then the 9th, 10th, and 11th were exceptionally wet, with 40.4, 24.8, and 35.6 mm of rain (a total of 101.8 mm), leading to local flooding. Needless to say, the 40.4 mm total is the new record daily rainfall total.

31 August. A new record August minimum (5.1C).

September 2004. The coldest for ten years. It wasn't that far beneath average (12.3C) but the range in September isn't great. It was otherwise a mixed month, with close to average rainfall. Quite bright, and many cool nights.

29 September. The low maximum of 11.4C is the equal lowest.

October 2004. Cold and wet. Indeed, the new record wettest October, with 152.2 mm of rain - only August this year was wetter. At an average of 8.5C, only October 2001 was colder.

November 2004. Quite dry (34.6 mm total rain), average temperatures, largely anticyclonic, with a cold snap.

19 November. The first airfrost of the year.

21 November. An equal record November minimum of -5.3C. A good cold plunge, with some severe frosts. It doesn't last long though. The cold snap (which started here on the 18th) ended with a spell of freezing rain. We did see some good frosts though, including 18 frost hours.

December 2004. Average temperatures, on the dry side, but quite sunny.

24-25 December. After a moderate snowfall on the afternoon of the 24th, we have snow lying on Christmas Day (but no fresh snow).

2005.

The new record coldest year so far (8.7C). A cold, wet spring - easiestly the new record coldest so far (7.3C), and the second wettest, with 200.8 mm of rain. Other highlights of the year include the hottest day so far recorded (29.0C in July), some exceptional wet days in October, and a new record low for December. This year saw more air frosts (58) than any other year so far.

January 2005. Slightly warmer than average temperatures, with a mean of 4.7C overall. Temperatures ranged from a maximum of 13.6 on the 31st to a minimum of -3.2C on the 23rd. It was quite wet (86.2 mm rain total). These figures tell only half the story: it was very much a "month of two halves", with an exceptionally wet and stormy first half and quiet and dry second half. 85.4 mm of the rainfall occurred in the first 17 days. There was a severe and damaging gale on the 11-12th.

4-12 January. A stormy few days, with notable gales on the 4-5th and 7-8th. The 7th also sees 28.8 mm rain (the fifth highest daily total so far), with rain turning to sleet and snow overnight. The night of the 11-12th (Tuesday-Wednesday) sees the worst gale yet: we lose a slate from the roof, and our big bay tree pot is blown over and smashed.

February 2005. Another month of two halves - rather mild until the 18th, then much colder and snowier. Overall an equal new record coldest February. The average minima are the lowest since December 2001, yet the lowest temperature of the month is only -2.7C on the 24th. Average precipitation.

23 February. Heavy overnight snow keeps us in all day on the 23rd; maximum depth is about 7 cm, but the car goes nowhere very safely. We abandon it at the bottom of the hill. 32 hours of frost: annoyingly the temperature climbs just above freezing just before 9 am. Nevertheless the maximum of 0.3C is still a new record lowest February maximum.

March 2005. A dull, cool month. Average rainfall. Snowy beginning, foggy dull end.

1 March. More overnight snow means we're snowed in again.

18 March. The minimum of 10.5 is a new record high minimum.

25-28 March. After a glorious Good Friday, with the first day over 60F (16.3C), the rest of Easter is exceptionally miserable" cold, very dull, wet at times, breezy easterly winds, and much dense fog and low cloud.

26 March - 1 April inclusive. Fog, dull easterlies, and no sun - an equal record dull spell of seven days.

April 2005. Cool, wet, easterly month, yet fairly sunny. This is the first time the highest April maximum has been lower than the highest March maximum in a year.

17-18 April. A vile couple of days, very dull, with 24.2 mm of rain over 22 hours.

May 2005. A pretty dismal month. By far the coldest May since my records began (9.2C). It was also the second wettest (with 88.6 mm of rain). It was also the only time so far I have recoded air frosts in May, so the minimum of -0.5C on the 18th is a new record low for May. The highest temperature (17.9 on the 15th) of the month was also the new record lowest May high. The only consolation was that it wasn't too dull.

10 May. A remarkably late air frost - the record latest so far.

17 May. Again, a remarkably late air frost (just, -0.1C) - so the new record latest so far.

18 May And the next night, even colder: -0.5C) - so again the new record latest frost so far.

June 2005. About average overall, with a warm spell near the end and some cool nights early on.

7 June. A late ground frost: the new record latest so far.

18 June. A the new record high June minimum of 15.8C.

July 2005. A fine, warm, sunny first three weeks were spoiled by a dull, cool final week. Overall it was the driest July (with just 21.2 mm of rain) since records began (marginally drier than July 1998). The mean maximum was 20.0C, mean minimum 10.3, overall 15.2C. There was a particularly good warm spell midmonth, and the maximum of 29.0C on the 12th was the highest since records began (and reputedly the highest locally since 1990).

10 July. Fine, sunny, hot spell: and a new record July high so far of 27.7C.

12 July. And then a new record high so far of any month of 29.0C.

23- July. Followed by a cold, windy, cloudy, but mostly dry end to the month.

August 2005. An average month. There were some cool nights; the minimum of 5.1C on the 25th is the equal lowest on record, and the average minimum was the lowest since records began. It was quite sunny, but often windy. There was a notable gale on the night of the 23-24th. The highest temperature was 26.2C on the 10th.

23-24 August. An unusually early gale overnight; several branches down. I'd say this marks the start of autumn.

September 2005. A very dry month, but also the most westerly since January. Also very windy, with two gales, on the 13th and 26th.

9-10 September. A cold snap, with NE winds, so dull and cloudy too, in a warm spell; one day the temperature is 19.8C (on the 8th), then on the 9th the maximum is only 11.2C - a new record September low maximum.

13 September. A gale blows away and destroys the garden table.

15-16 September. With N winds this time, another cold snap - this time fine and sunny rather than just cold and dull. There's a ground frost on the morning of the 16th (-2C, air minimum +1.9C) - a new record earliest such date for a ground frost, and also the new record lowest September minimum.

October 2005. Mild, wet, and cloudy, with a notable warm spell near the end. Unusually there were two very wet days.

11 October. 35.0 mm rain in a day - the fourth heaviest fall on record. Then, curiously, less than a fortnight later ... With 34 hours of continuous rainfall (on the 11-12th), this is the second longest period of continuous rain (after 21-22 October 2002).

24 October. Another 33.4 mm of rain.

27 October. 17.9C - the new record highest temperature so late in the year, easily beating 9 October 2003.

November 2005. Cold and very sunny - the coldest since 1998. After a mild, unsettled beginning, it became anticyclonic, drier, and colder, with some sharp frosts at night. A northerly outbreak near the end of the month brought the first snow. The month saw 68.0 mm of precipitation. Along with 1996, there was a record number of air frosts for November (14).

10-11 November. A notable gale on the Thursday night and particularly Friday afternoon - a neighbour records a gust of over 60 mph. The 10th was the warmest day of the month, with 12.3C.

13 November. The first air frost of the year -0.1C.

18 November. The coldest night of the month, with -3.7C.

24 November. After a quiet, dry, if cold spell, with some sharp frosts at night, the winds pick up and turn to the north, and we have the first snow flurries of the winter.

25 November. A severe weather day: wet snow, becoming heavy.

December 2005. A mild first half and cold snowy end. Overall with a mean of 3.6C and 60.4 mm of precipitation it's an average month overall. Temperatures ranged from 10.6C on the 11th and 15th to -7.6C on the morning of the 29th. The wettest day was the 30th, with 16.2 mm of snow and sleet.

29 December. Cold snap - snow, then freezing fog. On the morning of Thursday 29th I recorded a new record low for December of -7.6C. The spell 28-30 December sets a new record duration for continuous frost - 43 hours, from about 4 pm on the 28th to 11 am on the 30th.

2006.

A cold spring - with a particularly cold and snowy March, followed by a very warm June and July - July becoming the hottest month I've recorded here - let down by an average August. Hence summer 2003 was only the second warmest in my records, after 2003.

January 2006. Slightly cooler than average (3.4C average) and quite dry (41.6 mm of rain (about 66% of average). There was snow lying at the start, but the second week was mild, wet, and windy - most of the rain fell in this period, with a gale on the 12th. The second half of the month was very quiet and anticyclonic, with some gloriously sunny winter days. Maxima ranged from 11.4C (10th) to 2.3C (5th). The coldest night was the last, with -4.6 early on the morning of the 31st.

1 January. The New Year dawns with snow still lying.

31 January. The coldest night of the month, with -4.6C.

February 2006. Slightly cooler than average (3.5C average) and quite dry (39.2 mm of rain - remarkably similar to January in fact. Maxima ranged from 9.6C (10th) to 2.8C (1st). The coldest night was the 2nd, with -5.2.

2 February. A cold night, with -5.2C.

10 February. The highest temperature of the month, 9.6C. In fact this is a new record lowest highest February maximum.

16 February. The pressure of 969 mbars is the lowest since 23 January 2001.

March 2006. An extraordinary month. It was the coldest and wettest March on record by some way, and indeed it was the coldest of any month since January 2001.There were several notable snowfalls, particularly on the 11-12th. The lowest temperature of the month was -5.8C on the 22nd - the latest date I have recorded such a low reading here in ten years. Things perked up a little in the last week, with the heavenly heights of 12.2 recorded on the 26th. The snowdrops are only just fading and most of the daffodils have yet to open. It was also a dull month.

3 March. Snow fall morning.

10-15 March inclusive. No sun.

11 March. Cold spell, with snow in the morinng. Maximum just 1.1C.

12 March. Sunday - about 16 cm of heavy snowfall, remarkable for so late. Also the maximum of just 0.8C is the new record lowest maximum so late in the winter/spring.

16 March. The cold spell continues - more snow on top of the laying snow.

22-23 March. The harshest frost so late in the year (-5.8C) followed by a day with another significant snowfall.

25 March. At last the temperatures start to rise and spring is in the air. It reaches 12.2C on the 26th - the first time in double figures since 19 January, and the highest maximum since 14 November.

April 2006. A cool, very dry, sunny month. 15.2 mm of rain in total - only April 1997 was drier. Although the day time maxima were about average, there were many cool nights, though none exceptionally so. The month had a cold start, with sleet and hail, and a mild end.

23 April. At 15.9C the temperate at last exceeds 15.6C (60F).

May 2006. Cold (but not as cold as 2005), wet (but not as wet as 2005), and quite sunny. Overall average = 9.8 C, total rainfall 78.8 mm.

11 May. Highest maximum of the month, 20.9.

23 May. Lowest minimum of the month, 0.2.

Spring 2006. Note that spring 2006 here was the wettest and coldest on record, in spite of a very dry April.

June 2006. >A very warm month, but not as warm as 2003; also quite dry (particularly the first half) and sunny.

6 June. The hottest day of the month, and year so far (24.4C). It is also the new record daily range, of 18.9C, from 5.5 to 24.4C.

July 2006. The hottest month in my Scottish records (17.1C). The maxima were particularly high (average 22.4C), although the average minimum was not as high as in 2003. Also there was no outstanding individual reading. There are many very warm spells, although some of the days when it was particularly hot elsewhere were spoiled here by the haar. Four of my top ten maxima were recorded in July 2006. There have now been 7 (yes, 1!) days over 80F (old money) in the last ten years, all in July and August (2003, 2005, and 2006). In spit of the haar it was also a sunny, relatively dry month

16 July. The hottest day of the year so far, at 27.8C - and the third highest reading on record (beaten by 7 August 2003 and 12 July 2005). After the heat wave, predictably, comes the haar, while the rest of the country swelters. I find this aspect of life on the Scottish east coast so depressing. It is as though we are in a different world.

August 2006. Objectively a very average month - but what a contrast with the two months before. Summer as a whole was very warm - the second warmest here in my records, but not as warm as 2003.

15 August. With a maximum of only 12.9C, the second coldest August day I've recorded (after 23 August 1998).

17 August. Thunderstorm 3-4 am; we get woken. Although the electrical activity is only slight, the rainfall is spectacular, with 7.6 mm between 4 and 5, and 6.8 mm between 5 and 6. I think this is a high hourly rainfall rate for me, measured across one hour, but not as high as 17 May 2003.

September 2006. Very warm and very wet - but not as warm here as September 1999 not as wet as September 2000. The maxima were particularly high - the average maximum was 18.4C, a new record. The average minimum in September was higher than the average minimum in August this year.

20 September. A gale, the first of the season - and truly equinoctial!

21 September. The warmest day of the month, at 21.9C - very late, but not a record.

October 2006. Wet and mild - the warmest since 2001.

25-26 October. A very wet day (27.2 mm, most of it overnight), and then a gale as the winds swing to the east, with branches coming down.

November 2006. A wet month, but not as wet as November 1998. Temperatures slightly above average.

2 November. The first air frost of the year - quite an early date.

23 November. Wet and very windy, and very low pressure (969 mbars at morning reading).

December 2006. Very wet, mild and windy first half, very dry, cold and quiet second half.

25 December. A freezing fog Christmas, with -6.1C recorded in the morning. This reading is the lowest of 2006. It looks like a White Christmas.

2007.

Overall a rather cool, dry year. The overall average temperature was 8.8C (-0.4C from the ten-year mean, but not as cool as 2005), and the rainfall totalled 650.3 mm (89% of the average, but nowhere near as dry as 2003). Winter 2006-07 was mild (but not as mild as 1997-98) and with 307.2 mm of rain, easily the new record wettest winter so far. GIven its mildness, there obviously wasn't much snow about, and temperatures were never very low. Spring was dry and with about average temperatures; March and May were cool, but cancelled out by the exceptional warmth of April. It was easily the record coldest summer in my records so far, with an overall mean of 13.3C (-1.2C). The driest autumn in my records - 94.2 mm of rain, 46% of average, and indeed the new record driest of any season. It was the coldest December since 1996. The highest temperature of the year was just 23.5C on 24 August - the record lowest yearly maximum so far - and the lowest -6.8C on the morning of the 22 December. The last frost was 2 April, the first 25 October. An anticyclonic cold spell on 20-22 December saw 43 hours of frost, an equal record (with December 2005).

January 2007. Overall very mild, wet, and sunny. January was very unsettled in the first half, with some heavy (for here) rain, strong winds, and mild temperatures, but was then much drier and somewhat colder, with a little snow and frost, before turning milder again at the end. Only January 2000 was milder in my records (since 1996), and 1998 and 2002 were wetter. What a relief it is to have more than 10 years of data from one site (more or less). The lowest temperature of the month was -1.6C (several dates); this is the highest January minimum in my records; the greenfly are laughing. The first snow of the winter fell on the night of the 16-17th - this is the record latest date for the first snow.

February 2007. Average temperatures, but the new record wettest February on record, with 112.7 mm of precipitation. Quite a dull month. There were two short-lived cold snaps. I know however that this has been a mild winter because we haven't been snowed in once.

6-11 February. A short cold snap, with frost, showers of snow pellets, and from the night of Friday 9th, a very strong, biting easterly wind with snow and sleet.

12 February. The cold spell is definitely at an end. The last few days have been very wet (for here): 44.6 mm from the 8-11th, with 23. mm of snow, sleet and rain on the 10th.

On an unrelated note, yet another of our neighbours in Lundie has got a "death light"; you know the sort, the outside lights that stay on all night. These baffle me. We're not perfect; not all our windows have curtains. I can understand security lights that come on briefly while you fumble drunkenly in the dark for your keys. But death lights - what a waste of money and resources. And light pollution is evil; it ruins the night sky for us all. If you're scared of the dark, why move to the country?

I see that Southampton City Council want to make everyone's life miserable and obliterate the stars with green lasers. I am glad the people of Southampton must be so rich that they can finance this. Who votes for these people?

25 February. Install my new weather station, a Davis Advantage Pro.

27 February. Wake to the heaviest snow of the winter so far - a couple of inches.

March 2007. A dry month (35.0 mm), but not exceptionally so; slightly milder than average, and quite sunny. There was a short cold snap midmonth (18-21st) with some light snow.

28 March. 5.6 mm of rain - most notable as the last rain in a while ...

29 March. The drought begins.

April 2007. By far the warmest April in my records, with an average temperature of 10.1C (+2.1C). The maxima were particularly high (average maximum 15.0C). It was also a sunny and very dry month (with 14.6 mm of rain, 32% of the average, with most of that rain falling on one day, the 24th). The month was slightly spoiled by the easterly winds bringing in low cloud and haar, particularly at the end of the month. As is often the case, this part of east Scotland suffers when the rest of the country basks in hot sunshine.

4 April. The first day over 15C and 60F. ... Eventually it reaches 20.8, making it the new record hottest April day here so far (since 1996, remember).

11 April. Drought! 14 days with no measurable rainfall.

15 April. 21.5C - the first day over 70F. This is easiest the record earliest date for this so far. The drought continues.

16 April. The drought is ended by 0.2 mm of rain in a shower at 8.30 the next morning. Annoying.

24 April. Wih 9.2 mm of rain, most of the month's rainfall fell in a few hours overnight.

29 April - 5 May. A great deal of haar, murk, and low cloud with E/SE winds.

May 2007. May was cooler than average (by -1.2C) and, most unusually, cooler than April. In other respects it was an unexceptional month, being slightly drier and cloudier than average.

June 2007. June here was a miserable month: the equal coldest (in my records) with 1998 (at 12.3C); by far the dullest; and the highest temperature of the month was just 19.1C, the lowest maximum for June in my records. There were 10 sunless days, and 10 days with fog/haar at 10 am. At least it wasn't exceptionally wet.

8 June. A moderate thunderstorm from 3-6. 10.6 mm of rain after 3 a.m (6.6 of that between 5 and 6). The storm tracked SW->NE, passing close to overhead around 5. The thunderstorm peaked close to 5.30, when we had a brief power cut and all the alarms went off. After that, silence, and the rain quickly ceased.

9 June. The warmest day of the month, with 19.1C - this is the lowest June maximum in my records.

July 2007. Cool and wet, with temeratures -1.3C beneath average, and 153% of the average rainfall. At least it was quite bright. Otherwise exceptional events were rare.

23 July. 6.0 mm of rain fell between 3 and 4 on the 23rd.

August 2007. Easily the record coldest August in my records, and probably since 1993. Miserable. Rainfall was close to average.

20 August. The new record August minimum - just 4.8C.

24 August. The warmest day of the year (23.5C).

September 2007. Cold, very dry, and quite sunny. The coldest in my records (since 1995) - probably the coldest locally since 1993. This follows the record coldest August, for me, here. Also very dry, but not quite as dry as 2002. Some low maxima towards the end of the month.

15 September. The minimum of 1.3 is a new record lowest minimum for September so far.

26 September. A cold spell. The maximum is just 9.8C, a new record lowest maximum for September. The same low maximum is also reached on the 27th.

October 2007. Very dry (with just 20.2 mm of rain, but not as dry as October 2003). A very anticylonic month. Average temperatures overall, but with some warm days and cool nights.

11 October. 19.C - my highest temperature reading so late in the year.

25 October. -0.4C - the first air frost of the year - a bit earlier than average.

November 2007. Slightly warmer and drier than average. Dry, quiet first half; warm start; cooler, wetter, less settled second half.

2 November. Very mild - 16.7C equals the record warmest November day in my records.

December 2007. The equal (with 1996) coldest on record. It was also quite dry, with 32.0 mm (53%) of rain, making it the driest since 2001.

15-23 December. Anticylonic cold snap, with severe frosts, fog, and freezing fog. The temperature falls to -6.0 on the 17th, and there is continuous frost (and fog) from 3 pm on Thursay 20 to 11 am on Saturday 22nd - a total of 43 hours of frost - an equal record period (see also December 2005). This frost included the lowest temperature of the year, -6.8C, early in the morning of the 22nd.

2008.

Overall quite a dry year, but most notable for easily being the record coldest year in my records. Winter 2007-08 as a whole was slightly cooler than average, and slightly drier, in spite of a record wet January. Frost and snow were about average. Autumn 2008 was easily the coldest in my records; it was dry, too. It was a snowy year. December was the coldest month in my records.

January 2008. Overall the record wettest January in my records, with a total of 104.8 mm (150%). I was surprised by this, as no one day was very wet. (The wettest was the 1st with 12.0 mm.) It was aslo a cool month, with frequent gales, some snow, and quite dull.

3 January. The first snowy spell for some time.

8-9 January. A great gale - wind blowing force 10, peaking in the early hours of Wednesday morning (9th). We lose power at 5.30! Locally rooves blown off, trees down, many branches, and some flooding.

February 2008. Overall about average temperatures with some mild days and cool nights. However, because of a run of slightly colder than (my) average Februarys, it was the coolest February since 2002. It was windy at times, although anticyclonic midmonth. It was also a very dry month. Nearly half the total rainfall fell on the Leap Day.

March 2008. Cool and quite dry but sunny, with some cold snaps. Another occasion when March was colder than February.

21 March. Frequent snow flurries, with heavier fall overnight leading to snow cover on the morning of Saturday 22nd. This is also a very early Easter - so it's White Easter!

25 March. With a minimum of -3.5, this is the record harshest frost at such a late date so far.

26 March. ... Beaten the next day, just, with a minimum of -3.6C (at 5 am), this is the record harshest frost at such a late date so far.

28 March. The record latest date so far on which snow has laid.

April 2008. Cold and wet.

3 April. A lovely warm spring day, with a maximum of 17.2C.

5 April. Followed by a cold snap, with snow showers.

6 April. After overnight snow, the new record latest date so far on which snow has laid. The maximum this Sunday is just 4.3C, a new record lowest maximum for an April day.

May 2008. Warm and very dry; but not quite as hot as 1999, 2002, or 2004, or as dry as 2001.

10 May. The warmest day of the year so far: 21.6C.

June 2008. Some very cool nights led to a new record monthly average minimum for June (7.6C). Although the days were about average, the overall result was a cool month. Although not terribly wet (45.4 mm, 7% average), it was changeable, and often quite windy.

9 June. The warmest day of the year so far, with 22.1C.

July 2008. Dull and cool. While the rest of the country enjoyed a warm end to the month, after a few fine days, the wind swung round to the east, and as usual, the dreaded haar came in.

14 July. The warmest day of the year so far, with 23.1C.

22 July. The warmest day of the year so far, with 23.9C.

24 July. After a few fine days, the dreaded haar sets in.

August 2008. Cool (but not as cool as 2007), wet (but not as wet as 2004) and dull. The maximum of just 11.8C on the 6th was the lowest August maximum in my records. Overall the average maxima a new record lowest for any August so far here.

2 August. Phenomenal downpour around 3.30 pm gives 10.0 mm of rain in an hour, an hourly rainfall rate of 10.0 mm/hour.

5-7 August. Spell of very cold, very wet weather. 11.0 mm of rain on the 5th, 22.2 mm on the 6th, no sun, and a maximum of just 11.8C on the the 6th - a new record low maximum for August.

22 August. Another torrential downpour in the afternoon: over 12 mm between 4 and 6 pm.

September 2008. A slightly cooler, drier, and cloudier than average month.

October 2008. Cold, dry and sunny. The coldest in my records (average 7.5C, and probably the coldest in the area since 1992. The average minima were particularly low.

21 October. The first snow of the year - a little sleet in a light shower late morning - the record earliest date on which it has fallen.

28 October. Cold snap. The first air frost of the year, with -0.2. This is followed by the new record low maximum for October, just 3.5C, easily beating the record of 23 October 2002 (5.6C).

November 2008. Cold (4.9C average), sunny, and with just 26.2 mm of rain, easily the driest in my records.

22 November. The start of a prolonged cold spell, although the weather is briefly milder around the 25-27th. The maximum on the 22nd is just 0.9C. There were 20 hours of consecutive frost on the 30th.

30 November. The lowest minimum of the month, with -4.3C. There were another 20 hours of consecutive frost today.

December 2008. Cold, quite dry, quite snowy. The record coldest December in my records (and indeed since December 1995), and indeed the and the record coldest of any month, and the lowest minima (-0.4) of any month, in my records.

2 December. The cold spell continues. A moderate snowfall on the night of 1-2nd. Then a clear sunny day, with a maximum of just 0.1C at 2 pm, before the temperatures plummet to -4.0C before 4. They then recover a bit it clouds over, the wind rises, and there's more light snow.

4 December. The cold snap continues, with another 8 cm of snow overnight. We're not going anywhere.

26 December. After turning mild, it turns cold again, and gets colder - and stays cold.

30-31 December. 40 hours of continuous frost, starting at 9 am on the 30th, and falling to -5.7C early in the evening of the 31st (the lowest minimum of the year). The wind then picks up a little.

2009.

Overall a very cold (the second coldest, after 2008) and very wet (easily the wettest in my records, with 142% of the average rainfall) year. Winter 2008-09 was easily the coldest in my records, with a mean temperature of 2.7, 1.3 beneath the mean, and significantly colder than 2001 (the next coldest, at 3.5C). It had the most air frosts (45) and the most days snow lying (23), although with 18 days on which snow fell it was just pipped by 2004 (19 days) and equal with 2005. It was drier than average (76%). Temperatures for spring were about average, and after a fairly dry March and April a wet April made the spring slightly wetter than average. Summer was cool and wet - with a total o387.8mm, 189% of the average rainfall, it was easily the record wettest summer I've recorded. Overall December was a new record coldest month by some way, and an exceptional cold spell started on 16 December.

January 2009. January was easily the coldest month in my records. It easily beat my previous record (which just happened to be December 2008), and was about the same locally as December 1995. You have to go back to January 1991 to find a significantly colder month. Unlike December, there was very little snow. It was slightly drier than average and quite sunny - that is, when the sun peeps above the horizon of this grim and blasted landscape. The first nine days were cold, it then turned milder for a few days, for the last two weeks to be cool.

1 January. The temperature rises to 0.4 to see the New Year in, ruining a run at a new record period of continuous frost.

February 2009. An extraordinarily divided month, with a very cold, snowy, frosty first half, with some prolonged severe frosts and continuous snow cover from the 2nd to 15th (a total of 14 consecutive days snow cover, a new record period for snow cover), and a very mild second half. Overall it was slightly cooler (-0.5C beneath average) and slightly drier (80%) than average.

8 February. The temperature just sneaks up to +0.2 briefly around 2 pm. This is a new record low maximum for February. It's particularly annoying because it interrupts 44 hours of continuous frost, leaving 22 hours before and 21 after - still impressive. The blackbirds didn't seem to think so, though.

11 February. A very heavy (and unpredicted) snow fall brought traffic chaos. We had to abandon the car down the road.

March 2009. An average month, with few notable events and extremes. Sunny, dry, quite mild.

April 2009. Quite warm and dry. My first frost free April. Otherwise there are few extremes this month.

20 April. Warm spell: it reaches 18.C. This is also the first day over 60F, a little later than average.

May 2009. Overall a little on the cool side, quite wet, and fairly sunny, but not remarkably so. Quite warm and very sunny at the end.

June 2009. Quite cool, wet, unsettled first half, easterly dull end with haar, a few nice days.

9 June. A new record low minimum for June of just 2.8C.

27 June. While the rest of the country swelters, haar sets in.

July 2009. With a total of 164.4 mm of rain (251% of normal), easily the new record wettest July. Temperatures were very slightly beneath average, mainly because of a few cool nights.

1 July. A hot day. At 27.3C (81F), it's the fourth hottest day I've recorded so far (after July 2005, August 2003, and July 2006). Of course here it's one fine day and a thunderstorm - at 5 pm.

6 July. Some torrential rain, with an hourly rainfall rate of 11.4 mm between 7 and 8 pm.

28 July. A very wet day, with 31.4 mm from 9-9, making it the fourth wettest day in my records (after November 1998 and two very wet days in October 2005). Interestingly it came from only 9 rainfall hours. 11.2 mm came from two heavy downpours in the afternoon, the rest from the more prolonged period of rain overnight. The heavy showers were very local: a neighbouring station in Auchterhouse, about five miles away, recorded just 3 mm in the same time.

August 2009. Slightly cooler than average, very wet (but not as wet as 2004), and quite sunny. The rain came with several wet days rather than any exceptionally (very wet, defined as > 25.0 mm) ones. The highest temperature of the month was 22,8C on the 7th, the lowest maximum was 14.3C on the 28th, and the lowest minimum 7.6C as early as the 3rd. There were 141.0 mm of rain (190%), with 19.2 mm on the 9th. It was though quite sunny, but rather windy at tikmes.

9 August. Torrential downpour, with nearly 15 mm in under three hours, from 5 pm.

September 2009. A wet month overall, with 86.2 mm, 157% of the average rainfall. However, virtually all the month's rain fell in the first three days in an exceptional wet spell (which I missed). Thereafter the month was settled and mostly dry. There were some warm days, but the cool nights meant that overall the month was very slightly cooler than average.

2-4 September. The remnants of Hurricane Dan give a period of exceptionally prolonged and heavy rainfall. It rains from 10 pm in the evening of Wednesday 2nd to midday Friday 4th, each of those three days giving 20.0, 44.0, and 1.2 mm of rain in total. 39 hours of consecutive rain gave a total of 65.2 mm of rain. Local flooding. The total of 44.0 mm in one day is a new record daily rainfall. There were no exceptional temperatures, with the highest temperature of the month being 20.0C on the 7th, and the loest 3.2C on the 20th.

October 2009. A very average month. Very slightly warmer and wetter than the long-term average. Temperatures ranged from 17.4C on the 14th to 1.4C on the 5th; the wettest day was the 24th, with 16.6 mm of rain.

November 2009. Extremely wet - with 174.0 mm of rain, 241% of average, the new record wettest November in my records by some considerable way. The month was very cyclonic and therefore unsettled, with a few frosts and one gale, on the 25th, when the pressure fell as low as 972 mbar. It was somewhat cooler than average. Temperatures ranged from 13.1C on the 2nd to -1.8C on the 9th.

1 November. A very wet and windy start, with 14 hours of rain delivering 36.4 mm 9-9 am. This is the third heaviest daily rainfall (after September 2009 and August 2004) in my records.

8 November. The first air frost of the year, with -0.2C at 5 am or so - on exactly my average first frost date.

18-20 November. Another very wet spell, with 17.0 mm on the 18th and 28.4 on the 19th, over 20 hours of continuous rainfall.

25 November. Gale, and the pressure fell as low as 972 mbar, when the pressure fell as low as 972 mbar.

December 2009. Easily the new record coldest December in my records by some considerable way, and probably the coldest month locally since 1986. A cool start but it then turns exceptionally cold and snowt after the 16th for the rest of the month. There is snow cover from the 18th on, reachng 11 cm on the 23rd, with two frost days.

1-2 December. The first snowfall of the year.

16 December. It turns much colder. 2 cms of snow on Thursday 17th; then the following night, 17-18th, the temperature falls to -6.8C, the =7th lowest temperature I've recorded. Much more snow on the 21st and 22nd, and then in the evening of the 22nd the temperature falls to -8.1C, the second lowest minimum I've recorded, beaten just by early March 2001. There are 44 hours of frost from the 17-19th, a new record, and another 43 from the 21-23rd.