January blues were lifted with England’s sunniest start to a year on record, weather data shows
- It seems the January blues were blown aside last month as England enjoyed the sunniest start to a year on record
- The country saw an average of 80.7 hours of sunshine last month, according to the Met Office
- The UK as a whole enjoyed its sunniest January in 20 years with around 62.7 hours of sunshine – the third highest since records began in 1919
It seems the January blues were blown aside last month as England enjoyed the sunniest start to a year on record.
The country saw an average of 80.7 hours of sunshine last month, according to the Met Office.
And the UK as a whole enjoyed its sunniest January in 20 years with around 62.7 hours of sunshine – the third highest since records began in 1919.
Wales and Northern Ireland also saw above-average hours of sunshine with 55.1 and 43.4 hours respectively.
Although it was a gloomier picture in Scotland – which enjoyed only 38.1 hours – a mean temperature of 4.7C (40.5F) made it the nation’s sixth warmest January since records started.
The month started with the warmest New Year’s Day on record for the UK, with 16.3C (61.3F) recorded at St James’s Park in central London. Pictured: Rowers out on the River Cam in Cambridge, on January 22
The month started with the warmest New Year’s Day on record for the UK, with 16.3C (61.3F) recorded at St James’s Park in central London.
The mild weather continued for much of the month with only 61.3mm of rainfall – less than half the UK’s monthly average.
Dr Mark McCarthy, of the Met Office’s National Climate Information Centre, said Storms Malik and Corrie last weekend had been exceptions, bringing ‘rain and disruptive winds’.
He said: ‘January has been a dry and sunny month.
‘It has been notably mild for Scotland but a fair share of frosty mornings across much of England.
‘High pressure has had a big influence over the UK’s weather this month, with a persistent area of high pressure in the south dominating the picture from mid-month and resulting in a relatively dry month.
Dr Mark McCarthy, of the Met Office’s National Climate Information Centre, said Storms Malik and Corrie last weekend had been exceptions, bringing ‘rain and disruptive winds’. Pictured: The sun rises over Cumberland Basin, Hotwells and Clifton, near the Avon Gorge in Bristol on January 14
‘The exception to this for the UK was the late influence of Storms Malik and Corrie in the last weekend of January, bringing rain and disruptive winds to many in the north.’
Scotland and Wales also broke their New Year’s Day record high temperatures, as 15.9C was reported at Achnagart in Scotland and 15.6C at Hawarden in Wales.
January has also seen less than half the average rainfall for the month for the UK.
An average of 61.3mm of rain fell, which is below the average of 121.5mm.
Scotland was the only country to report more than 50% of its average rainfall, but its figure of 110.2mm was still only 62% of its average.