.... Marked lack of sunshine here in darkest (!) Dorset (and completely
at odds with the 'nationwide' figure as indicated he
http://www.climate-uk.com/ )

.... using the Hurn Kipp & Zonen (KZS) record, then although the month
hasn't yet ended - the resolutely grey sky outside would suggest that
today is going to be yet another '0.0h' day.

For December 2010:
No. of days 0.0h (i.e. no sunshine above the threshold of the
instrument) = 19, with three periods of 4 or 5 days completely sunless.

No. of days 1.0h = 4

Therefore, 23 days (~ 3/4 of the month) experienced no appreciable sunshine.

Total sunshine by that sensor = 27.2h (~52% of the estimated 1971-2000 LTA)

Hurn published record (Met Office web site) for sunshine starts in
December 1968. In that record, the dullest December occurred in 1978
with 28.3h (Campbell-Stokes Recorder/CSR). Although the two records
can't be directly equated, the 'correction' factor found by Kerr &
Tabony relating the two types of recorder would suggest that we're
within a whisker of the older record.

It looks as if this December is therefore the second-dullest December in
the Hurn record (Dec 1968 on), and the third-dullest *any* month in that
record; the month with the least sunshine was January 1973 with 27.0h (CSR)

A preliminary look at the mean temperature for the month for Hurn (and
using a notional maximum of 7°C for today) gives a mean 24hr temperature
for December 2010 of +0.3°C, -5.4degC anomaly on 1971-2000 series. It is
*easily* the coldest such-named month in the 1957-on record for Hurn,
beating the previous coldest (1981 / 2.2°C) out of sight.

However, there are several months in this record which were notably
colder: e.g. Jan & Feb 1963, Feb 1986.

Martin.

--
Martin Rowley
Location: West Moors, East Dorset (UK): 17m (56ft) amsl
Lat: 50.82N Long: 01.88W
NGR: SU 082 023
W: booty.org.uk
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