On 23/12/2014 19:06, RW wrote:
Thanks for that excellent description, gives one a vivid idea of your sun regime. I have noticed on the sun maps for the UK the enhanced averages of many of the coastal zones, as compared with inland areas. In my country the convective effects seem to be much less important, but hill or mountain sheltering is a major factor. A somewhat bizarre climate is found at Mt Cook village just east of the Southern Alps - in a rain shadow (of sorts) with its 4400mm annual rainfall (west of the divide there are areas with at least 13000mm and possibly quite a bit more) and with considerable variability in cloudiness. Overall it is quite sunny with 50% of the possible recorded, no less than on the main plains much further east.

For the last 9 years that I have been recording sunshine here near near
the south coast of Devon we have averaged around 1850 to 2000 hours of
sunshine a year.

The biggest factor is the supression of cumulus cloud in the spring,
summer and early autumn through regular sea breezes. Often the sky is
cloudless here whereas just a few kilometres inland cumulus builds up
and there may even be showers/thunder, especially in the spring.

Higher ground to the west also helps.

--
Nick Gardner
Otter Valley (and with beavers too), Devon
20 m amsl
http://www.ottervalley.co.uk