With an average monthly temperature of 5.9C, this has been an
exceptionally mild January in Coventry, and the warmest since 1990.

Looking back through the record books, we find that only 9 January
months have been warmer than 2005 since records were first kept in the
city in 1892 (1898, 1916, 1921, 1932, 1974, 1975, 1983, 1989 and 1990).
Note only 3 of these warmer January months have occurred in the past 30
years.

There have been just 4 air frosts in January 2005, the lowest such
incidence since 1990 (3).

· The coldest night of the month registered an overnight minimum
of -2.5C, the highest such incidence since 1994 (-2.0C).

· The warmest night of the month recorded an overnight minimum
temperature of 11.2C, making this the warmest January night since 1987
(11.8C) - this is the only January night on record warmer than 10th
January 2005.


Not only has it been mild, it has also been noticeably dry with just
21.4mm of rain, 65% below average for the city. This has made it the
driest January since 1996 (11.3mm).

Only 7 January months have been drier than 2005 in Coventry since 1870
(1880, 1898, 1950, 1954, 1963, 1976, 1996).


The wettest day of the month registered just 3.8mm of rain (17th) - this
is the lowest amount of rain on the wettest day of January on record (to
1893).


A 60mph gust on 8th January was the strongest gust in Coventry at any
time of year since wind records were first kept in the city in 1986.

--
Steve Jackson
Bablake Weather Station
Coventry
UK
http://www.netlink.co.uk/users/bws