An historical perspective on the climate statistics

for Coventry during December 2008


Temperature

This was a relatively cold December in Coventry (3.7C) with the mean
monthly temperature 1.3C below the city’s 30-year climatological
normal.

It has been the coldest December in our region since 2001 (3.6C).

Only six December months have been colder than December 2008 locally
since 1969 (1976, 1981, 1992, 1995, 1996, 2001), though to put this
into the context of Coventry’s 116 year long record, December 2008
only ranks 39th coldest since 1892.

There were 14 air frosts during December 2008, the highest incidence
of air frost during December since 2001 (15).

However with 24 ground frosts during the month, we recorded more grass
frosts than in any December since 1981(26).

Rainfall

With 53.0mm of rain, this has been the driest December in Coventry
since 2005 (47.8mm).

This is 15% less rain than we would expect during December according
to the 1971-2000 city 30-year average.

92% of the month’s rainfall fell in the first 13 days of December,
with a relatively dry second half of the month.

Looking back through the archives, we find that only six December
months have been drier than 2008 in the past 20 years (1991, 1996,
1997, 2001, 2004, 2005).

Although there were reports of sleet falling on both the 1st and 2nd
of December, there was no further snowfall during the month, despite
the cold last week, with an eight day long dry spell to end the year.






Sunshine

Although there were 9 dull days without any sunshine during December
2008, we enjoyed 46% more sunshine than normal in Coventry.

This was the sunniest December in the city (70.2hr) since 2005
(71.1hr).

Only four December months have recorded more sunshine than December
2008 since 1980 (1999, 2001, 2004, 2005), and with 1980, only six
December months have been sunnier than 2008 since 1894.

Days of special interest during December 2008

• 3rd This was the sunniest December day in Coventry since 1997
(6.9hr). Only 3 December days have been sunnier than this since 1894.
• 12th This was the wettest December day (17.2mm) since 2002 (22.4mm).
• 31st With an overnight minimum temperature of -4.8C, this was the
coldest December night in Coventry since 2000 (-7.4C).
• 31st The overnight grass minimum fell to -10.8C – the lowest such
value since 1991 (-11.1C).
• 31st The maximum temperature only reached -1.5C making this the
coldest December day since 1995 (-3.4C).


Steve Jackson
Bablake Weather Station
Coventry UK
www.bablakeweather.co.uk