An historical perspective on the climate statistics

for Coventry during September 2009

Temperature

With an average monthly temperature of 14.7ºC, this has been the
warmest September in Coventry since 2006 (17.2ºC).

Although warmer than average, only three September months have been
cooler than September 2009 in the city in the past 12 years (2001,
2007 and 2008).

The monthly mean temperature is 0.8ºC higher than the city’s 30-year
average for September, and the seventh month out of nine during 2009
to have recorded higher than average mean temperatures.

In 2009 so far, the average temperature has been 0.5ºC higher than the
30 year climatological normal for Coventry.

Rainfall

With just 13.8mm of rain during September 2009, this has been the
driest month in Coventry since April 2007 (5.1mm).

This was the driest September in Coventry since 1996 (9.5mm), mainly
thanks to the longest dry spell (22 days) in the city during September
since 1971 (23 days). Just for the record, the longest September dry
spell recorded no rainfall for 28 days in 1898.

With monthly rainfall figures dating back to 1870, only five September
months have been drier than this year in over 139 years (1900, 1941,
1959, 1969 and 1996).

The wettest day of the month (10.6mm on the 2nd) recorded 77% of the
whole month’s rainfall total.

There were only 2 wet days during the month – this is the lowest
number of days recording over 1mm of rain since 1964 (1).

Sunshine

Although drier and warmer than average, the sunshine total (143.8hr)
for September was very close to the 30-year climatological normal for
Coventry (106%).

The sunniest day of the month (11.3hr on the 12th) was the sunniest
September day in Coventry since 2005 (11.8hr).

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