As of this morning the England and Wales rainfall for December
stands at 42.5mm, which brings the total for 2003 to date to
719.0mm ... now wetter than 1921 and 1933 during the last
100 years.

We need 13mm to pass 1964, 23mm to pass 1973, and
36mm to pass 1996. So there's a reasonable chance that
this will end up being the driest year since 1973, possibly even
since 1964.

At a more local level, the biggest deficits this year are in eastern
Scotland, roughly from Fife up to Sutherland, where the annual
rainfall looks like being close to 60% of the long-term mean.

Philip Eden

"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote in message
.. .
As of this morning the England and Wales rainfall for December
stands at 42.5mm, which brings the total for 2003 to date to
719.0mm ... now wetter than 1921 and 1933 during the last
100 years.

We need 13mm to pass 1964, 23mm to pass 1973, and
36mm to pass 1996. So there's a reasonable chance that
this will end up being the driest year since 1973, possibly even
since 1964.

Here in Penzance the driest year I've recorded (records start 1991) was
1995, followed by 1996.

I am currently just 1.2mm behind the 1995 figure and 33.9mm behind the 1996
figure and have recorded 84% of the 1971-2000 norm.
July 2003 was actually the wettest July I've recorded, due largely to a
couple of very intense thunderstorms.

Graham
Penzance

The message
from "Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom contains these words:

snip stats

At a more local level, the biggest deficits this year are in eastern
Scotland, roughly from Fife up to Sutherland, where the annual
rainfall looks like being close to 60% of the long-term mean.

The rain of the last week has finally brought the soil up to capacity.
Lochs still very low with the water inlet on the loch which supplies the
public water supply in the Kyle, still on dry ground. 24 hour pumping
is maintaining the water supply from the loch into the water inlet!

Phil.
From the Kyle of Sutherland - 175 feet AMSL [NH 616916]
(40 miles north of Inverness)