The mean sea-level pressure chart for January 2004 shows
a split Icelandic low. The main centre is displaced way to the
southwest of its normal position, and is just NE of Newfoundland
at 991 mbar, while the secondary centred is northeast of the
Faeroe Islands at 995 mbar. The Azores high is centred near
Madeira at 1023 mbar and high pressure is also a feature over
north Greenland and the Canadian Arctic. The westerly flow
over the British Isles is stronger than usual, but also veered
from its usual 240º to about 270-280º.

The main anomaly centres a
-16 mbar over eastern Newfoundland
-10 mbar over the northern North Sea
-8 mbar over western Ukraine
+8 mbar over Baffin Island
+3 mbar over Madeira

The anomalous flow over the British Isles
is NNW-ly.

Prov. CET: 5.3ºC (1.1 degC above the 71-00 norm)
E&W Rainfall: 122mm (130%)
E&W Sunshine: 54hr (101%)

Scotland: +0.7degC, RR 134%, sss 83%
N.Ireland: +0.5degC, RR 122%, sss 84%
Irish Rep: +0.6degC, RR 116%, sss 97%

Rainfall totals ranged from 368mm at Capel Curig
(Snowdonia) to 46mm at Shoeburyness (Essex)
Rainfall percentages ranged from 222% at Carterhouse
(Borders) to 68% at Aboyne (Aberdeenshire).
Sunshine totals ranged from 83h at Shanklin (IoW)
to 17h at Aviemore (Inverness-shire).
Sunshine percentages ranged from 151% at
Lerwick to 42% at Aviemore.

Philip Eden