Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Dry January sets new record for least rain
DRY January was observed in Dundee in more ways than one, according to local weather experts.
While many people enjoyed a “dry” month of no alcohol, data from the James Hutton Institute, based in Invergowrie, shows that just 7.5mm of rain fell on the city, or 11% of the typical amount for January.
It is the lowest amount of rainfall for January the institute has recorded since it first began capturing weather data in 1954.
The figure is also less than half the previous record set in 1964, when 18.3mm of rain was recorded falling on the city.
As well as being the driest January to date, the first month of 2019 was also the fourth sunniest, with nearly one and a half times the amount of sunshine usually expected for this time of year.
Daily average temperatures were around 2.8C – just below the typical average of 3.2C.
The highest temperature in Dundee for the month was 12.5C, recorded on January 12, while the coldest was -6.5C, recorded at the peak of the recent cold snap on the final day of the month.
Scotland as a whole had its 10th sunniest January on record, according to forecasters at the Met Office, who have monitoring stations across the country.
In a statement summarising the month’s weather, the office said weather patterns across the UK were similar to those in Dundee.
The statement said: “The average temperatures for the month as a whole were close to normal, although the average figures disguise some extremes.
“The first half of January was relatively mild, interspersed with short cold snaps, while in contrast the second half of the month was relatively cold, interspersed with short mild spells.” Across the country, the coldest temperature was -14.3C, recorded in the heart of the Cairngorms at Braemar, while the warmest was 14.2C, recorded in the village of Slapton, in Devon.
Dundee was hit with snow at the weekend, which has largely given way to clear but cloudy conditions. The weather was even cold enough to freeze Swannie Ponds, in Maryfield, paving the way for skating enthusiasts to enjoy some fun and games on the ice.
In the days ahead, forecasters expect temperatures to remain in single figures.
However, heavy rain is expected on Friday afternoon – but that will likely clear away by the time Saturday comes around.