December 2014 Summary

In Brief:
Mostly unsettled and rather cold.  Total rainfall lower than average but spread over most of the month.  Fine for the first few days, and again for the last few days.

Temperature: [Minimum]:
The coldest night was that of the 28th/29th with a low of -2.0 degs C.  This was the coldest night since March 2013, and the coldest December night since 2010.
The highest 24-hour minimum of 11.4 degs C was on the night of the 17th/18th, giving an average minimum of 5.35 degs C.  This was the lowest average minimum since January 2011, and the lowest for December since 2010.  It was also the second lowest December average since at least 2003.

Temperatures fell below 5 degs C in December 2014 on 14 nights, the most times since March 2013, and the most times in December since 2010, when it did so 21 times.
Temperatures fell below 0 degs C in December 2014 on 2 nights, [28th/29th and 29th/30th], the most times since February 2012, and the most times in December since 2010, when it did so 13 times.   It was the first time the temperature fell below 0 degs C at all since March 2013.

Temperature [Maximum]:
The coldest day of the month was the 28th with a maximum of 5.9 degs C.  This was the coldest day since March 2013 and the coldest December day since 2010.
The mildest day of the month was the 17th with a maximum of 12.8 degs C.  Since these records began in 2003 the temperature has risen higher than that figure every month.  Even in December 2010 it reached 13.7 degs C, interestingly compared to 2014 this happened on the 28th, although it was the one and only day!
The average maximum for December 2014 was 10.56 degs C, the lowest of any month since March 2013. 
It was the 4th lowest for December since 2003, those lower being 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Rainfall:
90.8 mm of rain fell during December 2014.  This compares to 172.7 mm in December 2013 and 156.1 mm in November 2014.  It was the driest December since 2010.
The wettest day itself was the 12th with 16.0 mm.  Since 2008 this was the second lowest total for a wettest December day.  The lowest being 9.1 mm in 2010.
During December 2014 there were 8 completely dry days and 10 with no measurable rain.   The driest periods of the month were up to the 6th [1.9 mm], and from the 28th, when there was no measurable rain.

Cumulatively, 1250.2 mm of rain fell during the whole of 2014.  This compares to 1228.2 mm in the whole of 2013, +1.79%, so despite the very wet start to 2014, things almost evened out by the end of the year.
Both years were much drier than 2012 which had 1502.6 mm of rain, although 506.7 mm of that fell in the last two months.

Thunder:
None this month.