Royston (Iceni) Weather Station

Daily Weather Observations - December 2002

(*All times GMT*)

Additional Data:

Rainfall Duration  120.3 hours

Air Frost Duration  27.4 hours

Differences from average:

Differences from average shown in red. Reference periods used are as follows: Temperature 25 Years 1973/1997; rainfall 30 Years 1971/2000; sunshine 30 Years 1961/1990.

*The differences from average quoted during the course of the month relate to the cumulative daily averages up to the date of the last observation, not the averages for the month as a whole.

Observations practice:

Note: In line with standard meteorological practice the 24 hour maximum temperature and rainfall are read at 0900 GMT and credited to the previous day i.e. data shown above for 1st actually read at 0900 GMT on 2nd and represents the previous 24 hours. The 24 hour minimum and grass minimum temperatures are similarly observed at 0900 GMT but are credited to the day of the reading (e.g. observations made at 0900 GMT on 2nd shown against 2nd and represent previous 24 hours). This is the reason why at daily update of the above table the minimum a grass minimum temperatures appear to be "ahead" of the other data mentioned. (This explanation given in response to a query received).

Graphs and Charts:

Click on the following links to view this month's graphs and charts.....

1. Daily Maximum, Minimum & Grass Minimum Temperatures 

2. Daily Maximum & Minimum Temperatures (with 25 Year Comparative Means) 

3. Daily Earth (30 cms Depth) Temperature @ 0900 GMT  4.  Daily Rainfall  5.  Daily Sunshine

6. Daily Maximum Gust & Mean Wind Speed   7. Daily Wind Direction @ 0900 GMT  

8.  Daily Mean MSL Air Pressure  9.  Daily Mean Relative Humidity  10.  Thermograph 

11 . Barograph  12.   Hygrograph  13.  Anemograph   14. Wind Direction

15. Sunshine Duration  16.  Rainfall Intensity & Duration

December 2002 Weather Review:

......and click on the link below for a text report of the December 2002 weather in Royston

December 2002 Weather Review

December (since 1972) at Royston (Iceni) Weather Station:

Mean day maximum temperature (25 years 1973/1997) 7.1°C

Mean night minimum temperature (25 years 1973/1997) 3.0°C

Highest temperature 15.1°C (2nd December 1985); lowest temperature -9.8°C (29th December 1995)

Lowest grass minimum temperature -14.6°C (13th December 1981)

Warmest December 1974 (Mean temperature 7.8°C); coldest December 1981 (Mean temperature 0.4°C)

Average December rainfall (30 years 1971/2000) 52.8 mm

Wettest December 1989 (Rainfall 122.4 mm); driest December 1991 (Rainfall 10.3 mm)

Wettest Day 27th December 1979 (Rainfall 31.5 mm);

Highest number of "rain days" (0.2 mm or more) 22 (1978); lowest number of "rain days" 8 (1991)

Highest number of days with thunder 3 (1989)

Highest number of air frosts 20 (1981)

Highest number of ground frosts 25 (1981)

Highest number of days with snow falling 10 (1981)

Highest number of days with snow lying (ground with more than 50% snow cover @ 0900 GMT) 23 (1981)

Daylight hours on a cloudy and rather windy day on 2nd December 2002 in Royston ended with a burst of sunshine from 1440/1520 GMT. This was followed by a brightly coloured sunset close to the horizon, as seen in the above photograph taken at 1553 GMT. At this time the temperature was 7.7°C (after a maximum for the day of 9.6°C); the wind direction was SW, and the mean wind speed was 5 knots, gusting to 14 knots. Whether much can be deduced about the following day's weather from this type of sunset is debatable - in the event it was a similarly rather cloudy and dry day on 3rd but with lighter winds.	On one of the few sunny mornings in a very dull month this was the view near Heath Farm to the SE of Royston on 5th December 2002 at 0954 GMT. It is hard to imagine that only a few months earlier this scene was dominated by the construction of a new underground water pipeline (click here for earlier picture). The only trace of the existence of the earthworks is the gap in the hedge now replaced by a wooden fence. The temperature is 4.5°C, with a north-westerly wind of mean speed 4 knots, gusting to 10 knots. The temperature achieved a maximum of 7.5°C for the day, after an overnight minimum of 1.6°C, and a total of 4.2 hours sunshine was logged.	This has been an all too familiar picture in and around Royston over the years as large trees (principally beech) have been uprooted in gales, leaving large craters in the chalk. In this photograph, as seen on 18th December 2002 in the plantation adjacent to  the Icknield Way at Hyde Hill, Royston the falling tree has lifted a large ball of chalk out of the ground which over the years has been covered in creeper (ivy). The resultant craters arising from these incidents provide cover for small animals whilst beetles find a home in the bark of the fallen tree trunks. When this picture was taken it was dead calm with a temperature of 0.1°C (overnight minimum -0.7°C).

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(This page last updated 9th January 2003 2056 GMT)