Royston (Iceni) Weather Station

Daily Weather Observations - December 2005

(All Times GMT)

Date Max. Temp. (°C) 09/09h Min. Temp. (°C) 21/09h Grass Min. Temp. (°C) 21/09h Earth (30cms) Temp. (°C) 09h Sun (Hours) 00/00h R'fall (MM) 09/09h Wind Dir'n 09h Mean Wind Speed (MPH) 00/00h Max. Gust Speed (MPH) 00/00h Cloud Cover (Oktas) 09h Mean MSL Air Pressure (mB) 00/00h Mean Rel. Humd. (%) 00/00h Mean Temp. (°C) 00/00h Fog (vis. <1000m @ 09h) Fog (vis. <200m @ 09h) Snow or Rain and Snow 00/00h Snow Lying @ 09h (>50% cover) Hail 00/00h Thunder 00/00h Date
1 8.4 6.7 5.6 5.5 0.1 2.0 S 4.4 32 8 996.1 96.4 7.4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
2 9.5 5.0 4.1 6.2 3.2 1.0 SE 4.7 37 6 980.0 90.8 7.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
3 9.0 6.0 4.6 6.4 0.6 0.1 S 4.2 30 7 983.5 90.7 7.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
4 9.3 4.4 2.9 6.4 6.1 0.1 S 1.6 16 5 990.1 93.8 5.8 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
5 7.9 4.3 2.2 6.0 1.7 0.2 SW 2.8 18 7 996.6 92.6 6.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5
6 6.0 3.3 2.0 6.2 0.0 0.5 W 0.4 14 8 1005.8 96.4 4.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 6
7 5.9 0.9 -1.5 5.9 5.7 3.3 W 0.8 21 1 1012.7 95.2 3.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 7
8 7.5 4.9 4.1 5.5 3.1 0.1 NE 1.1 25 6 1016.2 96.0 4.6 0 0 0 0 0 0 8
9 5.7 -1.0 -3.3 5.4 6.3 0.0 CALM 1.0 14 4 1036.3 97.8 2.4 0 0 0 0 0 0 9
10 6.9 3.2 2.0 5.0 4.8 0.0 S 3.4 21 6 1039.7 93.2 4.6 0 0 0 0 0 0 10
11 8.0 1.9 -1.4 5.0 6.5 0.0 SW 0.8 14 0 1038.3 92.3 4.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 11
12 7.9 2.9 -0.5 4.7 4.7 0.1 N 0.5 16 6 1039.1 95.9 4.6 0 0 0 0 0 0 12
13 6.4 3.0 -0.4 4.8 4.2 0.0 NW 0.7 14 5 1038.8 92.1 3.7 0 0 0 0 0 0 13
14 7.8 2.1 -0.1 4.9 0.6 TR N 0.9 16 3 1032.3 93.1 5.9 0 0 0 0 0 0 14
15 10.5 4.0 0.6 5.3 5.9 0.0 W 4.3 32 6 1022.7 89.8 7.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 15
16 10.5 7.9 7.0 5.5 3.9 0.0 W 8.0 41 6 1012.2 76.4 7.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 16
17 3.0 -1.4 -4.2 5.4 6.6 0.0 NW 2.4 28 0 1020.5 72.8 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17
18 6.9 -3.2 -6.1 4.1 5.3 0.8 W 2.8 30 1 1021.4 78.5 0.8 0 0 0 0 0 0 18
19 7.0 2.6 -0.1 3.6 6.5 0.1 SW 1.6 23 0 1022.8 94.8 4.3 0 0 0 0 0 0 19
20 7.0 2.0 -2.1 3.5 0.2 0.1 S 1.2 14 8 1029.8 84.3 5.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 20
21 9.4 5.5 4.9 4.1 1.7 0.0 S 3.4 21 4 1030.3 92.2 7.7 0 0 0 0 0 0 21
22 9.1 7.6 6.4 5.2 0.0 0.0 SW 4.3 28 7 1029.3 85.9 8.3 0 0 0 0 0 0 22
23 9.8 7.7 6.9 5.9 0.1 0.1 SW 3.8 25 7 1025.7 82.5 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 23
24 9.0 5.7 3.0 6.1 3.7 0.7 W 1.5 21 7 1025.0 95.0 6.3 0 0 0 0 0 0 24
25 6.3 0.6 -1.1 5.9 4.6 TR CALM 0.1 12 7 1026.3 91.1 2.4 0 0 0 0 0 0 25
26 5.2 1.5 -0.9 5.3 2.4 0.6 N 0.3 14 8 1019.9 93.8 2.4 0 0 0 0 0 0 26
27 1.1 -2.1 -6.0 4.8 1.4 1.4 N 0.1 14 5 1015.5 98.4 -0.6 0 0 1 1 0 0 27
28 0.5 -4.2 -9.5 4.1 3.6 0.0 CALM 0.0 9 0 1017.4 98.2 -1.7 0 0 0 1 0 0 28
29 1.5 -2.1 -2.0 3.9 0.0 0.8 NW 0.1 9 8 1015.9 98.5 -1.9 0 0 0 1 0 0 29
30 8.6 -2.0 -2.9 3.8 0.0 9.5 S 7.4 48 8 997.9 96.6 2.7 0 0 1 1 0 0 30
31 7.8 4.4 2.6 4.0 2.7 1.1 SW 6.2 30 3 992.1 89.9 5.7 0 0 0 0 0 0 31
Total/Mean 7.1 2.6 0.5 5.1 95.9 22.6 X 2.4 X 5.1 1017.1 91.5 4.4 0 0 2 4 0 0 Total/Mean
*Diff./% -0.1 -0.4     201% 43%                           *Diff./%

Differences from average:

Differences from average shown in red. Reference periods used are as follows: Temperature 30 Years 1973/2002; rainfall 30 Years 1971/2000; sunshine 30 Years 1971/2000.

(*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)

Additional Data:

Rainfall Duration  34.1 hours.

Air Frost Duration  94.8 hours.

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 30 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 2005 Weather Review:

......and click on the link below for a text report of the December 2005 weather in Royston

December 2005 Weather Review

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

Mean day maximum temperature (30 years 1973/2002) 7.2°C

Mean night minimum temperature (30 years 1973/2002) 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" 7 (2004)

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)

The year 2005 will go down as a year seemingly without an Autumn since an extended Summer abruptly changed to Winter around the middle of November. An effect of this unusual weather regime was that the leaves on many trees stayed green well into November and some of the most vivid Autumn colours were delayed until December. An example of this in Royston could be found in the Newmarket Road Plantation (and on adjoining Hyde Hill) to the east of the town, as depicted in this photograph taken at 1201 GMT on 4th December 2005. The temperature is 8.1°C and the visible sunshine contributed to a total of 6.1 hours for the day. This sunset (as viewed from Lovers Walk to the south of Royston at 1544 GMT on 26th December 2005) promised much but ultimately turned out to be a disappointment. Shortly after this photograph was taken all colour suddenly disappeared and did not return during the ensuing civil twilight period. Sunny periods had occurred in the afternoon after a cloudy morning, accumulating a sunshine total of 2.4 hours by sunset. After an overnight minimum temperature of 1.5°C on 25th/26th  a maximum temperature of 5.2°C was later achieved (at 1300 GMT). Conditions at sunset were calm with only the occasional wind gust to 4 knots , and the temperature was 3.7°C. The morning of 28th December 2005 dawned clear and cold in Royston, with an overnight minimum temperature of -4.2°C (the lowest of the season so far). Despite the cold these alpacas (as pictured at 1012 GMT) at New Stud Farm to the SE of Royston appear to be enjoying the morning sunshine (in a temperature of -3.5°C). An endearing feature of the flock to which these animals belong is the wide range of colours exhibited, from all black to all white and with many attractive combinations in between. Cloud gradually encroached from the North Sea in the late morning and the day's sunshine total was curtailed to 3.6 hours. Max. temp. was only 0.5°C.

Return to Welcome to Royston (Iceni) Weather Station page

(This page last updated 7th January 2006 2021 GMT)