• January clocks up just over 179 hours of sunshine
• Air temperature ranged between 5.1˚C and 18.8˚C
• Just 15 mm of precipitation measured

A look at meteorological data for January shows that the first month of the new decade was characterised by more hours of sunshine, warmer temperatures, and less rain that expected at this time of year.

While rain was in short supply, and no thunderstorms were reported, January days were generally sun-drenched. The month clocked up 179.8 hours of sunshine, surpassing the climatic norm by just over 17 hours.

The last week in January started with an exceptionally bright Monday, during which the sun shone for 9.5 hours. Conversely, the twenty-third day of the month was the bleakest, with a mere 0.2 hours of sunshine being recorded.

Averaging at 13.2˚C, January’s air temperature was 0.5˚C higher than the climate norm. The air temperature for the month ranged between a lowest minimum of 5.1˚C and a maximum of 18.8˚C reached towards the end of the month.

The sea too was warmer than the norm, with the surface temperature averaging at 16.6˚C rather than the expected 15.8˚C.

Having produced just 15 mm of precipitation, last month went down on record as the fifth driest January since 1923. The total measured fell heavily short of the rainfall quota for the month, which stands at 92.9 mm of precipitation. The wettest day of this unseasonably dry month was the 12th of January, with 5.8 mm of rain being measured within a 24-hour stretch.