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Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
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Total 152.0 141.2 62.5 72.8 61.6 64.3 157.4
2007 A 17 22 11 15 10 16 19
B 16 18 8 9 7 10 15
Total 226.2 88.8 135.7 60.6 25.2 84.6 102.6 138.0 124.0 219.3 85.0 91.3 1381.3
2008 A 26 14 22 22 9 16 16 24 18 25 18 17 227
B 23 9 17 17 6 13 13 17 15 19 14 11 174
Total 226.2 29.3 43.8 40.2 71.2 39.8 200.2 109.6 31.6 62.4 317.2 93.0 1264.5
2009 A 21 10 16 11 20 14 26 23 10 19 28 26 224
B 18 5 9 8 17 7 21 17 4 14 26 15 161
Total 36.6 24.4 79.6 18.0 14.8 33.0 107.8 59.0 87.9 89.4 128.1 24.3 702.9
2010 A 19 23 17 8 9 10 22 15 17 19 23 13 195
B 7 6 11 5 5 8 16 9 15 15 18 8 123
Total 142.6 174.7 59.9 43.7 112.6 65.8 69.6 108.7 126.9 111.9 108.9 180.1 1305.4
2011 A 18 21 11 9 24 19 13 23 20 25 17 30 230
B 13 21 9 3 18 12 10 17 15 21 16 24 179
Total 90.7 37.8 31.2 91.9 90.8 148.6 110.3 143.5 123.7 120.7 186.5 240.2 1415.9
2012 A 18 12 9 19 14 20 25 22 20 17 24 22 222
B 13 7 6 14 10 17 20 16 17 13 21 20 174
Total 111.6 27.5 37.6 86.0 81.0 49.2 120.7 121.3 68.4 193.5 64.6 270.7 1232.1
2013 A 17 10 14 15 18 13 10 13 14 26 17 24 191
B 12 5 11 12 14 10 9 12 12 23 12 22 154
Total 219.7 235.5 92.5 61.5 81.9 47.1 61.9 159.8 10.1 189.4 91.5 92.9 1343.8
2014 A 26 27 17 12 18 12 14 24 3 28 24 22 227
B 23 25 11 11 16 7 10 15 3 22 17 16 176
Total 202.1 75.4 104.6 49.9 110.4 35.9 78.5 97.0 32.5 74.1 231.5 571.9 1663.8
2015 A 24 13 18 12 18 13 23 22 9 15 27 31 225
B 21 8 13 10 15 8 16 18 6 11 22 28 176
Total 195.1 111.3 73.0 95.1 28.2 94.0 66.5 133.0 99.6 23.9 77.1 75.3 1072.1
2016 A 26 19 11 21 10 19 18 19 20 12 20 19 214
B 21 14 8 17 7 15 14 13 13 4 13 14 153
Total 61.7 78.6 100.2 19.6 38.2 160.1 103.4 68.7 139.5 111.7 108.9 106.1 1096.7
2017 A 18 19 21 12 14 19 22 20 23 18 20 20 226
B 11 12 17 6 8 16 20 14 21 14 15 11 165
Total 133.7 89.6 69.2 63.7 36.6 70.7 47.6 70.1 125.7 129.6 141.1 99.4 1077.0
2018 A 23 20 21 17 9 11 11 21 17 15 21 19 205
B 20 17 11 15 7 7 7 10 14 9 18 18 153
Total 39.3 90.3 175.7 50.6 23.3 113.8 120.1 162.7 122.6 106.7 100.5 125.4 1231.0
2019 A 17 16 19 9 13 18 16 26 19 21 23 24 221
B 6 11 15 8 6 14 11 24 17 15 13 18 158
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Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
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Total 142.5 343.4 94.9 17.0 25.5 147.9 87.5 173.6 70.0 170.5 137.2 172.1 1582.1
2020 A 22 25 14 6 7 18 20 21 16 28 23 26 226
B 17 23 11 6 3 18 16 20 11 25 15 21 186
Total 129.7 185.1 161.1 11.0 133.8 20.1 69.2 49.2 60.7 202.9 51.7 94.4 1168.9
2021 A 21 20 16 9 22 8 12 16 13 25 16 22 200
B 15 17 13 3 17 2 11 11 8 22 11 15 145
Total 62.2 165.7 46.0 43.8 69.7 86.1 70.1 22.7 103.4 212.6 176.3 134.7 1193.3
2022 A 11 23 14 10 20 16 15 11 18 26 26 21 211
B 9 21 10 8 17 10 12 9 12 21 22 15 166
Total 154.1 11.3 150.3 71.7 14.7 54.4 155.9 142.7 213.4 75.4 130.6 185.0 1359.5
2023 A 21 12 26 14 4 12 24 23 19 22 21 27 225
B 15 4 17 14 3 10 16 17 17 13 16 20 162
Total 243.1 84.4 106.9 145.6 114.6 52.1 90.4 117.7 95.2 144.8 96.9 137.2 1428.9
2024 A 21 21 22 22 14 16 20 22 18 17 11 16 220
B 13 12 19 18 9 12 15 15 12 12 6 12 155
MEAN 142.2 109.0 91.9 57.1 63.1 80.8 100.2 107.8 94.9 127.8 127.7 158.4 1260.8
A 20.5 17.9 16.9 13.4 14.3 15.1 18.3 19.8 16.1 20.4 20.8 22.1 215.7
B 15.1 12.8 12.2 10.3 10.5 11.2 14.2 14.6 12.3 15.6 15.8 16.8 161.3
Days >= 5.0 mm 8.8 6.8 5.8 4.2 4.1 5.1 6.4 7.5 5.8 7.5 7.9 8.9 78.8
Days >= 10.0 mm 4.6 3.2 3.2 1.5 1.4 2.6 2.9 3.7 3.2 4.5 4.7 4.9 40.4
Days >= 25.4 mm 1.0 0.6 0.5 0.2 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.7 0.7 1.3 6.9
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NOTES:-1.) All figures are in mm's - 25.4 mm = 1 inch 2.) AWS records used upto and including July 2010 - 'Standard' 5" Snowdon copper rain gauge used from August 2011. 3.) A = 'Rain Days' - days on which a measurable (0.2mm) amount of rainfall/ppt was recorded 4.) B = 'Wet Days' - days on which 1.0 mm>= of rainfall/ppt was recorded 5.) whilst some figures are rounded up/down, year totals are exact DROUGHTS AND DRY SPELLS:- 1.) ABSOLUTE DROUGHT - 19.05.23. - 10.06.23. 23 Days of no measurable rain 06.04.20. - 25.04.20. 20 Days of no measurable rain (inc' x1 day of 0.1 mm and x1 of 'trace') 18.03.20. - 02.04.20. 16 Days of no measurable rain (inc' x1 day of 0.1 mm and x4 of 'trace') 05.04.19. - 23.04.19. 19 Days of no measurable rain (inc' x2 days of 'trace') 20.06.18. - 11.07.18. 22 Days of no measurable rain 09.03.16. - 23.03.16. 15 Days of no measurable rain (inc' x3 days of 'trace') 06.09.14. - 22.09.14. 17 Days of no measurable rain 04.07.13. - 21.07.13. 18 Days of no measurable rain 23.03.13. - 10.04.13. 19 Days - 0.3 mm (actually included x3 days of 0.1 mm and x8 of 'trace') 18.03.12. - 01.04.12. 15 Days of no measurable rain 12.05.08. - 26.05.08. 15 Days of no measurable rain 2.) PARTIAL DROUGHT - 12.05.23. - 17.06.23. 37 Days - 4.0 mm 16.01.23. - 14.02.23. 30 Days - 4.8 mm 26.05.21. - 23.06.21. 29 Days - 2.4 mm 29.03.21. - 26.04.21. 29 Days - 4.0 mm 18.03.20. - 25.04.20. 39 Days - 7.3 mm 06.04.11. - 04.05.11. 29 Days - 1.8 mm 07.04.10. - 05.05.10. 29 Days - 3.2 mm 3.) DRY SPELLS - 16.01.23. - 14.02.23. 30 Days - 4.8 mm 26.05.21. - 23.06.21. 29 Days - 2.4 mm 24.06.19. - 09.07.19. 16 Days - 2.2 mm 30.12.18. - 14.01.19. 16 Days - 1.2 mm 20.06.18. - 15.07.18. 26 Days - 1.0 mm 19.10.16. - 02.11.16. 15 Days - 2.5 mm 02.05.16. - 16.05.16. 15 Days - 0.9 mm 09.03.16. - 25.03.16. 17 Days - 0.6 mm 15.06.14. - 02.07.14. 18 Days - 2.8 mm 14.02.13. - 05.03.13. 20 Days - 1.4 mm 11.04.10. - 27.04.10. 17 Days - 1.2 mm 27.02.10. - 17.03.10. 19 Days - 1.8 mm 09.09.09. - 01.10.09. 23 Days - 0.6 mm 10.04.09. - 24.04.09. 15 Days - 0.4 mm 21.12.08. - 05.01.09. 16 Days - 0.9 mm 19.08.07. - 14.09.07. 27 Days - 1.8 mm 1.) ABSOLUTE DROUGHT - Period of at least 15 consecutive days to none of which is credited 0.2 mm (0.01 inch) of ppt 2.) PARTIAL DROUGHT - Period of at least 29 consecutive days whose mean daily ppt does not exceed 0.2 mm 3.) DRY SPELL - Period of at least 15 consecutive days to none of which is credited 1.0 mm (0.04 inch) of pptRAIN SPELLS AND WET SPELLS:- 1.) WET SPELL - 23.12.22. - 15.01.23. 31 Days - 249.7 mm 08.08.19. - 22.08.19. 15 Days - 110.6 mm 23.11.11. - 08.12.11. 16 Days - 148.5 mm 12.11.09. - 29.11.09. 18 Days - 241.0 mm 2.) RAIN SPELL - 31.03.24. - 16.04.24. 17 Days - 125.4 mm 16.12.23. - 08.01.24. 24 Days - 131.9 mm 17.09.23. - 06.10.23. 20 Days - 140.1 mm 11.03.23. - 31.03.23. 21 Days - 145.7 mm 16.12.22. - 15.01.23. 24 Days - 283.8 mm 24.10.22. - 11.11.22. 24 Days - 176.3 mm 28.11.21. - 12.12.21. 15 Days - 71.3 mm 07.12.20. - 23.12.20. 17 Days - 121.7 mm 07.11.20. - 21.11.20. 15 Days - 72.5 mm 17.10.20. - 03.11.20. 18 Days - 136.0 mm 14.02.20. - 03.03.20. 19 Days - 227.9 mm 04.12.19. - 27.12.19. 24 Days - 125.3 mm 28.02.19. - 16.03.19. 17 Days - 172.4 mm 21.01.16. - 09.02.16. 20 Days - 180.7 mm 23.11.15. - 13.01.16. 52 Days - 692.3 mm 03.11.15. - 21.11.15. 19 Days - 180.0 mm 09.12.14. - 26.12.14. 18 Days - 71.6 mm 13.10.14. - 04.11.14. 23 Days - 139.0 mm 31.01.14. - 27.02.14. 28 Days - 254.2 mm 22.12.11. - 06.01.12. 16 Days - 89.7 mm 23.11.11. - 20.12.11. 28 Days - 207.9 mm 14.08.09. - 04.09.09. 22 Days - 120.2 mm 1.) WET SPELL - a period of at least 15 consecutive days to each of which is credited 1.0 mm (0.1 inch) of ppt 2.) RAIN SPELL - a period of at least 15 consecutive days to each of which is credited 0.2 mm (0.01 inch) of pptCONSECUTIVE DAYS TO RECORD IN EXCESS OF 1 INCH (25.4 mm) OF RAIN:- 1.) 18-19th of Nov' 2009 - 27.8 mm and 45.8 mm 2.) 9-10th of May 2012 - 28.8 mm and 26.1 mm 3.) 3rd to 5th of December 2015 - 30.8 mm and 63.8 mm and 122.4 mm - the only time that 1 inch + has been recorded on 3 consecutive days **see below 4.) 25-26th of Dec' 2015 - 31.4 mm and 40.6 mm 5.) 12-13th of Oct' 2018 - 55.8 mm and 35.1 mm 6.) 9-10th of March 2021 - 25.8 mm and 32.4 mm 7.) 27-28th of March 2021 - 28.6 mm and 31.7 mm 8.) 20th-21st of Jan' 2024 - 38.2 mm and 63.8 mm - this caused flooding and is only the second time with a two day total exceeding 100 mmOTHER NOTABLE PERIODS:- 1.) December 2013 was extremely wet and at its worst during the four day period of 20th-23rd we had 114.6 mm of rain - that is an average of 1.13 inches per day. 20th = 42.0 mm 21st = 23.4 mm 22nd = 3.9 mm 23rd = 45.3 mm 2.) As already mentioned December 2013 was very wet, but really only from the 14th and the cyclonic pattern continued into January 2014. This has given an intriguing one month running total of rainfall, which as such creates the 'wettest month' recorded at this site and even wetter than November 2009: 11th December 2013 - 10th January 2014 = 353.1 mm 3.) **December 2015 - has surpassed all that has gone before, this was extreme - The first time in my records to have 1+ inch of rain on three consecutive days! The focus was the 5th, now easily the wettest day in my records, the 4th being the 3rd wettest. The village was flooded and cut-off, the conditions were unbelievably grim. 3rd = 30.8 mm 4th = 63.8 mm 5th - 122.4 mm a combined total of 217.0 mm At Crosby Ravensworth School there was a 48hr total for 09-0900 hrs 4-6th of 229.6 mm, this compares to the 262.6 mm recorded for the same period at Shap (Wet Sleddale). From 2030 hrs on the 4th to 0215 hrs on the 6th, the AWS measured at least 0.2 mm (and often more) in every single 5 minute recording period - this was non-stop rain. On the 17th, December became the wettest month of any month on record, knocking spots of that Nov' 2009 record which had been considered a virtually impregnable record. Apart from one day, 22nd Nov' rain was recorded on every day from 3.11.15. - 13.1.16. 4.) February 2020 - has become the second wettest of any month in my records - This short piece will use the locations with the longest continuous rainfall records in Cumbria, this being: 1.) Seathwaite Farm in Borrowdale (1845) 2.) Appleby In Westmorland (1856) 3.) Newton Rigg from 1900. The wettest location in Cumbria during February was Honister with 967.0 mm of rain and which included three days with falls in excess of 100 mm - To add context to that fall, this is the equivalent of 1.31 inches of rain falling every day! All three locations stated above have experienced their wettest Februaries and by some distance, especially Seathwaite which with 929.8 mm (36.57 inches) beat the 776.0 mm from 1848 this was quite possibly one of the longest standing records in the UK. Newton Rigg's total for February was 251.0 mm (beating 239.1 mm from 1990) and at Appleby it was 243.5 mm (beating 228.5 mm from 1997), all totals being just shy of 350% of their average fall for the month. However, far more pertinent is the fact that the 929.8 mm at Seathwaite represents only the fourth time, in what is a 175 year record, that 900 mm has been surpassed Even more pertinently is the fact that the other three occasions are from very recent years: 911.0 mm October 2008 - 969.0 mm November 2009 - 966.6 mm December 2015. And it isn't just the fact that it was the wettest February on record as February 2020 ranks as one of the wettest of any month in the records of these sites: At both Appleby and Seathwaite it has been the third wettest of any month and at Newton Rigg it was the fourth. Curiously, when expressed as a mean daily fall, February 2020 at Seathwaite was wetter than December 2015 by 0.98 mm As for the winter of 2019-20 it is again Seathwaite that throws up the main discussion point. Whilst the winter at Newton Rigg has been the fifth wettest and at Appleby only the tenth, Seathwaite has just experienced its second wettest and 2019-20 now stands alongside that of 2015-16 (2118.4 mm) to have broken the 2000 mm threshold (78.74 In.) and which are the only two seasons to have done so. 5.) Droughts of March and April 2020 - see the May 2020 summary 'Spring' After a wet first half to March we then had two separate periods of drought through to the 26th April - over 39 days (18th March to 25th April) just 7.2 mm of rain fell. Although April was warm and sunny and really a glorious month, that rain in the first half of March ensured that it would not be the driest Spring yet recorded here.