The total rainfall for the year 2015 is 1032mm which is about average for our area. The longest dry spell was in April which was also our driest month. The most rain in one day was in February with 35mm, but the wettest month was December, which was also the only month to go well above the average for the month.

54mm of rain in the last week of 2015/ start of 2016 with rain on 6 days. this gives a total for December of 146mm. Taking us well above the December average, but nothing like the amounts which have fallen in northern England over the last few weeks.

I can't think of anything nice to say about the whole week, except that we've now passed the shortest day, so, slowly the days will lengthen and there may be a change in the weather. It would be nice to have a rest from all the dismal grey days we've been having lately

The rainfall has been slightly below average every month this year, but not enough to be a problem so far. Still fairly mild for the time of the year, but I expect it to get colder now we have passed the shortest day.

Rain for Christmas day is 50/50 and according to the forecast it could be quite windy.

Happy Christmas for Friday.

While we are now in a different month, the weather continues as before - mild and damp - but no large amount of rain for our area. We have had some strong winds, but no damage to my knowledge. I think the best description of our weather over the last 3 or 4 months is uneventful.

The total rainfall for November was 96 mm, a very slight frost on a couple of mornings but not enough to cut down our dahlias.

The average rainfall for December, over 10 years is 115 mm, and over 20 years is 125 mm. The wettest December was 1999 with 206 mm, when it rained on 19 days, closely followed by 2012 with 204 mm, but it did rain on 19 consecutive days - 22 days rain in all.

The driest December was 2010 with only 22 mm over 3 days, not very warm though as we had a frost on 23 days and snow on the 12th.

As it's been so mild perhaps we"ll have another mild winter like last year but that could mean a lot of rain to come in our area.
I don't know what has happened to the severe weather the long range forecast promised us.

I've just checked back in the records and a spell of damp mild weather through September, October and November is not unusual, - it is often followed by a spell of cold weather in December!

The average rainfall for November is 141 mm over 10 years and 130 mm over 20 years. The wettest was 2012 with 258 mm , a very wet year as many no doubt still remember. The driest was 2001 with 65 mm.

The only snow recorded over the last 20 years during this month was 1 snow shower in 2012 on the 4th which was soon gone. Even frost is unusual here during November, just a few frosty nights in 2005 and 2010.

I am afraid the most usual weather event during November in our area is rain followed by more rain. Sorry!

Next weekend the clock goes back so we will really feel its winter. I dont like this time of the year very much - I will be looking forward to the shortest day but that is still a long way off, so I will have a long wait.

No measurable rain here in the last week as the weather continues unchanged. Really quite a bit of cloud about, but we've had some sunshine most days by the afternoon.

14mm of rain this week mostly on Monday otherwise usual mix, cloudy with odd sunny bits later. Getting colder in the evenings though, and noticeably darker.

The fine weather continued throughout the week,there was a bit of early fog which disapeared very quickly giving a succession of fine days.

September
We had 67.5mm of rain, so slightly below average as it has been a number of times this year.
The averages for October are 128mm over 10 years and 122mm over 20 years, with rain on 25 days. The driest year was 1995 with 62mm.

We have also had fog on several mornings but it was soon gone in the sunshine and we had some lovely weather on Saturday with sunshine all day and the temperature climbing into the low 20°Cs. However, winter is getting ever closer and the days are getting noticeable shorter now - time to start planting our Spring bulbs!

The average rainfall for this month is, over 10 years is 75mm and over 20 years 80mm the wettest September was 2000 with 182mm rain on 17 days, and the driest was last 2014 with 9.5 mm spread very thinly over 6 days, so hopefully we will have a pleasant warm Autumnal month. Not much of note on the calendar this month only the Autumn equinox on the 23rd and Michaelmas on the 29th.

The total rainfall for July was 101.5mm - about average - and so was the temperature. We’ve had the odd cold, windy day but mainly its been warm in the low to mid20s°C, even during cloudy spells; not like June, of course, that was exceptionally warm. I don't think that will happen often but it was nice while it lasted - although I know some found much to hot.

On to August with average rainfall over 10 years 110mm and over 20 years 102mm. The driest August was 1995 with only 9 mm and the wettest was 1997 with179mm. Much worse, in my opinion, was 2008 when we had 175mm, but it was spread over 27 days. We don't want that again do we ! August is quite often very changeable, but hopefully it won't be too wet this year, and we will still have plenty of sunshine.

I have noticed that we are now beginning to see some leaf drop from trees in the garden which suggests that the subsoil is beginning to dry out and the deciduous trees protecting themselves by losing some leaves. The trees that will suffer most in the long term are conifers in the garden which are usually more shallow rooted, damage to them will probably not show up until next spring when you may suddenly realise that one has died, as has happened to us several times.

Temperature continues to reach the mid 20°Cs by the early afternoon and with the holiday season at its peak long may it continue.

The last week has produced some of the highest temperatures we”ve had for a long while. The temperature on Tuesday was 31.4°C and 29.6°C on Tuesday. It remained high through the rest of the week. These measurements are taken in an area of permanent shade, so should be fairly accurate; long may it continue.

July average rainfall over 10 years is 114mm and over 20 years 95mm. The wettest July was 2007 218mm when rain fell on 25 days. The driest July was 1999 with 11mm. These averages are high because of occasional exceptional amounts of rain in July - three times over 200mm in the last ten years alone, and quite often over 100mm - so it all adds up. Hopefully this year will be a good July - weatherwise at least.

I”m not too sure what is normal where the weather is concerned nowadays - it seems more unpredictable than ever.

The average rainfall for June is over 10 years is 81mm and over 20 years 75mm, the wettest June was 2012 when it rained on 22 days with a total of 218mm and the driest was 1995 when it rained on 1 day with 4 mm, 1995 was an exceptionally dry summer from April to the end of August we only had 122mm in 5 months so you can have too much of a good thing, as it was water shortages led to bans on using hoses, washing cars filling paddling pools for children, any non-essential use of water carried a threat of prosecution, and we were much better of for water than others. The east of England was in danger of running out of water all together. The rain in September was very welcome but it took a long while for every thing to return to normal.

I am a bit worried about how dry it has been so far this Spring and I hope it doesn't mean that we have a very wet time later in the summer.

The total rainfall for April was only 18.5 mm so a very dry Spring so far. Plenty of sunshine and quite warm as long as you were sheltered from the cold North East wind - which we had for most of the month.

May has started well, but I am expecting more rain this month. The average rainfall for May is, over 10 years 91.5, and over 20 years, 85mm. The wettest May was 156mm in 2006, and the driest was in 1990 when we only had 8.5mm; it was dryer than usual all through the year only 893mm in total.

I think May is usually our best month all the leaves are fresh and looking their best, and, by the end of the month, the roses are just beginning to come out. I expect we will have hotter weather later in the summer, but the foliage soon starts to dry up. It looks a bit dusty and loses its colour and shine, but May is a special month.

The forecast for the coming week or so is not good according to my daily paper: ice, snow rain and wind from the North Pole - sounds like a fun start to May ... I don't think.

The only rain this week was the evening of the 16th when we had 3.5 mm. During the evening, we also had one rumble of thunder which was a surprise, as thunder is unusual in April, and I hadn't seen any lightning either.

The rainfall this week was only 8.5 mm so the total for March is 54.5mm - quite low even for what is usually a fairly dry month. So we've had our March winds, we wait to see what our April showers are like.

On to April , the average rainfall this month is over 10 years 69mm and over 20 years 78mm. The driest April was 2011 with 15mm and the wettest was 2012 with 218mm.

Easter started fairly well weather wise, with slightly higher temperatures and only one shower on Friday night, in spite of it being early this year.

As it's getting milder - temperatures rising even into double figures by early afternoon - we have the first of our early tulips just beginning to come out, and all the daffodils are blooming now, and we don 't have too much frost.

The total rainfall for February was 104mm - quite high really, as the first 11 days of the month were dry with overnight frosts. We have had temperatures down to zero since, as well, and still had rain during the day. The 22nd was an example of this, as at 6am the temperature was -1.9°C, but later in the morning it started raining and this continued until the late evening with 35mm in total.

On to March, the average rainfall over 10 years is 68mm and over 20 years it is the same, 68mm. The wettest March day was in 2008 with 154mm, and the driest was 25mm in March,1997. The month is supposed to be windy - but we have had quite a bit of that all ready - and changeable, which we've had also. So a bit warmer would be nice

It's nicer now that it is lighter in the mornings. It's really beginning to look like spring is just round the corner.(but it could be a bit warmer).

8th - 14th February

Continuing cold to start the week with frost on Sunday,Monday and Tuesday night, but by Tuesday morning the temperature had risen above freezing and we have had no further low figures. That doesn't mean we won't have another spell of very cold weather. As recently as 2013 we had a cold spell that lasted from the 22nd of March until the 7th of April!

Of course, now it has warmed up a bit we can expect some rain. We've had 15mm this week and more to come I'm sure.

That's the end of January: 134mm of rain nearly all in the first half of the month - including the small amount of snow we had last
Thursday. The lowest temperature this year has been -4.4°C but it could go lower in February.

Average rainfall in February over 10 years is 68mm and over 20 is 71mm. That wettest year was 2002 with 155mm and the driest was 1998 with only 11mm - when it only rained on one day - but we had frost right through the month. February last year wasn't very nice with rain on 23 days, but no frost at all. So at this time of the year it's either/or - rain or frost.

This seems to have been a very long month, but the end is in sight. Next Sunday is the 1st of February and I've all ready made a start on clearing up outside - not a lot done yet, but some slightly warmer weather is bringing all our snowdrops out, and the cyclamen are out as well.

Our snowdrops are beginning to show some colour and we have had some lovely blue crocus out for a week or so.

The old year ended with 3 frosty nights, and the new year began with 3 wet days