By Philip Eden

Monthly temperatures were generally close to the long-term average: it was slightly colder than last December and slightly warmer than December 2001. There were several warm days around the 5th, the 11th and over the Christmas holiday, but the last three days of the month were exceptionally cold in Scotland.

The Central England Temperature (CET) for December 2003 was 4.8°C, which is 0.3 degC below the mean for the standard reference period 1971-2000. In the last 100 years, 51 Decembers were warmer, 49 were colder. Regionally, northern England, the Midlands and Northern Ireland were slightly colder than average, all other parts of the UK were slightly warmer than average.

There were some warm days, 15°C being approached on the 5th in eastern Scotland and on the 11th in southern England. The maximum of 14.9°C on the 5th at Aberdeen airport was the highest December temperature there since 1994. By contrast, the mercury fell to �15.2°C at Loch Glascarnoch (Wester Ross) on the morning of the 30th and to �15.8°C at Altnaharra (Sutherland) during the evening of the 30th, while the daytime maximum on the 30th at Altnaharra was �9.1°C; these are the lowest December temperatures in the UK since the famous freeze-up during the last week of 1995.

Rainfall, averaged over England and Wales, was 106mm which is just three per cent above the average for the standard reference period 1971-2000. In the last 100 years 38 Decembers were wetter, 2 had the same rainfall, and 60 were drier. In the main population centres in Scotland the total for December 2003 was 93mm which is 13 per cent above the normal amount, whereas the Northern Ireland total of 80mm was 11 per cent below. Heavy downpours hit Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Sussex and Kent between the 27th and 29th, including 74mm in 72 hours at Shanklin (I.o.W) where the month�s total of 175mm was 86% above the local average. This total was well short of those reported over the high ground of western Britain: Strath of Orchy in Argyll recorded 305mm rain in December while Capel Curig in Snowdonia registered 252mm. By contrast, Clacton in Essex recorded just 39mm, while Teignmouth in Devon had the lowest percentage � 39%.

Sunshine over England and Wales totalled 55.7 hours during December 2003 which is 16 per cent above the long-term average for the month; this is considerably more than last December, but much less than in December 2001. The equivalent figure for Scotland's main population centres was 45.7 hours (11 per cent above), and for Northern Ireland it was 46.4 hours (6 per cent above). Monthly totals ranged from 79 hours at St Helier on Jersey to 17 hours at Kirkwall in Orkney. Percentages ranged from 286 at Buxton in Derbyshire to 71 at Poole in Dorset.

The cold air over Scotland during the last few days of the month was abruptly disturbed on the 31st as a deep depression advanced from the west. Up to 30cm of snow fell above 200m in Scotland and northern England, and rough winds caused the cancellation of the Hogmanay celebrations in Edinburgh. The strongest recorded gust was 93mph at Fair Isle, between Orkney and Shetland.

(c) Philip Eden