January 2014 was warmer and much wetter than usual, and the average maximum temperature of 7.9°C was 0.6°C above the Ross average for January of 7.3°C. Then minimum temperature sank below 0°C on only two days, the 11th and 12th.
The measured rainfall was 302.1 mm, was 3.74 times the Ross-on-Wye* average for January of 80.7 mm and rain was measured on every day in the month and, with the wet period in the second part of December, this makes 51 consecutive days when rainfall has been detected.
February 2014 continued the winter trend of being exceptionally wet and mild. Overall, the average maximum temperature of 8.1°C was 0.4°C above the Ross average for February of 7.7°C. Although here was an occasional ground frost, the air temperature remained above 0.1°C throughout the month.
There were only two days on which no rain fell, the daily average being just under 10 mm, making a total rainfall of 266.9 mm, five times the Ross-on-Wye* average for February of 53.0 mm.
March 2014 was a complete contrast to the exceptionally cold March 2013. Overall, the average maximum temperature of 11.8°C was 1.5°C above the Ross average for March of 10.3°C and 6.4°C above the March 2013 average! The minimum temperature dipped below zero on only two occasions. In all, there have been only 6 occasions since April 2013 when this has happened making this an exceptionally frost free winter (so far).
There were 20 days on which rain fell but, apart from the wet 2nd March, much of it was light. The total rainfall of 64.0 mm was 25% above the Ross-on-Wye* average for March of 51.2 mm.
April 2014 was a warm and reasonably wet month. Overall, the average maximum temperature of 14.1°C was 1.2°C above the Ross average for April of 12.9°C.
There were 18 days on which significant rain fell and 11 consecutive days when no rain fell in the middle of the period. Despite this it was a wetter than average month overall with the total rainfall of 81.6 mm being 69% above the Ross-on-Wye* average for April of 48.4 mm.
May 2014 saw 11 days on which no rain fell. But the 22nd to 25th saw 81.4 mm fall in only four days and the total rainfall rose to 131.1 mm, 2.67 times the Ross-on-Wye* average for May of 49.2 mm. Maximum temperatures exceeded 20°C on five consecutive days (15th to 19th). Overall, the average maximum temperature of 16.4°C was 0.2°C below the Ross average for May of 16.6°C.
June 2014 was fine and dry for the most part, but with a small number of very wet days! The middle to late part of the month saw a period of 11 consecutive dry days.
The Penallt total rainfall of 66.2 mm was 23% higher than the Ross* June average of 54.0 mm with two days contributing 39.4 mm of this total. The wettest day had 27.6 mm falling and there were 17 days in the month when no rain fell too.
Maximum temperatures were well above average during this period, exceeding 20°C on eighteen days with a maximum of 26.1°C on the 13th. Overall, the average maximum temperature of 20.7°C was 1.4°C abovethe Ross* average for June of 19.3°C
July 2014 was much warmer than average and contained a period of 10 consecutive days without rain. The total rainfall of 38.6 mm was marginally over the Ross-on-Wye* average for July of 34.8 mm, with a large fraction falling on one day, the 19th. The average maximum temperature of 23.4 °C was 1.4 °C above the Ross average for July of 22.0 °C, and there were 10 days when the temperature exceeded 25 °C. The peak of 29.0 °C occurred on the 26th.
July 2014 was the second warmest month since Penallt records began in April 2011. It was beaten only by July 2013.
August 2014 was colder and much wetter overall than average. The total rainfall of 146.0 mm was 2.39 times the Ross-on-Wye* average for August of 61.1 mm, and the average maximum temperature of 19.5 °C was 2.0 °C below the Ross average for August of 21.5 °C, the warmest day being the 7th (24.5 °C). There were only 8 rain-free days in the month and the wettest day was the 10th, with a rainfall of 41.4 mm.
Nationally, it was the coolest August since 1993 and the wettest since 2004.
September 2014 was exceptionally dry and warm with 23 days without rain overall. Over 4 mm of rain fell on each of the 18th and 19th, which boosted the total rainfall to 14.6 mm, only 23% of the the Ross-on-Wye* average for September of 63.7 mm.
The month was much warmer than average too, with the average maximum temperature of 19.9 °C being 1.6 °C above the Ross average for September of 18.3 °C. Met Office records suggest that September 2014 was the driest September since records began in 1910 and one of the top five in terms of warmth.
October 2014 was a little warmer and much wetter than usual, and the average maximum temperature of 14.7°C was 0.7°C above the Ross average for October of 14.2°C. The temperature on the last day reached an unusually warm 20.4°C.
There were only six days on which no rain was recorded, and the total rainfall was 162.8 mm, was 2.4 times the Ross-on-Wye* average for October of 67.5 mm. The wettest day was the 6th when 35.4 mm fell.
November 2014 was mild and much wetter than usual. The average maximum temperature of 10.4°C was 0.1°C above the Ross average for November of 10.3°C. The temperature dipped below zero on the 25th.
Rain fell on each of the first 22 days and there were 26 days on which rain fell in all; the total rainfall of 175.4 mm was 2.72 times the Ross-on-Wye* average for November of 64.5 mm. The first 11 days were particularly wet, with 132.6 mm falling, over twice the usual monthly precipitation.
December 2014 was a little warmer and much drier than usual, three frosty days at the end of the month bringing the mean temperature down to 5.4°C; the average maximum temperature of 8.2°C was 0.1°C above the Ross average for December of 8.1°C.
There were 15 days when no rain was recorded and a further five when precipitation was less than 1 mm; the total rainfall was 58.8 mm, 75% of the Ross-on-Wye* average for December of 78.1 mm.
Click the button below for an Excel file giving daily data for 2014:-
* Ross-on-Wye is the nearest Met Office station for which long term averages (1971-2000) are available.