2016 details

January 2016 was warmer and much wetter than usual and the average maximum temperature of 7.8°C was 0.5°C above the Ross average for January of 7.3°C. The minimum temperature sank below 0°C on five days. The warmest day was the 25th (max = 12.8°C) and the coldest was the 20th with a low of -4.0°C.

The measured rainfall was 228.8 mm, was 2.84 times the Ross-on-Wye* average for January of 80.7 mm and rain was measured on 26 days in the month and, the wettest being the 3rd when 37.4 mm fell.

February 2016 was normal with respect to temperature and, apart from a spell of three very wet days on the 6th to the 8th, relatively dry too. The month had 10 frosty mornings in all, much the most for any month this winter so far, but there were no days when frost lasted throughout. Overall, the average maximum temperature of 7.9°C was 0.2°C above the Ross average for February of 7.7°C.

There were fourteen days on which no rain fell, and only 16.6 mm fell from the 9th onwards. However, the 88.4 mm which fell between the 6th and 8th made a total monthly rainfall of 115.3 mm, 118% above the Ross-on-Wye* average for February of 53.0 mm.

March 2016 was cooler and wetter than usual. Overall, the average maximum temperature of 9.5°C was 0.8°C below the Ross average for March of 10.3°C and there were four days of frost as well.

There were 13 days on which rain fell (>0.2 mm) and there was a period of 14 consecutive dry days in the middle part of the month as well (see graphic). The total rainfall of 103.4 mm was just over double the Ross-on-Wye* average for March of 51.2 mm.

April 2016 was cool and wetter than usual. Overall, the average maximum temperature of 12.3°C was 0.3°C below the Ross average for April of 12.9°C with a peak of 16.4°C  on the 13th. There were only two days of sub-zero temperature, on the 17th and 28th.

There were 16 days when no rain (or a trace) fell and only one day on which the rainfall, exceeded 10mm (15.8mm on the 11th). It was wetter overall than usual with the total rainfall of 61.4 mm being 27% above the Ross-on-Wye* average for April of 48.4 mm.

May 2016 saw 18 days on which no significant rain fell. The total rainfall of 100.4 mm was 2.04 times the Ross-on-Wye* average for May of 49.2 mm, much of it falling on five consecutive days (7th to 11th). Maximum temperatures exceeded 20°C on five days with a high of 24.5°C on the 8th. May was warm overall as a result, and  the average maximum temperature of 17.7°C was 1.1°C above the Ross average for May of 16.6°C.

June 2016 started with a settled and dry period of nine days, but the rest of the month was unsettled with some very wet days..

The Penallt total rainfall of 134.0 mm was 2.48 times the Ross* June average of 54.0 mm with the 10th contributing over a quarter of this, including a period of just over an hour when 35 mm fell. There were 14 days in the month when no measurable rain fell too.

Maximum temperatures were a little above average during this period, exceeding 20°C on fourteen days with a maximum of 25.2°C on the 8th. The month ended with some cool days, the 29th being particularly cold. Overall, the average maximum temperature of 19.8°C was 0.5°C above the Ross* average for June of 19.3°C

July 2016: Despite the mini-heatwave of 18th to 20th, with its record 31.2°C on the 19th, July 2016 was just a little cooler than average. It was, however, much drier than average too. The total rainfall of 17.4 mm was half the Ross-on-Wye* average for July of 34.8 mm, and there were only seven days on which measurable rain fell. July 2016 was the fourth driest month in Penallt since records began in April 2011.

The average maximum temperature of 21.6 °C was 0.4 °C below the Ross average for July of 22.0 °C, and there were only three days when the temperature exceeded 25 °C.

August 2016 was close to average in terms of temperature and rainfall. The total rainfall of 71.4 mm was 17% higher than the Ross-on-Wye* average for August of 61.1 mm and there were 19 days on which no significant rain (>0.2 mm) fell.

The average maximum temperature of 21.4 °C was only 0.1 °C below the Ross average for August of 21.5 °C, the warmest day being the 23rd (27.5 °C). The temperature was 20 °C or more on 21 days.

September 2016 was warm and had a little over average rainfall. There were 14 days without rain overall (defined as 0.2 mm or under). Two days accounted for much of the rain, the 3rd and 25th, their 36.2 mm boosting the total rainfall to 88.2 mm, some 38% more than the the Ross-on-Wye* average for September of 63.7 mm.

The month was warmer than average too, with the mean maximum temperature of 19.1 °C being 0.8 °C above the Ross average for September of 18.3 °C.

October 2016 had normal temperatures overall and was much drier than usual. The average maximum temperature of 13.9°C was 0.3°C below the Ross average for October of 14.2°C.

There were 20 days on which no significant rain was recorded, making it a very dry month overall, and the total rainfall of 38.6 mm, was 56% of the Ross-on-Wye* average for October of 67.5 mm, the wettest day being the 16th on which 12.2 mm fell.

November 2016 was much colder and wetter than usual. The average maximum temperature of 8.7°C was 1.6°C below the Ross average for November of 10.3°C and the last two days saw the first frosts of the winter, the lowest temperature being -3.2°C on the 29th. Maximum temperatures ranged between 14.7°C on the 15th and 3.8°C on the 29th.

Measurable rain was recorded on 15 days and there were four days when over 10 mm was recorded, the maximum being 45.6 mm on the 21st. The total rainfall of 126.6 mm was nearly double the Ross-on-Wye* average for November of 64.5 mm.

December 2016 was a little warmer and much but significantly drier than usual. The average maximum temperature of 8.7°C was 0.6°C above the Ross average for December of 8.1°C. The maximum temperature exceeded 10°C on 8 days and there were 4 days of air frost too.

There were 15 days when no significant rain was recorded (<0.2 mm); the total rainfall was 54.8 mm, 70% of the Ross-on-Wye* average for December of 78.1 mm.

Click the button below for an Excel file giving daily data for 2016:-