January 2013 was colder than usual, and the average maximum temperature of 5.9°C was 1.4°C below the Ross average for January of 7.3°C. The mean daily temperature was below zero for nine consecutive days between the 16th and 24th of the month, during which period some 20 – 25 mm of snow lay on the ground in the village, little of which is recorded in the rainfall readings (the measuring mechanism not being operable in snow!).
The measured rainfall was 81.8 mm, 1% over the Ross-on-Wye* average for January of 80.7 mm. However, as explained above, this is an underestimate.
February 2013 was the first month since March 2012 with below average rainfall. Overall, the average maximum temperature of 5.3°C was 2.4°C under the Ross average for February of 7.7°C.
There were 16 days on which rain fell, and this was often light rain at that, making a dry month with total rainfall of 38.6 mm, 73% of the Ross-on-Wye* average for February of 53.0 mm.
March 2013 was one of the coldest on record and the wind came from the east for much of the time. Overall, the average maximum temperature of 5.4°C was 4.0°C below the Ross average for March of 10.3°C.
There were 14 days on which rain fell, five of which had significant precipitation which fell as snow on the 22nd. This made it a wet month overall with total rainfall of 97.2 mm, 90% above the Ross-on-Wye* average for March of 51.2 mm.
April 2013 was a cool and fairly dry month. Overall, the average maximum temperature of 11.5°C was 1.4°C below the Ross average for April of 12.9°C but it was a welcome 6.1°C warmer than the previous month despite this.
There were only 11 days on which significant rain fell, the 10th seeing the first significant rain (> 0.2 mm) for 17 days. This made it a dry month overall with the total rainfall of 43.8 mm being 90% of the Ross-on-Wye* average for April of 48.4 mm.
May 2013 was mostly dry, but with a few extremely wet days, and was a little cooler than normal. No rain at all fell on 19 days and there were three days on which more than 10 mm fell. Maximum temperatures exceeded 20°C only twice. Overall, the average maximum temperature of 15.4°C was 1.2°C below the Ross average for May of 16.6°C.
The total rainfall was 106.2 mm, over twice the Ross-on-Wye* average for May of 49.2 mm.
June 2013 was remarkable for its non-extreme weather! There were no very wet days and no temperature extremes either.
The Penallt total rainfall of 69.6 mm was 29% higher than the Ross* June average of 54.0 mm. The wettest day had 8.8 mm falling and there were 10 days in the month when no rain fell too.
Maximum temperatures were a little below average during this period, exceeding 20°C on nine days with a maximum of 25.3°C on the 19th. Overall, the average maximum temperature of 18.7°C was 0.6°C below the Ross* average for June of 19.3°C
July 2013 was very much warmer than average and contain a period of 20 consecutive days without rain. The total rainfall of 36.6 mm was marginally over the Ross-on-Wye* average for July of 34.8 mm, with almost half of the rain falling on one day, the 27th. The average maximum temperature of 24.9 °C was 2.9 °C above the Ross average for July of 22.0 °C, and there were 15 days when the temperature exceeded 25 °C. The peak of 30.8 °C occurred on the 13th.
August 2013 was warmer and a little drier overall than average. The total rainfall of 59.0 mm was 97% of the Ross-on-Wye* average for August of 61.1 mm, and the average maximum temperature of 21.9 °C was 0.4 °C above the Ross average for August of 21.5 °C. There were 15 rain-free days in the month and only two days on which more than 10 mm fell (35.8 mm on the 4th and 5th of the month – the rest of the month was predominantly dry)
September 2013 was mostly dry with the first five days completing a run of 12 rain free days starting at the end of August, and there were 15 days without rain overall. Over an inch of rain fell on the 13th, which boosted the total rainfall to 72.8 mm, 14% above the Ross-on-Wye* average for September of 63.7 mm.
The month was warmer than average too, with the average maximum temperature of 18.8 °C being 0.5 °C above the Ross average for September of 18.3 °C.
October 2013 was warmer and very much wetter than usual, and the average maximum temperature of 15.0°C was 0.7°C above the Ross average for October of 14.2°C.
There were only seven days on which no rain was recorded, and the total rainfall was 283.8 mm, was 4.2 times the Ross-on-Wye* average for October of 67.5 mm. NB the total rainfall contains an estimate for a 24 hour period during which the rain gauge ceased working. See here for more details.
November 2013 was cooler and a little drier than usual, and the average maximum temperature of 8.9°C was 1.4°C below the Ross average for November of 10.3°C. There were four days of air frost too.
There were 19 days on which rain fell; the total rainfall of 59.8 mm was 93% of the Ross-on-Wye* average for November of 64.5 mm. The second half of the month was remarkably dry, with only 9 mm of rain falling in the last 17 days.
December 2013 was a little warmer and very much wetter than usual, and the average maximum temperature of 8.8°C was 0.7°C above the Ross average for December of 8.1°C.
After a dry start to the month when only 1.2 mm fell in the first 11 days, it rained on every day thereafter, heavily at times, making a total rainfall of 208.8 mm, 2.7 times the Ross-on-Wye* average for December of 78.1 mm.
Click the button below for an Excel file giving daily data for 2013:-
* Ross-on-Wye is the nearest Met Office station for which long term averages (1971-2000) are available.