Resume of Weather for the Ipswich Area-1964

RESUME OF WEATHER FOR THE IPSWICH AREA—1964 S . J. B U R N E L L ,

B.SC.

JANUARY

The month was characterised by high pressure and quiet conditions giving fog and frosts on eighteen nights. Slight snow feil on 1 Ith, but temperatures of 4°C. on 13th soon caused a thaw.

Night frosts occurred from 14th to 18th with —9°C. on 17th and 18th. The month ended with a week of warm days, temperatures reaching + 9 ° C . on 31st.

Rainfall was low, 0-67" being recorded on a total of eight days.

Av. Temp. + 1£°C.

Av. Max. +3£°C.

Av. Min. —

FEBRUARY

This was the third consecutive dry month, reported as completing the driest three winter months since records began in 1720.

Rainfall for the month was 1 -18", giving a three month total of 2-48".

The month began with three very warm days, temperatures of 11°C. being recorded. Prolonged sunshine and light winds were the result of abnormally high barometric pressure of 30 • 86" (1045 mbs.). Colder conditions returned with E. winds between 17th and 22nd, but 19th was the only day with maximum temperatures not above freezing. The month ended with a return to higher temperatures ( + 7 ° C . to +11°C.) and five rainy days.

Av. Temp. + 3 i ° C .

Av. Max. +6°C.

Av. Min. + 1 ° C .

MARCH

The month was abnormally cold and dull, having average temperatures precisely the same as the previous month, but it did see the end of the prolonged dry spell with a total of 3-32" of rain on seventeen days. This included 1 • 88" received from prolonged heavy rain on 14th.

Cloudy conditions resulted in temperatures not exceeding + 4 ° C . on fourteen days but also kept night air temperatures above -f3°C., frost occurring on eleven nights. The coldest day was 15th with + 1 ° C . maximum, but by the 21st the maximum had climbed to +13°C. T h e end of the month, Easter weekend, saw snow flurries, rain and maxima of + 4 ° C .

Av. Temp. + 3 | ° C .

Av. Max. + 6 ° C .

Av. Min + 1°C.

80

Transactions

of the Suffolk

Naturalists',

Vol. 13, Part

2

APRIL

April began as March had ended with cold days and night air frosts. The maximum on 3rd was 4-2°C., but by the 5th warmer conditions arrived and maxima steadily improved to + 1 8 ° C . on 12th and thereafter remained between + 1 2 ° C . and + 1 9 ° C . for the rest of the month. The last night air frost of the winter was recorded on 6th. Westerly winds thereafter were responsible for the warmer conditions but cloudiness was general and thunderstorms recorded on 16th, 23rd, 28th, and 29th. Rainfall was above average, 2-95" being recorded on sixteen days.

Av. Temp. + 9 ° C .

Av. Max. + 1 2 ° C .

Av. Min. + 5 | ° C .

MAY

T h e first half of the month was changeable with nine days with rain but temperatures established in the + 17°C. to + 2 0 ° C . ränge.

There followed a fine and sunny spell from 1 Ith to 18th and the month finished with a warm (-j-21°C. to + 2 5 ° C . ) week with no rain.

T h e rainfall total was 1-07" on ten days.

Av. Temp. + 1 5 ° C .

Av. Max. + 2 1 ± ° C .

Av. Min + 9 ° C .

JUNE

In general the first and third weeks were unsettled and cool whilst the second and fourth weeks were fine and warm. + 2 7 ° C .

(80°F.) was reached on 27th. A succession of depressions was responsible for the heavy rainfall, there being six days with more than 0 ' 4 " . Total rainfall was 4-12" falling on fifteen days.

Av. Temp. + 1 6 ° C . Av. Max. + 2 0 | ° C . Av. Min. + 1 1 ° C .

JÜLY

After five days with rain between 7th and 12th a prolonged warm dry period set in. Only 0 - 3 " of rain feil in the next month and maximum temperatures were seldom below -|-25 0 C. The minimum night temperature on the 14th was + 18°C., the highest of the sumraer, Rainfall was below average, 1-13" on nine days.

Av. Temp. + 18£°C.

Av. Max. + 2 3 £ ° C .

Av. Min. + 1 3 | ° C .

AUGUST

August was, in general, warm, dry, and sunny. Maximum temperature exceeded + 2 0 ° C . on all but six days and rainfall was again below average. 0-97" feil on eleven days.

Av. Temp. + 1 7 | ° C . Av. Max. + 2 2 | ° C . Av. Min. + 12£°C.

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RESUME OF WEATHER SEPTEMBER

The warm, dry weather continued throughout September and yet again rainfall was below average. A total of 0-52" was recorded in nine days, 0 • 36" of which feil on the five days 14th to 18th. The prolonged sunshine made this the sunniest September for fifty-three years. Maximum temperatures were still near to +20°C. on most days but night temperatures were dropping to +7°C. by the end of the month.

Av. Temp. +15°C.

Av. Max. +20°C.

Av. Min. +10£°C.

OCTOBER

The first ground frost of the winter occurred on the lOth. The month was marked by quiet foggy and misty conditions.

Rain feil on fourteen days, totalling 1 • 52".

Maximum temperatures at the Start of the month were +18°C. falling to +10°C. at the end.

Av. Temp. +9°C.

Av. Max. +12£°C.

Av. Min. + 5 ° C .

NOVEMBER

The month started with ten days of cold, dull, windy but dry weather. Ponds were covered with ice on the morning of 1 Ith. A rainy period set in on the 12th and rain feil on the next eight days.

Rain feil in all on thirteen days but totalled only 1-37". The month ended with night ground and air frosts and cold sunnv days.

Av. Temp. + 7 | ° C . Av. Max. + 1 0 F C . Av. Min. + 4 | ° C .

DECEMBER

The month opened with northerly winds and five night There followed a mild spell with rain and westerly winds. mid-month onwards, it was much colder with night Christmas Day was seasonable with snow, followed by showers on the next two days. The year ended with a short period. Rain and snow feil on twenty days, totalling which brought the annual total to 20-40", a dry year.

Av. Temp. +4°C.

Av. Max. + 6 i ° C .

frosts.

From frosts. wintry milder 1-59",

Av. Min. + 1 | ° C .