Diary of Highlights

1st to 7th
The first week of January was generally mild, with bands of heavy rain and strong to gale force westerly winds. 25 mm of rain was recorded in parts of South Wales on the 1st. Some drier and brighter spells for a time on the 2nd and 3rd and then again on the 5th, but with scattered showers. Temperatures reached 14 °C on the 5th in East Wales. A band of heavy rain on the 7th, with 39 mm at Capel Curig and 21.8 mm at Sennybridge.

8th to 14th
This period continued in an unsettled theme with weather fronts spreading quickly from the west giving periods of heavy rain and strong to gale force westerly winds. On the 8th, it was wet and windy with very mild overnight temperatures and 54 mm of rain at Capel Curig overnight, and then a further 41 mm at Capel Curig on the 9th. Further heavy rain and gales on the 11th with gusts reaching 89 m.p.h. on the 11th at Capel Curig. There was further heavy rain on both the 13th and 14th.

15th to 21st
Again it was a very wet and windy period with bands of heavy rain and strong to gale force westerly winds with a period of severe gales on the 18th. Exceptional gusts on the 18th led to disruption with gust speeds reaching 100 m.p.h. at Capel Curig, 90 m.p.h. at Lake Vyrnwy, 81 m.p.h. at Rhyl and 76 m.p.h. at Swansea.

22nd to 31st
On the 22nd, the winds slowly turned to the north with high pressure building from the north leading to a more settled period of weather. This led to generally drier weather, although with some frosty nights. Some sleet and snow fell over Welsh hills on the 22nd, then a frost overnight. Dry, sunny and cold on the 23rd. A band of rain, sleet and snow spread southwards on the 24th, with snow on the higher hills of east Wales. Then dry, bright, cold and frosty on the 25th. Largely cloudy and mainly dry for the end of the month. Slightly milder air spreading around the high pressure kept frosts at bay with winds generally from the west or northwest.