This year saw a new record high for January and indeed any winter month, 19.9 at Achfary in the NW Highlands. The very wet weather of 2023 continues into the first part of the year: the 18 month period between October 2022 and March 2024 was the wettest 18 month spell in England since records began (in 1836, with 1696 mm). 2024 saw the warmest spring on record (9.37C, easily beating the previous record set in 2017of 9.12C), although it was also very wet and quite dull. The cloud kept the temperatures up at night so spring frosts were rare. It was however unusually dry across northwestern Scotland. Remarkably May was warmer than June. After the warm spring, it was the coolest summer since 2015 - although it was still warmer than 1960-1990 reference period for both the CET and UK.. Summer was very wet in western Scotland, but dry over much of England and Wales, and sunnier than average in the south and East Anglia. Yet because of our memory for recent summers, many remember it as a poor summer. The 2023-24 storm season saw the most named storms since the current naming system was introduced (in 2015).

January. An eventful month. There was a cold northerly outbreak midmonth. There were frequent snow showers, particularly across northern and northeastern Scotland, but also affecting the south. The lowest temperture of the spell was -14.0 at Dalwhinnie on the morning of the 17th, the lowest January in the UK temperature since 2019. Then Storm Isha unusually affects nearly all of the UK with severe gales and heavy rain. The strongest gust recorded was 99 mph at Brizlee Wood near Alnwick (Northumberland). Then two days later Storm Jocelyn arrived, brining more rain and very strong winds, with 97 mph recorded at Capel Curig. Then on Sunday 28th 19.6º C was recorded at Kinclochewe (Wester Ross, Highland), beating the previous January high by 1.3º. The warmth was due to a Foehn effect combined with very warm air being drawn up from Africa. It is later reported that Achfary (NW Higlands) recorded 19.9 the same day - a new UK record for January and indeed for any winter month in Scotland. There was a notable fall of Saharan dust, carried by the same plume of warm air, across the British Isles the same day, most noticeable of course across the south. On the 25th, Gavarda, SE Spain, recorded 30.7C, the new highest temperature ever recorded in Europe in January.

February. Very mild but generally wet. On the CET scale (since 1658), at 7.8 ºC, it was the second mildest on record, beaten only by 1779 (7.9), and was warmer than the long-term March average.  On the UK wide scale it was the second warmest February since 1884 (6.3) C, after 1998 (6.8C0. On Thursday 15th it reached 18.1C at Pershore (Worcs.) and Teddington (west London). It was mostly unsettled, with a cold spell, with disruptive snow in places, lasting a few days in the north from the 6th; it never quite reached the south, which only really saw cooler weather for a few days from the 24th. It was very wet in the south, with many places setting new daily rainfall records, and many locations reaching the February average only half way through the month. Heavy rain on the 22nd caused flooding in the south. Indeed it was the wettest February on record in the south, with 239% of the average; however, parts of Scotland (including my station in Angus) were somewhat drier than average. East Anglia had both its wettest and warmest February on record. 86.9 mm of rain fell on the recording day 17-18th at White Barrow on Dartomor (Devon). The lowest temperature of the month was -13.8 at Altnharra on the 8th. It is worth nothing that four of the warmesst Februarys since 1889 have been in the last six years - 2023, 2023, 2022, and 2019.

March. An unsettled month, wet and dull. The month started cold, with snow in the SW on the 2nd, but then became mostly very mild across much of the country, although there was a cooler spell towards the end. The result was that overall the month was milder than average, but it was particularly warm in the south; for England it was the 7th warmest March since 1884. Rainfall was above average, with 127% of the average for the UK. This average conceals a pattern where parts of Scotland were a little drier than average, but the south of England was extremely wet. The UK average sunshine total was 95.2 hours (87%). The highest temperature of the month was 18.8 at Charlwood (Surrey) on the 20th, and the lowest -6.9 at Altnaharra on the 26th. A very deep area of low pressure (956 mbars at centre) was centred over the UK on the 27th. It brought some snow with heavy rain in the SW on the night of the 27-28th, and some severe thunderstorms on the 28th from the SW to East Midlandl; there was a report of hailstones measuring up to 6.5cm across at Stowehill (Northants.).

April. Overall unsettled, wet, and dull. There was a mild and wet first half, with a northerly second half. It was rather drier in the second half with an area of high pressure building from the 20th to the 25th. Storm Kathleen brought heavy rain and gales particularly to the north and west on the 5-6th. A new high temperature record for Northern Ireland in April was set on the 21st, as it reached 19.3C at Castlederg (Co. Tyrone). A vigorous cold front moving south on 15 April brought snow, hail, heavy showers, strong winds, and even possible tornadoes at Newcastle-under-Lyme (Staffs.) and Nottingham in the morning. Northerlies made the second half of the month much cooler. The warm first half was cancelled by the cool second half, so overall temperatures were close to average. It was a wet month across the UK, with an average of 111 mm (155%). Scotland and Northern England were particularly wet, especially in the Edinburgh region, which recorded more than 200% of the April average (second wettest on record there from 1836). It was a dull month, with 122.9 hours of sunshine on average across the UK (79%). The highest temperature of the month was 21.8 C at Erittle (Essex) on the 13th, although it reached 20.9 at Santon Downham (Suffolk) as early as the 6th. The lowest was -6.3 at Shap (Cumbria) on the 26th. Deepest snow depth was  2 cm at Kinross on the 5th.

May. Overall the warmest May on record in the UK (since such records began in 1884). The UK mean was 13.1 ºC, +2.4, and a degree more than the previous record, May 2008. In terms of CET, the average for 2024 was 14.1; only May 1833 was warmer (15.1). Many were surprised  by this record because it was often cloudy and wet; the cloud had the effect of keeping the overnight temperatures up. The seas around the UK were also unusually warm, although marine temperatures have been steadily increasing over recent years. The month was the warmest May on record in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, and equal record warmest in May. The month was unsettled at times, with thunder, although there was a period of settled weather midmonth. The night of Friday 10 May saw the best auroral display since October 2003; fortunately this display coincided witht he anticyclone, so much of the country enjoyed clear skies. There was very heavy rain on the 22nd; a young person died in a mudslide at Carlton-in-Cleveland on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors. This was the wettest spring day on record. The wet spell continued on Thursday 23rd, leading to serious flooding around Edinburgh. Many drivers were stuck for several hours when the City Bypass, the A720, flooded. 111 mm of rain was recorded over 36 hours near Penicuik. The second half of the month was particularly wet, and rainfall was above averagte for the month (UK 82.5 mm, 116%);  northern England was particularly wet (155% for the month). 94.8 mm of rain fell at Keswick on the 22nd, and 124.0 mm of rain fell at Honister Pass in Cumbria on the observing day 22-23rd. Northern Ireland was the driest region, followed by northern and Scotland. It was also duller than average, with the UK average close to 159 hours (83%) - another reason why people are surprised it was so warm. Yet another reason is that the highest temperature of the month was "only" 27.5 ºC at Chertsey Abbey Mead (Surrey) on the 12th; the lowest was -1.1 at Kinbrace (Sutherland) on the 21st.

June. A cool month overall. With a CET of 14.0C it was the coldest since 2015. It was also the first time since last July that a month was much cooler than average. Most extraordinary, May was warmer than June for the first time since the CET began in 1659. It was particularly cool until the final week, with frequent N and NW winds bringing incursions of Arctic air. For the UK as a whole the average temperature was 0.4C beneath average. There was then a short-lived hot spell - and very short-lived in the north. It was 30.0 C at Chertsey Abbey Mead (Surrey) and Heathrow on the 25th, and 30.5 at Wisley (Surrey) on the 26th, although the temperatures then returned to average or below. It was though a relatively dry month, with 71% of the expected rainfall across the UK around and half for England and Wales. It was slightly sunnier than average (UK 178.8 hours, 104%), although Northern Ireland was dull (75%). The lowest temperature of the month was -1.6 at Kinbrace (Sutherland) on the 13th.

July. After a cool and unsettled first half there was a brief hot spell midmonth, with 31.9 CC at St James Park (London) recorded on the 19th. There was another brief heatwave at the end of the month, with 32.0 recorded at Kew Gardens and Heathrow on the 30th, making it the hottest day of the year so far. ALthiough the start of the month was very cool (the coldest first half since 2004), the heat in the second half meant that overall the month was close to average. The mean temperature was in fact beneath the reference average for 1991 to 2020, but above that of 1961 to 1990. Overall rainfall was exactly average across the UK (82.4 mm), although it was wetter in the south and drier in the north, with much of the rain falling in the first half of the month. It was quite a dull month, with 153.7 hours being 89%. The lowest temperature of the month was 1.7 at Tyndrum and Tulloch Bridge on the 31st. The highest daily rainfall total was 75.7 mm at White Barrow (Devon) on the observing day 8-9th.

August. Overall quite a changeable month but with some warm, humid spells. There was a brief hot spell midmonth with 34.8C, the highest temperature of the year, recorded at Cambridge. There were quite a few thundery outbreaks, and Storm Lilian brought strong winds and heavy rain to parts of the north on the 22nd. 154.4 mm of rain fell at Honister Pass (Cumbria) with the observing day ending on the 22nd, and Capel Curig (Gwynedd) recorded a 74 mph gust of wind that day. Overall the month was slightly warmer than average, particularly in England, although it was slightly cooler than average across Scotland and Northern Ireland. The UK was slightly wetter than average (110%), but while England was dry, with 50% of the average rainfall, west Scoland was very wet, with places such as Glasgow recording over 200% of the August average, making it in some places the third wettest August on record (since 1836). It was very slightly duller than usual (99% across the UK). The lowest temperature of the month was -1.2 C at Kinbrace (Sutherland) on the 31st.

September.  This month saw a big north-south divide, but the other way round from usual. In summary the north was dry and sunny, and the south dull and wet. The month began with a hot, humid spell, and 30.1 C was recoded at Cambridge on the 1st. While the end of the first week was warm and sunny in the north and northwest, a band of very heavy thundery rain moved across southern England bringing disruption and flooding, particularly in south Wales. There was an incursion of Arctic air in the second week bringing much lower temperatures. The third week was warm again. There was persistent heavy rain in the south and midlands around the 23rd, resulting in some severe flooding. AFC Wimbledon's pitch collapsed with sinkholes. 108.0 mm fell in South Newington (Oxon.) on the observing day ending on 24 September. The final week was cool again with slow moving fronts across the south: 119.9 mm of ran fell at White Barrow (Devon) on the 30th. Hence the average figures mask many contrasts. Overall temperatures were slightly beneath average, but while East Anglia was 0.5 C above average, east Scotland was 0.7 beneath. UK rainfall was  above average, but while England had its third wettest September on record, Scotland had just 63%, with east Scotland particularly dry (in Angus I recorded only 44%). In the south of England it was very wet, with 233% of average, and the counties of Bedfordshire, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire saw their wettest September on record, with over 300% of the long-term average. Indeed Bedfordshire and Oxfordshire had the wettest month of any sort since records began (in 1836). Some places (e.g. Woburn, Beds., and Shawbury, Shrops.) saw record daily rainfall totals. The lowest temperature of the month was -3.0 at both Tyndrum (Perthshire) and Braemar on the 25th.

October. A mixed month with some fine periods with high pressure interspersed with lows coming in from the Atlantic. It was slightly warmer and drier than average; the CET was 11.5 (+0.9), and the UK rainfall average total 103.5 mm (84%), although southern England was very slightly wetter than normal. Sunshine was about average (89.4 hours, 97%), although bthere were some regional variations, with the south and parts of Scotland being duller than average. There was a notable aurora on the night of 10-11 October, and we were blessed with clear skies. On the 20th Storm Ashley brought strong winds, particularly to the NW, and rain, with a gust of 82 mph recorded at Aberdaron (Gwynedd). The highest temperature of the month was 22.5 C (St James Park, London, 16th) and the lowest -4.1 (Braemar, 3rd; Aboyne, 14th). The highest rainfall total in the observng day was 74.2 mm at the Duddon Water Works in Cumbria. Meanwhile, on continental Europe, at least 200 people were killed in the area around Valencia in Spain following exceptionally heavy rain on the 28th and 29th as a "cut-off low" became stuck: 160 mm of rain fell in one hour and 491 mm in just 8 hours - more than the average annual rainfall for the region.

November.