Extreme weather events in the Sidlaws north of Dundee (Lundie).

2004.

The coldest year in my records - with an overall mean of 8.8C. Of course, I have moved very slightly north and up in altitude, which probably has something to do with it. Only time will tell how much.

January 2004. Snowy beginng and end, mild midmonth. Pretty average overall.

1 January. Deep fresh snow - if only it had been a week earlier.

8 January. A very miserable day - wet, windy, and extremely dull. The birds gave up at lunchtime.

February 2004. Snow at the beginning and end, very mild midmonth, to give about average temperatures overall. A very sunny month. It was also exceptionally dry, with only 11.0 mm (the driest February so far, and the third driest month, after October 2003 and April 1997).

March 2004. An average sort of month without any great excitement. Mixed, with cold start, and mild interludes. Some snow, and slightly cooler than average.

April 2004. Quite wet, cloudy, and slightly cooler than average.

24-25 April. Warm spell: first day over 60F (just) on Saturday 24th. This is the new record latest date on which this has happened.

May 2004. Quite dry and sunny, with some warm days and cool nights - remarkably, with the lowest average minima yet recorded, there wasn't even a ground frost.

June 2004. Average overall, but wet.

5 June. First day of the year over 70F (with 21.8C).

14 June. A new record maximum for June: 24.7C. The odd thing about the day was how windy it was.

23 June. A wet day, with 14 hours of continuous rain giving 22.6 mm.

July 2004. The new record coldest July, with an average of only 13.6C. The highest maximum of the month (21.8C on the 27th) is the lowest July highest maximum on record so far.

August 2004. Not just a new record wettest month, but extraordinarily so (194 mm). There was an exceptional wet spell in the second week. It was also cool, thundery, and dull, with much low cloud.

1-12 August. Perhaps the worst week of summer weather I can remember: almost perpetual dense fog (low cloud), very dull, and with some periods of heavy rain. Then the 9th, 10th, and 11th were exceptionally wet, with 40.4, 24.8, and 35.6 mm of rain (a total of 101.8 mm), leading to local flooding. Needless to say, the 40.4 mm total is the new record daily rainfall total.

31 August. A new record August minimum (5.1C).

September 2004. The coldest for ten years. It wasn't that far beneath average (12.3C) but the range in September isn't great. It was otherwise a mixed month, with close to average rainfall. Quite bright, and many cool nights.

29 September. The low maximum of 11.4C is the equal lowest.

October 2004. Cold and wet. Indeed, the new record wettest October, with 152.2 mm of rain - only August this year was wetter. At an average of 8.5C, only October 2001 was colder.

November 2004. Quite dry (34.6 mm total rain), average temperatures, largely anticyclonic, with a cold snap.

19 November. The first airfrost of the year.

21 November. An equal record November minimum of -5.3C. A good cold plunge, with some severe frosts. It doesn't last long though. The cold snap (which started here on the 18th) ended with a spell of freezing rain. We did see some good frosts though, including 18 frost hours.

December 2004. Average temperatures, on the dry side, but quite sunny.

24-25 December. After a moderate snowfall on the afternoon of the 24th, we have snow lying on Christmas Day (but no fresh snow).

2005.

The new record coldest year so far (8.7C). A cold, wet spring - easiestly the new record coldest so far (7.3C), and the second wettest, with 200.8 mm of rain. Other highlights of the year include the hottest day so far recorded (29.0C in July), some exceptional wet days in October, and a new record low for December. This year saw more air frosts (58) than any other year so far.

January 2005. Slightly warmer than average temperatures, with a mean of 4.7C overall. Temperatures ranged from a maximum of 13.6 on the 31st to a minimum of -3.2C on the 23rd. It was quite wet (86.2 mm rain total). These figures tell only half the story: it was very much a "month of two halves", with an exceptionally wet and stormy first half and quiet and dry second half. 85.4 mm of the rainfall occurred in the first 17 days. There was a severe and damaging gale on the 11-12th.

4-12 January. A stormy few days, with notable gales on the 4-5th and 7-8th. The 7th also sees 28.8 mm rain (the fifth highest daily total so far), with rain turning to sleet and snow overnight. The night of the 11-12th (Tuesday-Wednesday) sees the worst gale yet: we lose a slate from the roof, and our big bay tree pot is blown over and smashed.

February 2005. Another month of two halves - rather mild until the 18th, then much colder and snowier. Overall an equal new record coldest February. The average minima are the lowest since December 2001, yet the lowest temperature of the month is only -2.7C on the 24th. Average precipitation.

23 February. Heavy overnight snow keeps us in all day on the 23rd; maximum depth is about 7 cm, but the car goes nowhere very safely. We abandon it at the bottom of the hill. 32 hours of frost: annoyingly the temperature climbs just above freezing just before 9 am. Nevertheless the maximum of 0.3C is still a new record lowest February maximum.

March 2005. A dull, cool month. Average rainfall. Snowy beginning, foggy dull end.

1 March. More overnight snow means we're snowed in again.

18 March. The minimum of 10.5 is a new record high minimum.

25-28 March. After a glorious Good Friday, with the first day over 60F (16.3C), the rest of Easter is exceptionally miserable" cold, very dull, wet at times, breezy easterly winds, and much dense fog and low cloud.

26 March - 1 April inclusive. Fog, dull easterlies, and no sun - an equal record dull spell of seven days.

April 2005. Cool, wet, easterly month, yet fairly sunny. This is the first time the highest April maximum has been lower than the highest March maximum in a year.

17-18 April. A vile couple of days, very dull, with 24.2 mm of rain over 22 hours.

May 2005. A pretty dismal month. By far the coldest May since my records began (9.2C). It was also the second wettest (with 88.6 mm of rain). It was also the only time so far I have recoded air frosts in May, so the minimum of -0.5C on the 18th is a new record low for May. The highest temperature (17.9 on the 15th) of the month was also the new record lowest May high. The only consolation was that it wasn't too dull.

10 May. A remarkably late air frost - the record latest so far.

17 May. Again, a remarkably late air frost (just, -0.1C) - so the new record latest so far.

18 May And the next night, even colder: -0.5C) - so again the new record latest frost so far.

June 2005. About average overall, with a warm spell near the end and some cool nights early on.

7 June. A late ground frost: the new record latest so far.

18 June. A the new record high June minimum of 15.8C.

July 2005. A fine, warm, sunny first three weeks were spoiled by a dull, cool final week. Overall it was the driest July (with just 21.2 mm of rain) since records began (marginally drier than July 1998). The mean maximum was 20.0C, mean minimum 10.3, overall 15.2C. There was a particularly good warm spell midmonth, and the maximum of 29.0C on the 12th was the highest since records began (and reputedly the highest locally since 1990).

10 July. Fine, sunny, hot spell: and a new record July high so far of 27.7C.

12 July. And then a new record high so far of any month of 29.0C.

10-12 Juoy. Heatwave

23- July. Followed by a cold, windy, cloudy, but mostly dry end to the month.

August 2005. An average month. There were some cool nights; the minimum of 5.1C on the 25th is the equal lowest on record, and the average minimum was the lowest since records began. It was quite sunny, but often windy. There was a notable gale on the night of the 23-24th. The highest temperature was 26.2C on the 10th.

23-24 August. An unusually early gale overnight; several branches down. I'd say this marks the start of autumn.

September 2005. A very dry month, but also the most westerly since January. Also very windy, with two gales, on the 13th and 26th.

9-10 September. A cold snap, with NE winds, so dull and cloudy too, in a warm spell; one day the temperature is 19.8C (on the 8th), then on the 9th the maximum is only 11.2C - a new record September low maximum.

13 September. A gale blows away and destroys the garden table.

15-16 September. With N winds this time, another cold snap - this time fine and sunny rather than just cold and dull. There's a ground frost on the morning of the 16th (-2C, air minimum +1.9C) - a new record earliest such date for a ground frost, and also the new record lowest September minimum.

October 2005. Mild, wet, and cloudy, with a notable warm spell near the end. Unusually there were two very wet days.

11 October. 35.0 mm rain in a day - the fourth heaviest fall on record. Then, curiously, less than a fortnight later ... With 34 hours of continuous rainfall (on the 11-12th), this is the second longest period of continuous rain (after 21-22 October 2002).

24 October. Another 33.4 mm of rain.

27 October. 17.9C - the new record highest temperature so late in the year, easily beating 9 October 2003.

November 2005. Cold and very sunny - the coldest since 1998. After a mild, unsettled beginning, it became anticyclonic, drier, and colder, with some sharp frosts at night. A northerly outbreak near the end of the month brought the first snow. The month saw 68.0 mm of precipitation. Along with 1996, there was a record number of air frosts for November (14).

10-11 November. A notable gale on the Thursday night and particularly Friday afternoon - a neighbour records a gust of over 60 mph. The 10th was the warmest day of the month, with 12.3C.

13 November. The first air frost of the year -0.1C.

18 November. The coldest night of the month, with -3.7C.

24 November. After a quiet, dry, if cold spell, with some sharp frosts at night, the winds pick up and turn to the north, and we have the first snow flurries of the winter.

25 November. A severe weather day: wet snow, becoming heavy.

December 2005. A mild first half and cold snowy end. Overall with a mean of 3.6C and 60.4 mm of precipitation it's an average month overall. Temperatures ranged from 10.6C on the 11th and 15th to -7.6C on the morning of the 29th. The wettest day was the 30th, with 16.2 mm of snow and sleet.

29 December. Cold snap - snow, then freezing fog. On the morning of Thursday 29th I recorded a new record low for December of -7.6C. The spell 28-30 December sets a new record duration for continuous frost - 43 hours, from about 4 pm on the 28th to 11 am on the 30th.

2006.

A cold spring - with a particularly cold and snowy March, followed by a very warm June and July - July becoming the hottest month I've recorded here - let down by an average August. Hence summer 2003 was only the second warmest in my records, after 2003.

January 2006. Slightly cooler than average (3.4C average) and quite dry (41.6 mm of rain (about 66% of average). There was snow lying at the start, but the second week was mild, wet, and windy - most of the rain fell in this period, with a gale on the 12th. The second half of the month was very quiet and anticyclonic, with some gloriously sunny winter days. Maxima ranged from 11.4C (10th) to 2.3C (5th). The coldest night was the last, with -4.6 early on the morning of the 31st.

1 January. The New Year dawns with snow still lying.

31 January. The coldest night of the month, with -4.6C.

February 2006. Slightly cooler than average (3.5C average) and quite dry (39.2 mm of rain - remarkably similar to January in fact. Maxima ranged from 9.6C (10th) to 2.8C (1st). The coldest night was the 2nd, with -5.2.

2 February. A cold night, with -5.2C.

10 February. The highest temperature of the month, 9.6C. In fact this is a new record lowest highest February maximum.

16 February. The pressure of 969 mbars is the lowest since 23 January 2001.

March 2006. An extraordinary month. It was the coldest and wettest March on record by some way, and indeed it was the coldest of any month since January 2001.There were several notable snowfalls, particularly on the 11-12th. The lowest temperature of the month was -5.8C on the 22nd - the latest date I have recorded such a low reading here in ten years. Things perked up a little in the last week, with the heavenly heights of 12.2 recorded on the 26th. The snowdrops are only just fading and most of the daffodils have yet to open. It was also a dull month.

3 March. Snow fall morning.

10-15 March inclusive. No sun.

11 March. Cold spell, with snow in the morinng. Maximum just 1.1C.

12 March. Sunday - about 16 cm of heavy snowfall, remarkable for so late. Also the maximum of just 0.8C is the new record lowest maximum so late in the winter/spring.

16 March. The cold spell continues - more snow on top of the laying snow.

22-23 March. The harshest frost so late in the year (-5.8C) followed by a day with another significant snowfall.

25 March. At last the temperatures start to rise and spring is in the air. It reaches 12.2C on the 26th - the first time in double figures since 19 January, and the highest maximum since 14 November.

April 2006. A cool, very dry, sunny month. 15.2 mm of rain in total - only April 1997 was drier. Although the day time maxima were about average, there were many cool nights, though none exceptionally so. The month had a cold start, with sleet and hail, and a mild end.

23 April. At 15.9C the temperate at last exceeds 15.6C (60F).

May 2006. Cold (but not as cold as 2005), wet (but not as wet as 2005), and quite sunny. Overall average = 9.8 C, total rainfall 78.8 mm.

11 May. Highest maximum of the month, 20.9.

23 May. Lowest minimum of the month, 0.2.

Spring 2006. Note that spring 2006 here was the wettest and coldest on record, in spite of a very dry April.

June 2006. >A very warm month, but not as warm as 2003; also quite dry (particularly the first half) and sunny.

6 June. The hottest day of the month, and year so far (24.4C). It is also the new record daily range, of 18.9C, from 5.5 to 24.4C.

July 2006. The hottest month in my Scottish records (17.1C). The maxima were particularly high (average 22.4C), although the average minimum was not as high as in 2003. Also there was no outstanding individual reading. There are many very warm spells, although some of the days when it was particularly hot elsewhere were spoiled here by the haar. Four of my top ten maxima were recorded in July 2006. There have now been 7 (yes, 1!) days over 80F (old money) in the last ten years, all in July and August (2003, 2005, and 2006). In spit of the haar it was also a sunny, relatively dry month

16 July. The hottest day of the year so far, at 27.8C - and the third highest reading on record (beaten by 7 August 2003 and 12 July 2005). After the heat wave, predictably, comes the haar, while the rest of the country swelters. I find this aspect of life on the Scottish east coast so depressing. It is as though we are in a different world.

25-28 July. A four day heatwave.

August 2006. Objectively a very average month - but what a contrast with the two months before. Summer as a whole was very warm - the second warmest here in my records, but not as warm as 2003.

15 August. With a maximum of only 12.9C, the second coldest August day I've recorded (after 23 August 1998).

17 August. Thunderstorm 3-4 am; we get woken. Although the electrical activity is only slight, the rainfall is spectacular, with 7.6 mm between 4 and 5, and 6.8 mm between 5 and 6. I think this is a high hourly rainfall rate for me, measured across one hour, but not as high as 17 May 2003.

September 2006. Very warm and very wet - but not as warm here as September 1999 not as wet as September 2000. The maxima were particularly high - the average maximum was 18.4C, a new record. The average minimum in September was higher than the average minimum in August this year.

20 September. A gale, the first of the season - and truly equinoctial!

21 September. The warmest day of the month, at 21.9C - very late, but not a record.

October 2006. Wet and mild - the warmest since 2001.

25-26 October. A very wet day (27.2 mm, most of it overnight), and then a gale as the winds swing to the east, with branches coming down.

November 2006. A wet month, but not as wet as November 1998. Temperatures slightly above average.

2 November. The first air frost of the year - quite an early date.

23 November. Wet and very windy, and very low pressure (969 mbars at morning reading).

December 2006. Very wet, mild and windy first half, very dry, cold and quiet second half.

25 December. A freezing fog Christmas, with -6.1C recorded in the morning. This reading is the lowest of 2006. It looks like a White Christmas.

2007.

Overall a rather cool, dry year. The overall average temperature was 8.8C (-0.4C from the ten-year mean, but not as cool as 2005), and the rainfall totalled 650.3 mm (89% of the average, but nowhere near as dry as 2003). Winter 2006-07 was mild (but not as mild as 1997-98) and with 307.2 mm of rain, easily the new record wettest winter so far. GIven its mildness, there obviously wasn't much snow about, and temperatures were never very low. Spring was dry and with about average temperatures; March and May were cool, but cancelled out by the exceptional warmth of April. It was easily the record coldest summer in my records so far, with an overall mean of 13.3C (-1.2C). The driest autumn in my records - 94.2 mm of rain, 46% of average, and indeed the new record driest of any season. It was the coldest December since 1996. The highest temperature of the year was just 23.5C on 24 August - the record lowest yearly maximum so far - and the lowest -6.8C on the morning of the 22 December. The last frost was 2 April, the first 25 October. An anticyclonic cold spell on 20-22 December saw 43 hours of frost, an equal record (with December 2005).

January 2007. Overall very mild, wet, and sunny. January was very unsettled in the first half, with some heavy (for here) rain, strong winds, and mild temperatures, but was then much drier and somewhat colder, with a little snow and frost, before turning milder again at the end. Only January 2000 was milder in my records (since 1996), and 1998 and 2002 were wetter. What a relief it is to have more than 10 years of data from one site (more or less). The lowest temperature of the month was -1.6C (several dates); this is the highest January minimum in my records; the greenfly are laughing. The first snow of the winter fell on the night of the 16-17th - this is the record latest date for the first snow.

February 2007. Average temperatures, but the new record wettest February on record, with 112.7 mm of precipitation. Quite a dull month. There were two short-lived cold snaps. I know however that this has been a mild winter because we haven't been snowed in once.

6-11 February. A short cold snap, with frost, showers of snow pellets, and from the night of Friday 9th, a very strong, biting easterly wind with snow and sleet.

12 February. The cold spell is definitely at an end. The last few days have been very wet (for here): 44.6 mm from the 8-11th, with 23. mm of snow, sleet and rain on the 10th.

On an unrelated note, yet another of our neighbours in Lundie has got a "death light"; you know the sort, the outside lights that stay on all night. These baffle me. We're not perfect; not all our windows have curtains. I can understand security lights that come on briefly while you fumble drunkenly in the dark for your keys. But death lights - what a waste of money and resources. And light pollution is evil; it ruins the night sky for us all. If you're scared of the dark, why move to the country?

I see that Southampton City Council want to make everyone's life miserable and obliterate the stars with green lasers. I am glad the people of Southampton must be so rich that they can finance this. Who votes for these people?

25 February. Install my new weather station, a Davis Advantage Pro.

27 February. Wake to the heaviest snow of the winter so far - a couple of inches.

March 2007. A dry month (35.0 mm), but not exceptionally so; slightly milder than average, and quite sunny. There was a short cold snap midmonth (18-21st) with some light snow.

28 March. 5.6 mm of rain - most notable as the last rain in a while ...

29 March. The drought begins.

April 2007. By far the warmest April in my records, with an average temperature of 10.1C (+2.1C). The maxima were particularly high (average maximum 15.0C). It was also a sunny and very dry month (with 14.6 mm of rain, 32% of the average, with most of that rain falling on one day, the 24th). The month was slightly spoiled by the easterly winds bringing in low cloud and haar, particularly at the end of the month. As is often the case, this part of east Scotland suffers when the rest of the country basks in hot sunshine.

4 April. The first day over 15C and 60F. ... Eventually it reaches 20.8, making it the new record hottest April day here so far (since 1996, remember).

11 April. Drought! 14 days with no measurable rainfall.

15 April. 21.5C - the first day over 70F. This is easiest the record earliest date for this so far. The drought continues.

16 April. The drought is ended by 0.2 mm of rain in a shower at 8.30 the next morning. Annoying.

24 April. Wih 9.2 mm of rain, most of the month's rainfall fell in a few hours overnight.

29 April - 5 May. A great deal of haar, murk, and low cloud with E/SE winds.

May 2007. May was cooler than average (by -1.2C) and, most unusually, cooler than April. In other respects it was an unexceptional month, being slightly drier and cloudier than average.

June 2007. June here was a miserable month: the equal coldest (in my records) with 1998 (at 12.3C); by far the dullest; and the highest temperature of the month was just 19.1C, the lowest maximum for June in my records. There were 10 sunless days, and 10 days with fog/haar at 10 am. At least it wasn't exceptionally wet.

8 June. A moderate thunderstorm from 3-6. 10.6 mm of rain after 3 a.m (6.6 of that between 5 and 6). The storm tracked SW->NE, passing close to overhead around 5. The thunderstorm peaked close to 5.30, when we had a brief power cut and all the alarms went off. After that, silence, and the rain quickly ceased.

9 June. The warmest day of the month, with 19.1C - this is the lowest June maximum in my records.

July 2007. Cool and wet, with temeratures -1.3C beneath average, and 153% of the average rainfall. At least it was quite bright. Otherwise exceptional events were rare.

23 July. 6.0 mm of rain fell between 3 and 4 on the 23rd.

August 2007. Easily the record coldest August in my records, and probably since 1993. Miserable. Rainfall was close to average.

20 August. The new record August minimum - just 4.8C.

24 August. The warmest day of the year (23.5C).

September 2007. Cold, very dry, and quite sunny. The coldest in my records (since 1995) - probably the coldest locally since 1993. This follows the record coldest August, for me, here. Also very dry, but not quite as dry as 2002. Some low maxima towards the end of the month.

15 September. The minimum of 1.3 is a new record lowest minimum for September so far.

26 September. A cold spell. The maximum is just 9.8C, a new record lowest maximum for September. The same low maximum is also reached on the 27th.

October 2007. Very dry (with just 20.2 mm of rain, but not as dry as October 2003). A very anticylonic month. Average temperatures overall, but with some warm days and cool nights.

11 October. 19.C - my highest temperature reading so late in the year.

25 October. -0.4C - the first air frost of the year - a bit earlier than average.

November 2007. Slightly warmer and drier than average. Dry, quiet first half; warm start; cooler, wetter, less settled second half.

2 November. Very mild - 16.7C equals the record warmest November day in my records.

December 2007. The equal (with 1996) coldest on record. It was also quite dry, with 32.0 mm (53%) of rain, making it the driest since 2001.

15-23 December. Anticylonic cold snap, with severe frosts, fog, and freezing fog. The temperature falls to -6.0 on the 17th, and there is continuous frost (and fog) from 3 pm on Thursay 20 to 11 am on Saturday 22nd - a total of 43 hours of frost - an equal record period (see also December 2005). This frost included the lowest temperature of the year, -6.8C, early in the morning of the 22nd.

2008.

Overall quite a dry year, but most notable for easily being the record coldest year in my records. Winter 2007-08 as a whole was slightly cooler than average, and slightly drier, in spite of a record wet January. Frost and snow were about average. Autumn 2008 was easily the coldest in my records; it was dry, too. It was a snowy year. December was the coldest month in my records.

January 2008. Overall the record wettest January in my records, with a total of 104.8 mm (150%). I was surprised by this, as no one day was very wet. (The wettest was the 1st with 12.0 mm.) It was aslo a cool month, with frequent gales, some snow, and quite dull.

3 January. The first snowy spell for some time.

8-9 January. A great gale - wind blowing force 10, peaking in the early hours of Wednesday morning (9th). We lose power at 5.30! Locally rooves blown off, trees down, many branches, and some flooding.

February 2008. Overall about average temperatures with some mild days and cool nights. However, because of a run of slightly colder than (my) average Februarys, it was the coolest February since 2002. It was windy at times, although anticyclonic midmonth. It was also a very dry month. Nearly half the total rainfall fell on the Leap Day.

March 2008. Cool and quite dry but sunny, with some cold snaps. Another occasion when March was colder than February.

21 March. Frequent snow flurries, with heavier fall overnight leading to snow cover on the morning of Saturday 22nd. This is also a very early Easter - so it's White Easter!

25 March. With a minimum of -3.5, this is the record harshest frost at such a late date so far.

26 March. ... Beaten the next day, just, with a minimum of -3.6C (at 5 am), this is the record harshest frost at such a late date so far.

28 March. The record latest date so far on which snow has laid.

April 2008. Cold and wet.

3 April. A lovely warm spring day, with a maximum of 17.2C.

5 April. Followed by a cold snap, with snow showers.

6 April. After overnight snow, the new record latest date so far on which snow has laid. The maximum this Sunday is just 4.3C, a new record lowest maximum for an April day.

May 2008. Warm and very dry; but not quite as hot as 1999, 2002, or 2004, or as dry as 2001.

10 May. The warmest day of the year so far: 21.6C.

June 2008. Some very cool nights led to a new record monthly average minimum for June (7.6C). Although the days were about average, the overall result was a cool month. Although not terribly wet (45.4 mm, 7% average), it was changeable, and often quite windy.

9 June. The warmest day of the year so far, with 22.1C.

July 2008. Dull and cool. While the rest of the country enjoyed a warm end to the month, after a few fine days, the wind swung round to the east, and as usual, the dreaded haar came in.

14 July. The warmest day of the year so far, with 23.1C.

22 July. The warmest day of the year so far, with 23.9C.

24 July. After a few fine days, the dreaded haar sets in.

August 2008. Cool (but not as cool as 2007), wet (but not as wet as 2004) and dull. The maximum of just 11.8C on the 6th was the lowest August maximum in my records. Overall the average maxima a new record lowest for any August so far here.

2 August. Phenomenal downpour around 3.30 pm gives 10.0 mm of rain in an hour, an hourly rainfall rate of 10.0 mm/hour.

5-7 August. Spell of very cold, very wet weather. 11.0 mm of rain on the 5th, 22.2 mm on the 6th, no sun, and a maximum of just 11.8C on the the 6th - a new record low maximum for August.

22 August. Another torrential downpour in the afternoon: over 12 mm between 4 and 6 pm.

September 2008. A slightly cooler, drier, and cloudier than average month.

October 2008. Cold, dry and sunny. The coldest in my records (average 7.5C, and probably the coldest in the area since 1992. The average minima were particularly low.

21 October. The first snow of the year - a little sleet in a light shower late morning - the record earliest date on which it has fallen.

28 October. Cold snap. The first air frost of the year, with -0.2. This is followed by the new record low maximum for October, just 3.5C, easily beating the record of 23 October 2002 (5.6C).

November 2008. Cold (4.9C average), sunny, and with just 26.2 mm of rain, easily the driest in my records.

22 November. The start of a prolonged cold spell, although the weather is briefly milder around the 25-27th. The maximum on the 22nd is just 0.9C. There were 20 hours of consecutive frost on the 30th.

30 November. The lowest minimum of the month, with -4.3C. There were another 20 hours of consecutive frost today.

December 2008. Cold, quite dry, quite snowy. The record coldest December in my records (and indeed since December 1995), and indeed the and the record coldest of any month, and the lowest minima (-0.4) of any month, in my records.

2 December. The cold spell continues. A moderate snowfall on the night of 1-2nd. Then a clear sunny day, with a maximum of just 0.1C at 2 pm, before the temperatures plummet to -4.0C before 4. They then recover a bit it clouds over, the wind rises, and there's more light snow.

4 December. The cold snap continues, with another 8 cm of snow overnight. We're not going anywhere.

26 December. After turning mild, it turns cold again, and gets colder - and stays cold.

30-31 December. 40 hours of continuous frost, starting at 9 am on the 30th, and falling to -5.7C early in the evening of the 31st (the lowest minimum of the year). The wind then picks up a little.

2009.

Overall a very cold (the second coldest, after 2008) and very wet (easily the wettest in my records, with 142% of the average rainfall) year. Winter 2008-09 was easily the coldest in my records, with a mean temperature of 2.7, 1.3 beneath the mean, and significantly colder than 2001 (the next coldest, at 3.5C). It had the most air frosts (45) and the most days snow lying (23), although with 18 days on which snow fell it was just pipped by 2004 (19 days) and equal with 2005. It was drier than average (76%). Temperatures for spring were about average, and after a fairly dry March and April a wet April made the spring slightly wetter than average. Summer was cool and wet - with a total o387.8mm, 189% of the average rainfall, it was easily the record wettest summer I've recorded. Overall December was a new record coldest month by some way, and an exceptional cold spell started on 16 December.

January 2009. January was easily the coldest month in my records. It easily beat my previous record (which just happened to be December 2008), and was about the same locally as December 1995. You have to go back to January 1991 to find a significantly colder month. Unlike December, there was very little snow. It was slightly drier than average and quite sunny - that is, when the sun peeps above the horizon of this grim and blasted landscape. The first nine days were cold, it then turned milder for a few days, for the last two weeks to be cool.

1 January. The temperature rises to 0.4 to see the New Year in, ruining a run at a new record period of continuous frost.

February 2009. An extraordinarily divided month, with a very cold, snowy, frosty first half, with some prolonged severe frosts and continuous snow cover from the 2nd to 15th (a total of 14 consecutive days snow cover, a new record period for snow cover), and a very mild second half. Overall it was slightly cooler (-0.5C beneath average) and slightly drier (80%) than average.

8 February. The temperature just sneaks up to +0.2 briefly around 2 pm. This is a new record low maximum for February. It's particularly annoying because it interrupts 44 hours of continuous frost, leaving 22 hours before and 21 after - still impressive. The blackbirds didn't seem to think so, though.

11 February. A very heavy (and unpredicted) snow fall brought traffic chaos. We had to abandon the car down the road.

March 2009. An average month, with few notable events and extremes. Sunny, dry, quite mild.

April 2009. Quite warm and dry. My first frost free April. Otherwise there are few extremes this month.

20 April. Warm spell: it reaches 18.C. This is also the first day over 60F, a little later than average.

May 2009. Overall a little on the cool side, quite wet, and fairly sunny, but not remarkably so. Quite warm and very sunny at the end.

June 2009. Quite cool, wet, unsettled first half, easterly dull end with haar, a few nice days.

9 June. A new record low minimum for June of just 2.8C.

27 June. While the rest of the country swelters, haar sets in.

July 2009. With a total of 164.4 mm of rain (251% of normal), easily the new record wettest July. Temperatures were very slightly beneath average, mainly because of a few cool nights.

1 July. A hot day. At 27.3C (81F), it's the fourth hottest day I've recorded so far (after July 2005, August 2003, and July 2006). Of course here it's one fine day and a thunderstorm - at 5 pm.

6 July. Some torrential rain, with an hourly rainfall rate of 11.4 mm between 7 and 8 pm.

28 July. A very wet day, with 31.4 mm from 9-9, making it the fourth wettest day in my records (after November 1998 and two very wet days in October 2005). Interestingly it came from only 9 rainfall hours. 11.2 mm came from two heavy downpours in the afternoon, the rest from the more prolonged period of rain overnight. The heavy showers were very local: a neighbouring station in Auchterhouse, about five miles away, recorded just 3 mm in the same time.

August 2009. Slightly cooler than average, very wet (but not as wet as 2004), and quite sunny. The rain came with several wet days rather than any exceptionally (very wet, defined as > 25.0 mm) ones. The highest temperature of the month was 22,8C on the 7th, the lowest maximum was 14.3C on the 28th, and the lowest minimum 7.6C as early as the 3rd. There were 141.0 mm of rain (190%), with 19.2 mm on the 9th. It was though quite sunny, but rather windy at tikmes.

9 August. Torrential downpour, with nearly 15 mm in under three hours, from 5 pm.

September 2009. A wet month overall, with 86.2 mm, 157% of the average rainfall. However, virtually all the month's rain fell in the first three days in an exceptional wet spell (which I missed). Thereafter the month was settled and mostly dry. There were some warm days, but the cool nights meant that overall the month was very slightly cooler than average.

2-4 September. The remnants of Hurricane Dan give a period of exceptionally prolonged and heavy rainfall. It rains from 10 pm in the evening of Wednesday 2nd to midday Friday 4th, each of those three days giving 20.0, 44.0, and 1.2 mm of rain in total. 39 hours of consecutive rain gave a total of 65.2 mm of rain. Local flooding. The total of 44.0 mm in one day is a new record daily rainfall. There were no exceptional temperatures, with the highest temperature of the month being 20.0C on the 7th, and the loest 3.2C on the 20th.

October 2009. A very average month. Very slightly warmer and wetter than the long-term average. Temperatures ranged from 17.4C on the 14th to 1.4C on the 5th; the wettest day was the 24th, with 16.6 mm of rain.

November 2009. Extremely wet - with 174.0 mm of rain, 241% of average, the new record wettest November in my records by some considerable way. The month was very cyclonic and therefore unsettled, with a few frosts and one gale, on the 25th, when the pressure fell as low as 972 mbar. It was somewhat cooler than average. Temperatures ranged from 13.1C on the 2nd to -1.8C on the 9th.

1 November. A very wet and windy start, with 14 hours of rain delivering 36.4 mm 9-9 am. This is the third heaviest daily rainfall (after September 2009 and August 2004) in my records.

8 November. The first air frost of the year, with -0.2C at 5 am or so - on exactly my average first frost date.

18-20 November. Another very wet spell, with 17.0 mm on the 18th and 28.4 on the 19th, over 20 hours of continuous rainfall.

25 November. Gale, and the pressure fell as low as 972 mbar, when the pressure fell as low as 972 mbar.

December 2009. Easily the new record coldest December in my records by some considerable way, and probably the coldest month locally since 1986. A cool start but it then turns exceptionally cold and snowt after the 16th for the rest of the month. There is snow cover from the 18th on, reachng 11 cm on the 23rd, with two frost days.

1-2 December. The first snowfall of the year.

16 December. It turns much colder. 2 cms of snow on Thursday 17th; then the following night, 17-18th, the temperature falls to -6.8C, the =7th lowest temperature I've recorded. Much more snow on the 21st and 22nd, and then in the evening of the 22nd the temperature falls to -8.1C, the second lowest minimum I've recorded, beaten just by early March 2001. There are 44 hours of frost from the 17-19th, a new record, and another 43 from the 21-23rd.

2010.

Winter 2010 was by far the new record coldest and snowest winter in my records, with a mean temperture of +0.8C (-2.9). Precipitation was close to average. Spring was cool and dry, although with some hot spells. A poor summer. An exceptional winter and record breaking December.

January 2010. December's record didn't last long. January 2010 was the new record coldest January in my records and also the new coldest month of all. It had an exceptionally cold first half, with, a less extreme but still cool second half. There were several other records broken this month.

2-4 January. A new record period of 48 hours of continuous frost, from 3 pm on the second to midday on the 4th, including a maximum of -6.9, a new record lowest January maximum.

5-9 January. That record didn't last long! A new record period of 80 hours of continuous frost, from 4 pm on the 5th to midnight on the 9th, including a maximum of -1.2 on the 7th, a new record lowest January maximum.

10 January. It turns very slightly milder, and a slow thaw can begin.

17 January. No more snow cover! The ground looks odd without it. The first day without snow cover since 17 December; that's 30 consecutive days of snow cover, a the new record longest period of snow cover.

27 January. A virtually tropical day with a maximum of 10.1C, the highest temperature of the month. It turns very cold again straight after.

February. February 2010 was the new record coldest February in my records. It was also a dry month. It was in other ways quite an unremarkable month - which really shows how mild and spring-like recent Februarys have been. The highest temperature of the month, 7.8C on the 12th, is the new record lowest February maximum.

23 February. In a clear spell we enjoy clear sunny days and some severe frosts at night, culminating with -7.5C overnight on the 22-23rd.

March. A cool, dry, bright month with some sharp frosts at the beginning and a cold snap at the end with snow and a biting easterly gale. Temperatures ranged from 13.7C on the 17th to -5.2C on the 3rd. 30.8mm of rain is 68% of the long-term average, and 9.0 mm of that fell as snow on the 29th.

29 March. The cold weather returns, with some snow and a bitterly easterly then northerly strong gale. The dustbin lid attacks my face. I am disappointed in the amount of snow, though, compared to what was forecast.

April. A fairly average month. Temperatures just a little below average, with some warm days offset by cool nights. It was quite dry and sunny.

2 April. A low of -3.0C in the morning. This is my second lowest April minimum, and you have to go back to 1998 to find one a (little) lower (-3.2C).

10 April. The first day over 60F; a very mild spring day here at 18.1C. That's spot on for this location. It also turns out to be the highest temperature of the month

18 April. A little snow in the air.

May. A month of extremes, with a new record maximum and minimum for May. A cold first half, and warmer second half. Overall cool, dry, and quite sunny.

3 May. A new record minimum for May of -0.9C overnight on the 2nd-3rd.

11 May. A record which doesn't last long, with a new record minimum for May of -0.9C on the late date of the 10-11th. Later in the day we have a shower with hail that turns to sleet and very wet snow, the new record latest date on which sleet/snow has fallen.

22 May. And then on the Saturday a new record maximum for June of 26.1C. What a scorcher!

June. A very warm, sunny month, and the record driest June in my records. There were just 28.4 mm of rain (45% of average), 11.0 mm of it falling on the 8th. Temperatures ranged from 24.7C (the equal record maximum for June) to 4.2C on the 15th.

July. Cool, wet (with a total of 160.6 mm, not quite as wet as July last year), and dull.

14 July. A horrid but interesting day; very dull, windy, wet - enlivened by 39.2 mm of rain, my second highest daily total.

18 July. The warmest day of the month, at 21.5C - the new record lowest maximum for July.

20 July. I'm away while we record another very heavy fall, 37.2 mm, with a very heavy rate in the morning.

August. With an average temperature of just 13.5C, the record coldest August in my records, and probably the coldest locally since 1993. It was also quite sunny and fairly dry. Both maxima and minima were well beneath average, with some very cool nights.

15 August. The warmest day of the month, just 21.9iC, the record lowest August maximum.

30 August. With a minimum of 4.2C (and a grass minimum of just +0.4C), the record coldest August night.

September. Cold and wet, but not as cold as 2007 or as wet as 2000.

7 September. Another very heavy rainfall - 35.6 mm in one day, and most of it in six hours between 9 and 3 - and at least 15 mm between 10 and 11. Needless to say I wasn't here again.

October. Colder than average, but otherwise a fairly average month.

20 October. The first frost of the year, at -0.4C.

November. Very cold and wet with an exceptional cold spell in the final week that broke a number of records. The start of the month was cool and wet. Cold air set in from the 23rd. New records include the lowest high maximum in November, new lowest maximum, and lowest minimum. There were 157 hours of frost, including 49 hours consecutive from the 26-29th, and a record-breaking 111 hours starting on the 29th. Snow cover was continuous from the 25th, reaching a record depth 32 cm of level snow on the 29th. Overall it was the coldest November in my records by some way, and probably locally since 1985. It was also the second wettest, beaten only by 2009.

2 November. A maximum of 11.3C, which turned out to the highest temperature of the month - the record lowest high maximum for November.

23 November. An exceptional early cold spell starts. The first snowfall of the year is on the 23rd, with more on the 24th, and the first day of snow cover at 9 am is Thursday 25th. On Saturday 27 we have a heavy snowfall, but on Sunday 28th (into Monday 29th) we have 29.0 mm of rain turning into 32 cm of snow - a record depth for me. The heavy snow is accompanied by thunder and lightning. More snow and exceptional frosts follow.

28 November. The Day of the Great Snowfall. In the morning there is a new record coldest November night with a minimum of -6.8C.

29 November. The start of a new record 111 hours of continuous frost.

30 November. The maximum today is a new record of jsut -1.7C.

December. A record-breaking cold month. The coldest month in my records, and the coldest December locally since 1890 or possibly before. Snow lay all on the ground all month. There were several new records, including a new lowest maximum, lowest minimum, and lowest highest maximum, all for any month. There was a total of 446 frost hours, including an unprecedented 195 hours from the 16th to the 24th. It was also a sunny and dry month. The exceptional cold spell continues from the start of the month with only a slight thaw at the end.

1 December. A new record coldest December day right at the beginning with a maximum of just -1.9C. By now the snow is 36 cm (over 14") deep, a new record.

3 December. A new all time record low of -11.2C in the early hours, the first time as well I've ever recorded beneath -10C.

4 December. The end of 111 hours of frost. But we were to have just a few hours when we reached the giddy heights of 1.1C before another 91 hours start.

9 December. A slow thaw starts. 91 hours of continuous frost (from the early hours of the 5th to midnight on the 8th/9th) end. The temperature reaches a maximum of 4.9C, but there is still over 20 cm of snow.

16 December. After a few slightly warmer days and a couple of frost-free nights, the extreme cold returns with a vengeance. It's all change as a dramatic cold front sweeps south in the night, and by 9 am the temperature is beneath freezing - where it stays for some time. A new record period of continuous frost, beneath freezing, from 9 am on the 16th to 12 noon on the 24th, when the temperature rises briefly to the giddy heights of 0.4C before dropping like a stone again.

21 December. The winter solstice is marked by a maxium of -4.1C, an incredible new record beating 1 December by a long way.

25 December. A White Christmas in the sense of snow lying but not falling. The Great Freeze continues.

2011.

The exceptional cold spell continues at the start of the year. It was the warmest spring since 2003, and then the coldest summer in my records; it was also the second wettest, just pipped by 2004. It was the record wettest year in my records, with 1071 mm of rain, just pipping 2009's 1060 mm.

January 2011. A cold month overall, with a very cold first half and average second half. The cold weather continues into January. The total rainfall was average.

5 January. A now mundane 43 hours of frost from 5-7th, with a new record January minimum of -8.8C overnight on the 6-7th. The 7th is an extremely cold day, with temperatures low until night, where they rise to 0.4C - but accompanied by more snow, renewing the depth to 7 cm.

12 January. The forecast keeps suggesting the weather is going to turn much milder, but it keeps on getting put off, and it's only relatively mild, with highs in the mid 2s. Then expecting rain we have another heavy snowfall overnight of the 11-12th, renewing the snow depth to 8 cm, with a thick layer of compacted ice at the bottom.

13 January. Day 50 of continuous snow cover.

15 January. Day 52.

16 January. After a relatively mild interlude there's no snow cover on Day 53. Saturday is a very wet day (>25.0 mm fall) which clears a lot of snow. After this the weather turns anticyclonic.

26 January. Anticyclonic gloom. I've had enough of this. Every day is much the same, max aroun 6, min around 2, mostly cloudy, with some occasional sun.

February 2011. Slightly cooler than average, but very dull and extremely wet - the record wettest February in my records, with a total of 143.0 mm of rain, 251% of the 97-11 average. Temperatures ranged from a maximum of 12.4C on the 25th to -3.3C on the 9th. There were no ice days.

11 February. A very wet day, with 32.2 mm of rain (the 11th heaviest fall in my records). Heavy and persistent all afternoon and night.

March 2011. Pretty average; wetter than average, slightly sunnier, with temperatures close to average. Rainfall totalled 67.6%, 144%, with 20.0 mm on the 15th. Temperatures ranged from 15.3C on the 23rd to -2.4C on the 18th.

April 2011. The record warmest April in my records, with an average of 10.3C, just pipping April 2007 (10.1). It was also very dry, with just 10.3 mm of rain (only April 1997 was drier, with 10.0 mm), 5.6 mm of which fell on the wettest day (the 23rd). Also a sunny month. At times near the end of the month the temperatures were kept down by a cool easterly breeze with some haar.

6 April. A very mild night, at 11.8C the record highest April minimum in my records.

8 April. A very warm day peaking at 20.3C in the afternoon, the record earliest date at which 20C is passed.

10 April. A maximum in the afternoon of 21.1C. By far the record earliest date in the year I've reached 21.0C - the previous earliest date was May 9 in 2000; in 2002 we had to wait until 13 July.

23 April With 5.6 mm, the wettest day of the month.

27 April. A minimum of 0.7C, the lowest temperature of the month. This is - are you ready for this? - the record highest lowest minimum in April I've yet recorded.

May 2011. Overall quite cool and very wet - the new record wettest May.

4 May. Dry. Sunny day, but the minimum in the morning is -1.1C, the record lowest May temperature in my records.

23 May. A great spring gale - destructive because the trees are in full leaf, even the ash, and unusually late.

June 2011. Warm start, then cool and quite wet; many cool nights; probably the coolest since 1991, and certainly the new record coldest in my records, in spite of a warm start.

3-4 June. The maximum on the 3rd is 25.2C (the new record highest maximum for June), on the 4th just 10.9, a phenomenal difference of 14.3C, a new record difference. A transition accompanied by no noticeable rain or wind, either, or even change in wind direction.

21 June. The wettest day of the month, with 22.8 mm of rain.

24 June. We are just on the edge of the great Dundee 4 pm thunderstorm.

July 2011. Cold and wet. At 13.7C average, only 2004 was colder (just). The month was wet, with 133.2 mm (174%) of rain in total.

5-6 July. Another very wet spell - and just like this time last year I'm away and miss it. On the observing day of Tuesday 5th 37.2 mm of rain falls - most of it after midnight. The total for the calendar day of the 6th is 40.2 mm. Another 19.0 mm falls on the observing day (9-9 GMT) of the 6th.

10 July. A torrential shower early afternoon, over 10 mm in half an hour or so, giving a rainfall rate of about 21 mm/hour.

14 July. The warmest day of the month, 23.9C.

23 July. With a minimum of just 4.9C a very cool night.

August 2011. With a mean of just 13.1C, easily the new record coldest August in my records, and locally since probably 1986. It was also wet (with 130.8 mm), although most of the rain fell in the first half of the month.

10 August. A very wet day; with 35.0 mm currently the 10th equal wettest day in my reords. Also cold, with a maximum of just 12.5C.

September 2011. Wet, very slightly cooler than average, and sunny. Very warm end to the month. The temperature was -0.3C beneath average, with 96.6 mm (158%) of rain. The highest temperature was 23.2C on the 3rd and the lowest 5.2C on the 4th. The 16th was the wettest day with 18.8 mm of rain.

30 September. The warmest day of the month and the new record latest date on which 21C is exceeded, with a maximum of 23.2C.

October 2011. A fairly average month, with temperatures slightly above normal owing to some mild nights. We missed out on the very hot weather in the south at the start of the month, and the highest temperature of the month was just 16.9C (on the 9th); the lowest 0.9C on the 20th. Rainfall was close to average, with 73.2 total being 90%, with 20.0 mm falling on the 17th.

12 October. The first ground frost of the season (just).

November 2011. The new record warmest November in my records, with a mean of 8.0C, easily beating 1997; also quite cloudy, foggy, dull, no frost. A couple of gales and windy at times.

December 2011. Slightly cooler than average and the third wettest in my records.

2 December. At -1.8C, the first air frost of the season.

13 December. An unusually severe gale, causing a power cut.

25 December. A very mild Christmas day, at 11.4C, and a gale as well. Indeed it is the new record warmest Christmas Day in my records, easily beating 2002. Boxing Day is even milder, at 11.7C, before it turns cooler again.

2012

A cool year and with a total of 1082.2 mm of rain easily the record wettest in my records, with several days of very heavy rainfall. The year also saw a record lowest average maxima. Average winter temperatures, but with some notably warm days in February. A a record driest winter with mjst 146.3 mm of rain 2011-12. A record breaking warmest and driest March and wettest April make for an interesting spring. The new record wettest summer in my records (400.2 mm of rain in total, or 176%) and the equal coldest (with 2011). The new record coldest autumn in my records (just 7.4C average).

January 2012. Average temperatures, quite a sunny month, and quite dry. Cool end to the month. Unremarkable in other ways.

16 January. The coldest night of the month, with -4.2C.

February 2012. Very anticyclonic. Slightly milder than average, a dry month, and quite sunny.

3 February. The coldest night of the month at -5.0C.

22 February. Very mild; easily the new record mildest February day in my records, at 15.2C.

28 February. The record didn't last long. Very mild; easily the new record mildest February day in my records, at 15.9C. This is also now the new record earliest date at which 15.6 (60F) has been reached.

March 2012. Easily the warmest (8.4C mean) and driest (just 13.0 mm of rain) and probably sunniest March since my records began, and probably locally well before that, easily beating 1990. There was no measurable rainfall from 17th to 31st March inclusive, a total of 15 days, constituting the first measurable drought since 2007.

25 March. In an amazing anticyclonic spell the new record highest temperature for March is set, 20.5C, smashing the previous record.

26 March. The record doesn't last long, with a new record highest temperature for March of 21.4C recorded on Monday 26th. This is also of course the new record earliest date on which 70F is reached.

27 March. And this record doesn't last long, with a new record highest temperature for March of 22.3C recorded on Tuesday 27th. There is also a new record lowest humidity reading of 37% that afternoon too.

April 2012. A record-breaking (for me) month: very wet (with 116.0 mm, 242% of average, the wettest since 1998), and the new record coldest April in my records, with an overall average of just 5.9C (-2.1C). Hence April was much colder than March. The maxima and minima were both new record coldest averages.

3 April. A phenomenal late cold spell with heavy snow and blizzard conditions overnight 2-3rd, and more snow showers the next day, on the 3rd, with strong NE winds. The maximum temperature was just 1.7C, a new record low maximum for April.

5 April. The lowest minimum of the month, -3.1C, just failing to pip the record.

8 April. The highest temperature of the month, 15.8C, the new record lowest highest maximum for April.

May 2012. A cool month. A very cold first three weeks, then a fine warm settled spell, with a wet end.

5 May. A new record coldest May night, with a minimum of -1.8C early on the morning of Saturday 5th.

10 May. A new record lowest May maximum of just 6.5C.

17 May. The record lasts only a week: a new record lowest May maximum of just 5.9C.

20 May. A new record latest air frost; -0.3C on the morning of the 20th.

June 2012. Easily the new record coldest, wettest June in my records, with particularly low maxima. A dull month, too. A very cyclonic month, with the lowest average pressure for June (1008) in my records. Rainfall totalled 133.6 (198% of average).

4 June. A minimum of 1.6C, new record lowest June minimum.

15 June. The maximum today was just 8.7C (but not as low as 1 June 1998).

19 June. The "warmest" day of the month, 18.3C, the new record lowest highest June maximum.

21 June. A vey wet day indeed: 37.6 mm of rain in total, making it the 4th wettest day in any months since my records begin.

July 2012. Following the coldest June in my records, now the new record coolest July, with a mean of just 13.4C. Wet too, with 128.4 mm of rain (161% average).

21 July. The highest temperature of the month, 21.2C - the new record lowest high temperature for July.

August. And then a cool August (14.3C), and very wet to book (142.8mm, 179%).

27 August. A very wet day, with exactly 25.0mm of rain.

31 August. The new record lowest minimum for August, just 3.3C.

September 2012. The new record coldest September in my records, and probably locally since 1993. It was however quite sunny. Both the maxima and minima were new record lows.

23 September. The new record lowest minimum for September, just 0.8C.

October 2012. A cold, wet, dull month. In fact it was easily the new record coldest in my records, with a mean of only 6.7C (-2.6C).

11 October. A phenomenal night's rainfall giving easily the new record wettest one day's rainfall, with 62.6mm recorded today - all the more amazing given the rain didn't start until 5 pm.

21 October. The first air frost of the year, -0.3C, easily the new record earliest date for an air frost.

21 October. The highest temperature of the month, just 13.7C, the new record lowest October maximum.

November 2012. Very cold but quite sunny with average rain.

December 2012. Cool and very wet; easily the new record wettest December in my records, with 169.6 mm of rain (257%) of average. The first half was very cold and relatively dry; it then became very unsettled and extremely wet.

6 December. The lowest temperature of the month, -6.3C.

20 December. Another very heavy rainfall; 51.4 mm, accompanied by a SE gale and cold too.

22 December. ... and then 34.4 mm two days later.

2013.

A cool year.

January 2013. With a total of 113.3 mm of precipitation, the wettest January in my records. It is also a cool and very dull month. Snow lies on the ground from the 20th until the end of the month.

11 January. After a mild start, the weather turns much colder from the 11th. There is snow on the 12th and 13th, resulting in 5 cm on the morning of Monday 14th. The minimum on the night of the 15-16th is -7.0C.

20-21 January. A major snowstorm. A blizzard with gale force easterly winds. It snows from 8 am on Monday 20th to 4 pm on Tuesday 21, that's 32 hours, leaving a maximum of around 20 cm with snow, almost a foot, and deeper in the many drifts.

26 January. More snow results in a depth of 44 cm of snow.

February 2013. A cool, relatively dry, very sunny month. The month was marked by some cool nights, with a ground frost every night, although the lowest temperature was only -2.9C (on the 27th). The second half of the month was relatively settled and dry, with some sunny days and cool nights.

2 February. 21 consecutive days of snow cover ended today.

March 2013. Easily the coldest March in my records, with an overall average temperature of just 0.9C. The coldest month of the "winter". It was very easterly and a very snowy month. Extraordinary. There were some very cold nights too.

11 March. Remarkable cold late spell. Snow on Sunday 10th and overnight, and then a very sharp frost at -7.9C. The following day, Monday 11th, is a remarkably and new record latest frost day, with a maximum of just -0.2C, followed by another sharp frost (-6.8C). Snow lies to a depth of 6 cm. There are also 46 hours of consecutive frost before the wind changes from the E to the NW.

20 March. Three more days of moderate snow leading to a depth of 14 cm.

21 March. The remarkable late cold spells continues: it is beneath freezing from 4 am early on the 22 to 1 pm on the 25th, a remarkable 81 hours of frost.

April 2013. The new record coldest April in my records. Also quite dry and sunny.

1 April. The new record coldest April low, with a minimum of -4.5C.

8 April. The new record coldest April day, with a maximum of just 1.4C. A snow day, too.

May 2013. Cool, quite sunny, somewhat wetter than average. The latest low minimum of -1.8C on the 24th and 25th.

June 2013. The new record driest June in my records, with just 26.8 mm (41%) of rain, with only 9 rain days. Otherwise a relatively cool and quite sunny month.

July 2013. A very warm month. Dry middle with wet and thundery spell at the end.

9, 18 July. The hottest days of the month at 27.1C.

5-21 July. Drought! No rain in this period.

August 2013. A cool, very dry month (24.6 mm of rain, 32%), otherwise unremarkable.

September 2013. Cooler than average and quite dry.

19 September. The new record coldest September day in my records - a maximum of just 8.8C.

October 2013. Very wet (with 144.2 mm of rain, 165% of the average), quite sunny, no gales, and about average temperatures.

18 October. 27.2 mm of rain; a very wet day.

November 2013. Cool, quite dry (30.6 mm = 41%), and very sunny.

December 2013. Wet, mild, and windy. The new record mildest December in records, at 4.8C just pipping 2002.

5 December. A great storm, bringing branches down, followed by a cold snap.

13 December. Move the weather station 5 miles down the road to Newtyle. It will be interesting to see what's different. It's about 100 m lower so presumably less snow.

30 December. A pressure reading of only 952 mbars.