Weather in South London during January 2008
Very mild and rather Wet
Temperatures
The average maximum temperature during January 2008 in Morden was 10 Celsius (50F), and that was nearly 2 Celsius (3.5F) above normal. The average minimum temperature was 5 Celsius (41F), and that was also 2 Celsius (3.5F) above average. The mean temperature for the month was only 0.3 Celsius lower than during the record-breaking January of 2007. Apart from last year, only the January of 1921 has been comparably mild since temperature records for the London area began in 1841.
The highest temperature recorded during the month was 14.4 Celsius (58F) on the 19th, but the maximum was close to 14 Celsius (57F) on both the 18th and 20th. Between the 8th and 29th there were only 5 days when the maximum temperature failed to exceed 10 Celsius (50F). There were only 3 days when the temperature failed to reach 7 Celsius (45F), and on the 3rd the high was only 3 Celsius (37F).
The minimum temperature on the night of the 18th/19th was 13.0 Celsius (55F), and this exceeded the January record for Morden set last year. This night, or the following night, when the minimum in Central London was 13.3 Celsius, may have been the mildest January night in the London area since temperature records began. There was a total of 4 nights with minima above 10 Celsius (50F). On 4 occasions the overnight temperature dipped below 1 Celsius (34F), and on just one night the value was below freezing at minus 0.7 Celsius (31F).
Frost
Air frost occurred on only 1 night, this is a new record low number for Morden in January in records going back to 1989. In both 1938 and 1957 January was completely frost-free in south London. There were 8 grass frosts during January, and that was 5 below the average. In January 2007 there were 7 grass frosts. The lowest grass minimum temperature was minus 4 Celsius (25F) on the night of the 5th/6th.
Rain
This was a rather wet month, with the 68 millimetres (2.7 inches) recorded amounting to 123% of the January average. There were only 6 completely dry days, but although daily rainfall exceeded 7 millimetres (0.3 inches) on 5 occasions, the wettest day, the 10th, had less than 9 millimetres (0.35 inches). The heaviest rain generally occurred during the first half of January, and after the 14th, the total for the remainder of the month was only 19 millimetres (0.75 inches).
Snow
There was no snow during January, but light sleet fell briefly on the afternoon of the 3rd.
Thunderstorms
There was 1 flash of lightning and clap of thunder close by to the east at 1600 hours on the 17th.
Hail
There was small hail late on the evening of the 8th, immediately after the thunder on the 17th, and early on the afternoon of the 31st.
Wind
Winds were from a southwesterly direction on 25 days during January, a new January record high for Morden. On 2 days the wind was from a southeasterly point, and onthe other 4 days the direction was variable. Generally the wind was moderate in strength, but mainly fresh on the 4th, 8th and 13th. On the 15th, a gust of 44 knots (50 miles per hour) occurred.
Fog
There was fog on the morning of the 28th, this lifting and dispersing by afternoon.
The average maximum temperature during January 2008 in Morden was 10 Celsius (50F), and that was nearly 2 Celsius (3.5F) above normal. The average minimum temperature was 5 Celsius (41F), and that was also 2 Celsius (3.5F) above average. The mean temperature for the month was only 0.3 Celsius lower than during the record-breaking January of 2007. Apart from last year, only the January of 1921 has been comparably mild since temperature records for the London area began in 1841.
The highest temperature recorded during the month was 14.4 Celsius (58F) on the 19th, but the maximum was close to 14 Celsius (57F) on both the 18th and 20th. Between the 8th and 29th there were only 5 days when the maximum temperature failed to exceed 10 Celsius (50F). There were only 3 days when the temperature failed to reach 7 Celsius (45F), and on the 3rd the high was only 3 Celsius (37F).
The minimum temperature on the night of the 18th/19th was 13.0 Celsius (55F), and this exceeded the January record for Morden set last year. This night, or the following night, when the minimum in Central London was 13.3 Celsius, may have been the mildest January night in the London area since temperature records began. There was a total of 4 nights with minima above 10 Celsius (50F). On 4 occasions the overnight temperature dipped below 1 Celsius (34F), and on just one night the value was below freezing at minus 0.7 Celsius (31F).
Frost
Air frost occurred on only 1 night, this is a new record low number for Morden in January in records going back to 1989. In both 1938 and 1957 January was completely frost-free in south London. There were 8 grass frosts during January, and that was 5 below the average. In January 2007 there were 7 grass frosts. The lowest grass minimum temperature was minus 4 Celsius (25F) on the night of the 5th/6th.
Rain
This was a rather wet month, with the 68 millimetres (2.7 inches) recorded amounting to 123% of the January average. There were only 6 completely dry days, but although daily rainfall exceeded 7 millimetres (0.3 inches) on 5 occasions, the wettest day, the 10th, had less than 9 millimetres (0.35 inches). The heaviest rain generally occurred during the first half of January, and after the 14th, the total for the remainder of the month was only 19 millimetres (0.75 inches).
Snow
There was no snow during January, but light sleet fell briefly on the afternoon of the 3rd.
Thunderstorms
There was 1 flash of lightning and clap of thunder close by to the east at 1600 hours on the 17th.
Hail
There was small hail late on the evening of the 8th, immediately after the thunder on the 17th, and early on the afternoon of the 31st.
Wind
Winds were from a southwesterly direction on 25 days during January, a new January record high for Morden. On 2 days the wind was from a southeasterly point, and onthe other 4 days the direction was variable. Generally the wind was moderate in strength, but mainly fresh on the 4th, 8th and 13th. On the 15th, a gust of 44 knots (50 miles per hour) occurred.
Fog
There was fog on the morning of the 28th, this lifting and dispersing by afternoon.