Daily Data for Each Month of 2009

2009?  Full annual summary to come.

Winter 2008/09 was cold and snowy by recent standards but only close to the long-term average overall.  It was the coldest winter since 1995/96, but the snowiest only since 2003/04.  While we have had many homogeneously warm springs in recent years, 2009 topped the lot, with no outstanding warmth, but consistent above-average temperatures throughout.  It was also dry and sunny, making it the perfect spring for most of the "flick a switch from cold and snow to constant warm sunshine in spring" contingent over at Net-Weather, with only 1mm rain more than in 2007.  It was the second warmest spring recorded, behind 2007.  Summer 2009 was another wet one, but it was also warm, and unlike the last two summers, sunshine was close to average.  July was exceptionally thundery, but the thunder frequency was 1 day short of the summer quarter record set in 2007.

January 2009- A sunny month, cold first third then near average temperatures 

The first third of the month was rather cold, but not very snowy, as the weather was dominated by high pressure, and there were just a few hail and sleet showers early on the 5th.  It was quite mixed during the last two-thirds of the month, with near-average temperatures.  A brief “cold zonal” incursion on the 19th saw rain turn to sleet during the day with a high of only 3.8C.  Winds turned southerly towards the end of the month, when it became cloudy.  It was the coldest January since 2001.

February 2009- Cold snowy first half, warm dull dry second half

February 2009 began with a prolonged wintry spell, but temperatures were always marginal, so the snow never stuck around for long.  An easterly on the 2nd brought a snow cover that reached the two-inch mark around midday, but it was generally slushy with the warming effects of the North Sea initiating thaws during the clear intervals in between the showers.  For the second consecutive year there was thundersnow at Newcastle..  Modest snowfalls occurred between the 6th and 10th, but they only produced short-lived dustings.  Heavy snow on the 12th brought about 6cm of lying snow, but it had halved in depth by 9am the next day.  The rest of the month was generally dull, dry and warm, but some breaks in the cloud overnight 19th/20th led to a frost.  Overall, it was the snowiest February since 1996, but the warm second half raised temperatures above the long-term average making it the coldest February only since 2006.

March 2009- Warm, dry and sunny

This was another warm dry sunny March in the style of 1997, 2003 and 2007.  Temperatures were homogeneously above-average except for a brief cold snap on the 4th which brought a couple of snow flurries, and a cold night on the 28th/29th.  There were also some hail and sleet showers on the 8th.  There was a long anticyclonic spell from the 11th to 21st, during which most days were sunny, and the 18th was particularly warm with a high of 15.5C.  Sea fog moved in on the 19th.  After a mixed spell around the 22nd-28th the month ended mainly dry and sunny.  Sunshine across the region was almost as high as in the exceptional March of 2003.

April 2009- Very warm, dry, but only average amounts of sunshine

This month was astonishing for its temperature homogeneity with no day having a maximum above 16.8C or a minimum below 1.3C.  The first third was dry and warm with variable amounts of cloud.  It was sunny with cool nights over the Easter weekend (10th-13th), but a long spell of North Sea stratus followed- which is why, unlike in most other parts of the country, it was not a particularly sunny month (with less sunshine than in March).  It cleared up by the 20th and a reasonably sunny, notably warm week followed.  It was dull and wet on the 28th.  Fog occurred at 9am on 5 mornings which is unusually high.  Overall this month did not come close to setting any records because of the recent exceptional April in 2007.

May 2009- Mediocre weather in the first two-thirds, warm dry sunny last third

Temperatures were homogeneously near to slightly above average during the first two thirds of the month.  The first half was dry but often cloudy at times, then there was an unsettled third week but the emphasis was on sunshine and showers rather than dull wet weather, and there was a fair amount of sun at times.  Dry sunny weather dominated during the last third, except for some sharp showers late on the 25th and some hail showers on the 26th.  It was warm as well during the last third.  It was about as warm as May 2008, which in turn had been the warmest since 1999.

June 2009- A statistically near average June

It started with two dry sunny days but low cloud then moved in from the sea, and then it was very cold and wet on the 5th with a high of just 11.0C.  Snow was reported to notably low levels in places.  After a week of cool, fairly cloudy weather, it turned brighter towards midmonth, and there was a thunderstorm late on the 13th.  On the 15th, Cleadon had sea fog while the rest of the country had thunderstorms, rather like the 21st August 2000.  A mixed, showery spell followed, then it was dry, warm and humid around the 21st-25th with some sunshine at times.  The last five days were relentlessly dull and drizzly with North Sea stratus.

July 2009- Exceptionally wet and thundery, but with close to average amounts of sunshine, quite warm

The first week was generally warm and dominated by sunshine, showers and thunderstorms.  A warm humid day on the 1st had a significant thunderstorm that afternoon.  More thundery rain on the 3rd.  A large hailstorm on the 5th, with more thunder from an impressive "wall cloud".    Further thundery downpours on the 6th, making it four thunder-days out of the first six..  A cooler, cloudy spell followed, then bright showery weather returned towards midmonth.  Thunderstorms broke out again on the 16th, then the 17th was a dull and exceptionally wet day.  There were rumbles of thunder shortly after midnight on the 17th/18th.  The rest of the month continued unsettled with a slight shortage of sunshine.  During another bright showery spell on the 21st-24th, there was thunder late on the 24th.  With 127mm rain it was the wettest July recorded, and the total of 7 thunder-days was outstandingly high for the Tyneside area.  Despite all of the rain, it was the warmest July since the record-breaking 2006, and due to the primarily convective nature of the rainfall, sunshine amounts were well up to the average.

August 2009- Dry and warm, but cloudy at times

The first third of the month was dry and warm, with some notably warm nights, and there was a fair amount of sunshine at times.  The middle third of the month was windier and more unsettled, and while it stayed quite dry it was also quite dull.  The 19th was very warm, but mostly cloudy and the night of the 19th/20th was exceptionally warm.  It continued mostly dry and quite warm during the last third with some dull days but also some quite sunny days.    There was a warm humid day on the 31st, which ended with a spectacular thunderstorm, with torrential rain.  The month's warmth, caused by frequent tropical maritime air from the south-west, was consistent rather than outstanding, and gave the warmest August since 1997.

September 2009- Dull cold wet start then dry and warm, and quite sunny

 It started with a vigorous low pressure system which brought a lot of dull wet weather on the 3rd and 4th, but then high pressure took over and persisted for the rest of the month.  There was a warm day on the 8th but it was dull with south-westerly winds, reminiscent of August's weather.  There was plenty of sunshine on the 9th-12th and 17th-20th, but the intervening period was quite cloudy with onshore winds.  The last third was often quite cloudy with westerly winds.  It was the warmest September since 2006.