APART from one notably nasty day, December was relatively pleasant. This was no surprise with winds blowing from between south-east and west for the whole month.

As a result, temperatures were generally about 1.5C (2.5F) above the average and it was amongst the warmest Decembers in the past 30 years. However, that in 2015 had temperatures no less than 2.7C (4.9F) higher and was easily the hottest in this era.

Frosts were few and far between, except during the second week. Away from the hills, there was only one day with sleet or snow, too. Rainfall added up to as little as half the norm around Teesside, though a couple of spots in the south and west of our region reached their usual totals. That December in 2015 was widely much wetter.

The very unsettled south-westerly regime, which arose at the end of November, carried on for the first week or so of December. It brought both rain and strong winds at times. It calmed down by Monday 10 and the breeze backed south-easterly. This imported cooler air from the continent, but at least it was now mostly bright and dry.

Saturday 15, though, was awful, as a vigorous Atlantic flow battled against the cold air-mass, eventually driving it back east. This clash produced a near gale and the wettest day of the month in many places. Away from the coast, we suffered from a wintry mix of freezing drizzle and rain, hail, sleet and snow.

Another changeable week followed. Then, about Sunday 23, high pressure took control again. It settled to our south this time, allowing the mild south-westerlies to continue. It turned even warmer on Christmas Day. For the rest of the month, temperatures by day averaged over 10C (50F) in most parts and it was mainly dry with good sunny spells.

2018 was pretty decent, despite the bitterly cold late winter. The excellent summer was particularly welcome, with April and May agreeable, too. Temperatures were around 0.5C (1F) above normal, enough to place it amongst the hottest years in the last four decades.

With about 90 per cent of the expected rainfall, it was widely the driest since 2011, with the next drier year being back in 2003. 2018 was also one of the sunniest years this century.

Some figures for December from Carlton-in-Cleveland, near Stokesley:

  • Mean Maximum: 8.3C, 47F (+1.2C, 2F);
  • Mean Minimum: 3.2C, 37.5F (+1.2C, 2F);
  • Highest Maximum: 12.3C, 54F, 6th;
  • Lowest Minimum: -1.0C, 30F, 11th;
  • Total Rainfall: 52mm, 2.1ins (-14mm, 0.5ins);
  • Wettest Day: 15mm, 0.6ins, 15th and
  • No. of Rain Days, with 0.2mm (0.01ins) or more: 16 (-1).

Figures in brackets show the difference from the 35-year mean, 1983-2017.