DECEMBER 1996

With almost twice (189.3%) the normal amount of sunshine this was the sunniest December recorded on Fair Isle. A cold (mean temperature 0.6 Celsius below avearage) month and, with pressure higher (+8.2mb) than normal, also dry (80.4%) and less windy than usual.

Daily Data

	                  1996 Day 1974-95		           1996	Day 1974-95
Mean Max Temperature	   5.9	      6.5  Highest Max temp        10.0	  8   11.5
Mean Min Temperature	   3.4        3.9  Lowest Min temp         -1.8	 31   -4.5
Mean Sea Temperature	   8.3        8.1  Lowest grass minimum    -4.5	 21  -11.5
30 cm Earth temperature	   4.7        5.8  Days with ground frost  11          9.1
100cm Earth temperature	   6.0        6.8  Days with air frost	    3          3.2
Total Rainfall (mm)	  80.4      104.2  Days with snow/sleet	   15         11.0
Wettest Day (mm)	  13.2  1    14.3  Days snow cover at 09hr  1          3.4
Rain Days ( 0.1mm +)	  22         25.7  Days with hail          10         13.0
Wet Days (0.9mm +)	  16         20.5  Days fog during 24hrs    3          2.4
Total sunshine, hrs	  31.1       16.4  Days with fog at 09hrs   0          0.3
Sunniest day, hrs	   4.5 21     3.4  Days with NIL sun       12         15.7
Mean wind speed, kts	  14.9       19.9  Days with gale           3          9.5
Maximum gust, kts	  56   14    72.1  Days with thunder        0          0.5
Mean Sea Level pressure	1014.2     1006.0  Days with aurora         2          2.6
							
Wind Direction%							
              North        9.7       12.1	     S. West       19.4       15.5
              N. East     12.9        3.2	     West          12.9       17.6
              East        19.4        8.4	     N. West       12.9        9.0
              S. East      0.0       12.6				
              South        6.5       19.4	     CALM           6.5        2.3