December Weather Report

December left us with the impression that it was a very wet month, but this is unfair, as we had no less than six days with no rain at all, and a further seven with less than 5mm.  In fact, we had some really beautiful weather early on, the rainfall total up to and including the 21st being 106mm.  Then, in the ten days between the 22nd and the end of the month we had almost as much again, 102mm, giving a month's total of 208mm.  Picture shows Loch Mudle and the distant isles of Eigg and Rum.

The latter part of the month saw the wind shift into the southwest and strengthen.  A storm on the 30th brought 24mm of rain, exactly an inch in the old measurment, gale-force winds and hail.  On one of the windier days we went to Sanna for a walk - this picture looks across the bay to the houses of Portuairk.

The fine weather early in the month, brought, as usual, by a dominant north to northeasterly breeze, also gave us some frosts, the coldest overnight temperature being on the 11th/12th, when the mercury dropped to -3C.

Inevitably, when the winds shifted into the north, we saw snow on the hills, but it didn't come down to ground level, and the hills soon shrugged off their covering.

The early part of the month also brought us lovely sunrises and interesting cloud formations.  The clear weather gave us opportunities for night photography, with a number of locals trying their hand at Jupiter, the moon and the constellations.

Sadly, January has started as dismally as December ended, but the relatively warm temperatures - it's over 10C today - have encouraged the spring flowers to appear early.  It would be great to get back to fine days and frosty, clear nights.