2015 - it rained non-stop and it was stupidly warm, yes? Forecaster Charles Thomas looks back on the year and reveals some suprising statistics...

After the spectacular extremes of 2014, last year was far more moderate, with the total rainfall and sunshine both slightly below average and the mean temperature somewhat above.

Within this overall ordinary picture the only noteworthy events were the sunny April and September, the very wet second half of August and the unusually mild and dull November and December.

January was unsettled; mild until the 21st then colder. February was dry and rather cold until mid-month, then turned milder with rain at times.

March and April were rather changeable but overall were milder and drier than average, with a notably warm, sunny spell from April 6th to 23rd.

May was changeable and fairly wet, with unseasonably strong winds on the 5th and 6th. The summer was a rather nondescript affair until August 18th. Apart from four days of southerlies from June 30th westerly winds prevailed with patchy rain at times interspersed with dry and at times sunny and moderately warm weather.

Overall, June was better than average and July slightly below par. August followed suit until the 18th but then turned very wet with some flooding in the last week.

September compensated by being mostly fine albeit never very warm though a wet spell around mid-month made its total rainfall above average.

October continued this anticyclonic theme but with less rain despite cloudier skies. The last two months were exceptionally mild and dull. Both were changeable, with unusually persistent south to south-westerly winds.

Only two Novembers were milder while December’s mean temperature was similar to that of an average May.

Despite this freakishly warm December the mean temperature for the year was beaten five times since 2000. April and November were also appreciably warmer than usual while February and September were colder though not unusually so.

The other seven months’ means were all close to average. The total rainfall was slightly below normal. Apart from August, which was our fourth wettest on record, none of the other months deviated significantly from their long-term averages.

The total sunshine was also a little below par, the first half being sunny except for May and the second half dull apart from September. November was the joint dullest since Bournemouth records began in 1879 while only five Septembers were sunnier.

Overall it was a moderate and rather uneventful 12- month period, which after the marked contrasts of recent years, 2012 and 2014 in particular, was probably no bad thing.

In Numbers

  • Highest maximum temperature recorded: 27.4C (81F) on July 1st 
  • Lowest minimum temperature recorded:   -5.0C. (23F) on January 23rd
  • Mean temperature: 11.64C. (average 10.96C.)
  • Total rainfall: 806.4 mm. (average 829.8 mm.)
  • Greatest 24-hour rainfall:  25.8 mm. on September 16
  • Days with measurable rain: 180 (average 157.1)
  • Air frosts: 19 (average 34.4)
  • Days with thunder:  6 (average 6)
  • Total sunshine: 1773.1 hours (average 1825.6 hrs.)