The rough weather quietened down for the 5th but more heavy rain occurred during the next three days. At this time, an anti-cyclone, whose origin was in the Canary Islands, moved to the UK bringing warm winds, clear skies and relatively high temperatures, also getting rid of the deep Atlantic depressions which had brought the unsettled conditions, in which a tornado occurred in Sussex on the 7th. The temperature rose to 59F on the 9th, more reminiscent of late April rather than January. The 10th was also a beautiful day.
The fine spell ended on the 13th when the anti-cyclone retreated and cooler, wetter weather took its place but the 15th and 16th were beautiful days. Very heavy rain fell on the 18th and winds changed to a northerly direction as a strong anti-cyclone developed near the Faroes on the 23rd and became stationary. Hardly any rain fell for the rest of the month but the weather turned milder on the 29th.
January 1998 could be split into two halves. The first mild, wet and windy. The second dry and cold. Up to the 18th it appeared to be on course to be one of the mildest January's on record. As it turned out it was the mildest January since 1994. Rainfall totals were well above average but it wasn't as wet as January 1994 or 1995. It was a sunny month as well, as was January 1994.
The winter of 1997/1998 has been so far mild and wet, and there has been no noteworthy falls of snow apart from a light covering on the 17th December and a few flurries on the 19th January. Fog, unlike last January, was totally absent.
Kevin Phillips - 8.20pm - Sunday 1st February 1998.
