The daily weather log

January was a bit on the dry side. Otherwise, it was close to normal, like December. Not only were the mean temperatures perfectly normal: there were few hot or cold days or nights.
The percentage of cloudy mornings (39%) was rather high and the number of cloud-free mornings (5) very low.
Four of the five rain days came in one short spell from the 21st, the 22nd having 30.8 mm. This spell was extremely humid, with Dew Points above 17°, typical of stormy weather. The evening of the 24th had a magnificent lightning display. Many storms, far and near, could be seen at once. Every second or two, flashes lit up the towers of cumulonimbus clouds from many different directions, or from inside.

 Comparing January months

Normal temperatures this month contrast with last January’s low values and the high values of the two before that.
The rainfall total (57.6 mm) was in the 39th percentile for the month. Although this is well below the January average of 87 mm, rainfall totals for groups of months remain very high. The four-month total, for example, is in the 91st percentile. Totals are still above the median for all periods up to 72 months, with the exception of the 36-month total, which has fallen to the 41st percentile.
Some January rainfalls in this decade were extreme. January 2006 (181 mm) was the eleventh wettest ever, and January 2003 (12 mm) was the third driest.

Data. Rainfall data is from Manilla Post Office, courtesy of Phil Pinch. Dew point values before August 2005 are from Tamworth Airport 6 am data supplied by the Bureau of Meteorology. Temperature and other data are from 3 Monash Street, Manilla.