Data For Recent Days

24 hour total up to 9 am GMT (09:00 UTC) yesterday morning: 2.6 mm

Total since 9 am GMT (09:00 UTC) yesterday morning: 3.2 mm (as at 6:40 am GMT (06:40 UTC) this morning on Friday 23 January 2026)

Monthly Data

Total for this month so far: 28.8 mm (39.4% of 1991-2020 January average)

Number of rain days during this month: 11 (82.7% of 1991-2020 January average)

Number of dry days during this month: 6

This means that only at least another 3 official rain days need to be recorded between now and the end of this month in order for this month to go down as being wetter than average in terms of the number of rain days.

Seasonal Data

Total for this winter so far: 102.4 mm (49.0% of 1991-2020 winter average)

Number of rain days during this winter: 22 (59.3% of 1991-2020 winter average)

Number of dry days during this winter: 17

Annual Data

Total for this year so far: 28.8 mm (3.7% of 1991-2020 annual average)

Number of rain days during this year: 11 (8.0% of 1991-2020 annual average)

Number of dry days during this year: 6

Note

This data has been obtained from https://www.ogimet.com  in raw BUFR format, and then converted into a more readable form by my own python script.

It's not that we're not actually getting any rainfall and we have no problems with getting any actual rain days as we only need another 2 rain days between now and the end of the month for that total at Edinburgh Gogarbank to end up being above the 1991-2020 January average, which I'm sure that we'll have no problems with getting.

The main issue here though arises from the fact that the amounts of rainfall which we are getting here are always very small whenever we get that as the rain always seems to either pass through very quickly or fizzle out as it reaches here (often before reforming to our north).

The end result of this is that a total of just 30.4 mm of rain has been recorded for this month so far at Edinburgh Gogarbank which is only a mere 41.6% (not even half) of the 1991-2020 January average with only a week left to go of this month.

We are in a generally easterly flow just now but instead of coming straight in from off the North Sea and thereby leaving us really exposed here, the wind has been mostly coming from a SE quarter. The result of this is that we are actually sheltered by the Pentland Hills and the Lammermuir Hills (even more so than what we would be with a straight westerly which often allows that rainfall to filter all the way through the Forth-Clyde valley towards here). The end result of this is that very little of that rainfall is actually getting through to here.

Looking at the latest model output as well, I can't really see that changing any time soon, so it looks as though this is going to be yet another below average month here in terms of the actual rainfall amounts, albeit with a higher than average number of rain days on this occasion. We had a big rainfall deficit last year and even whilst that deficit is being made up elsewhere in the UK, that deficit is still continuing to grow even bigger here.

Jerry has talked a lot on other threads about Edinburgh not joining the snow party, but that is clearly not the only party which we are being left out of here, as we've also not really been joining the rainfall party either just lately and as we all know, it's impossible to get snow at any location of there is little or no precipitation around which can actually fall as snow.

It's certainly been a colder than average month with an above average number of air frosts and as I have said above, it's likely to be much drier than average in terms of the actual rainfall amounts, though probably slightly wetter than average in terms of the number of rain days.

Despite it being really dull just now though, I can't this month being any duller than average in the end. We only need a total of at least 5.2 hours of sunshine to be recorded between now and the end of the month at Edinburgh Gogarbank in order for this month to go down as being sunnier than average and there are still another 6 days left of this month for that to happen, so we should be able to achieve that target in that time.

That however, is more of a topic for a different thread, so  I apologise for going off topic here.

It took me 6 months to get that amount last year! Up to 90mm for January now helped by 11.6mm today.

I wouldn't say that Storm Chandra is technically 'battering' Dorset as the local media state. Winds batter. Not windy at the moment or even has been from this current system here.

But the floods are notable: 

https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/ 

I'm sure, well perhaps not quite so sure, that once we get to Spring/Summer I will be complaining about the lack of rain again. Soils drain/dry fast here. I'm quite devoted to my garden. But yes, you are in a far dryer part of the UK and more entitled to moan even more than me fairweather in due course. 

Looking at Weatherlink local PWSs there are some down in the Devon/Dorset border totalling over 300mm for the month now, no wonder the floods are notable.

Data For Recent Days

24 hour total up to 9 am GMT (09:00 UTC) this morning: 1.2 mm

Total since 9 am GMT (09:00 UTC) this morning: 11.6 mm (as at 9:40 pm GMT (21:40 UTC) this evening on Tuesday 27 January 2026)

This makes today our wettest day of this year so far.

Monthly Data

Total for this month so far: 44.8 mm (61.4% of 1991-2020 January average)

Number of rain days during this month: 15 (112.8% of 1991-2020 January average)

Number of dry days during this month: 6

Even with today's rainfall, this month is still likely to be substantially drier than average here in terms of the actual rainfall amounts.

However, this does mean that more official rain days have now been recorded during this month than the 1991-2020 January average and so regardless of what happens during the rest of this month, this month will now go down as being wetter than average in terms of the number of rain days.

Seasonal Data

Total for this winter so far: 118.4 mm (56.7% of 1991-2020 winter average)

Number of rain days during this winter: 26 (70.1% of 1991-2020 winter average)

Number of dry days during this winter: 17

Annual Data

Total for this year so far: 44.8 mm (5.7% of 1991-2020 annual average)

Number of rain days during this year: 15 (10.9% of 1991-2020 annual average)

Number of dry days during this year: 6

Note

This data has been obtained from https://www.ogimet.com  in raw BUFR format, and then converted into a more readable form by my own python script.

Ardingly; low 25% now 100%

Arlington; low 45% now 83% (slower recovery due to being filled by pumping, it's not storage in a dammed valley)

https://www.southeastwater.co.uk/about/locations/reservoir-levels/ 

103mm Katesbridge NI

51mm Hurn, Dorset

Different here where 12mm of rain from the storm just doesn't really cut it. Hanningfield and Abberton (which supply south and north Essex as of today are below average at 56% full.