WEATHER EXTREMES
Sunshine
At Pitsford we record on average 1,323 hrs of bright sunshine during the year. This is typical for inland areas in lowland Britain. The south coast receives the highest amount owing the absence of convective cloud and annual totals can exceed 1,750 hrs. Mountainous areas receive the least owing to shadowing and orographic cloud.
| Maximum duration anywhere in England | 383.9 hrs at Eastbourne in July 1911 |
| Minimum duration anywhere in England | 0.0 hrs at Westminster in December 1890 |
| Maximum duration in Northampton (since 1963) | 278 hrs in July 2006 |
| Minimum duration in Northampton (since 1963) | 17.4 hrs in December 1989 |
| Maximum duration at Pitsford Hall (since 1998) | 278 hrs in July 2006 |
| Minimum duration at Pitsford Hall (since 1998) | 18.5 hrs in December 1998 |
Rainfall
At Pitsford we record on average 652 mm of rain during the year. Northamptonshire is one of the driest parts of the UK with little relief to cause any orographic rain and being far from the coast and in a significant rain shadow produced by the uplands of Wales. Most of our rain falls during the summer by convection and in thunderstorms which occur on average 15 days each year.
| Maximum in a day anywhere in England | 279 mm at Martinstown (Dorset) on 18 July 1955 |
| Maximum in a day at Pitsford Hall (since 1998) | 68.6 mm on 14th June 2007 |
| Maximum monthly total in Northampton (since 1880) | 186.9 mm in July 1880 |
| Minimum monthly total in Northampton (since 1880) | 0.5 mm in June 1925 |
| Maximum monthly total at Pitsford Hall (since 1998) | 176.1 mm in June 2007 |
| Minimum monthly total in Pitsford Hall (since 1998) | 1.6 mm in April 2007 |
Wind
Wind speeds are low across the county in contrast to more exposed coastal locations and upland areas. Gales are rare as wind speeds are reduced by friction over land. The prevailing wind in Northamptonshire is from the SSW, although some of the highest gusts recorded at Pitsford are experienced when the wind is from the NE. This is due to the open prospect in this direction towards the Wash and North Sea.
| Highest gust recorded anywhere in England | 118 mph at Gwennan Head (Cornwall) on 15 December 1979 |
| Highest gust recorded at Pitsford Hall (since 1998) | 70 mph on 27 October 2002 |
