Otter Valley, Devon

[Nick Gardner]

Cold, dull and very wet. Fifth consecutive month with sunshine below the eLTA.

Mean maximum = 8.6°C

Mean minimum = 1.7°C

Mean = 5.2°C

High max = 13.2°C 5th

Low max = 4.2°C 3rd

High min = 7.3°C 28th

Low min = -4.7°C 3rd

Rain = 138.8 mm

Sun = 79.9 hours

[Graham Easterling]

An average month in Penzance overall, though with a notably stormy period  (23rd-28th) and a 10 day dry spell (12th-21st) so some very distinct spells.

Mean maximum = 10.4°C  (+0.5)

Mean minimum =    4.4°C  (-0.7)

Mean = 7.4°C (-0.1)    (Camborne -0.0)

High max = 13.5°C  4th

Low max = 4.9°C    8th

High min = 11.6°C  1st

Low min = -1.3°C    3rd = the only air frost

Rain = 147.3 mm  (105%)

84mph gust at Gwennap on 26th.

Camborne sunshine 87% of normal.

Graham

Penzance

[jack.h...@gmail.com]

As far as I am concerned, January felt very cold up here in north Scotland.  The numbers weren't especially low.   But I simply I don't 'do' cold very well these days.  Wind chill is what really gets me.  Today at +7C, even with wind of less than 10 knots, a 50 metre walk from the car really hurt.

Mind you, I do have to remind myself that most of my former school contemporaries or work colleagues haven't lived long enough to suffer from old age cold.

As I write this (indoors of course!) the house temperature is 18.7C.  I am wearing vest, thick shirt, pullover and dressing gown.  But I am only just comfortable.  Eating high calorie food does provide heat but results in an expanding body area to be exposed to the cold.  I can't win.

I'm lucky financially in that I can manage without the Winter Fuel Allowance.  But I really feel for these less fortunate who just fail to make the qualification cut off.

Jack

[Nick Gardner]

I know what you mean about feeling the cold Jack.

My father was once a big, muscular man and 6'3" tall. I think he weighed in at 17 stones. Into his 80s and he suffered from sarcopenia and wasted away even though he remained physically active. In his younger days he would wear nothing other than t-shirt and jeans even in the coldest winter weather but later in his life he felt the cold in a way I thought unimaginable. We had to stop eating outside on warm summer evenings as even with a jumper and coat he would shiver. I wish he was still alive as knowing what I now know, I would prescribe a regime of resistance training and a high protein diet. I have seen remarkable transformations in people suffering from sarcopenia in just a few weeks when undergoing even mild forms of resistance training. It can be revolutionary and reverse many symptoms of ageing.

Yet another sunless day.

Nick

Otter Valley, Devon.