December 2024 was marked by exceptional warmth, persistent cloud cover, and notably low sunshine levels, according to forecasters at Ronaldsway Met Office.

The month recorded a 24-hour mean temperature of 8.7°C, which was 1.6°C above the 1991–2020 30-year average.

This makes it the joint fourth warmest December on record and the warmest since 2018.

Nighttime temperatures were particularly mild, averaging 6.9°C - nearly 2°C above the norm - while the average daily maximum temperature of 10.5°C was the second highest ever recorded for December.

No air frosts occurred throughout the month, with the lowest temperature being 2.7°C on December 2.

The highest temperature, 13.3°C, was recorded on December 1, the warmest December day since 2015.

Christmas morning was also unusually mild, with an overnight low of 10.5°C, the least cold on record for the festive period.

Despite close to average wind speeds overall, December saw significant storm activity.

Storm Darragh on December 7 brought winds of up to 65 knots (75 mph) at Ronaldsway, and 80mph elsewhere, causing widespread disruption, including downed trees across the island.

The Department of Infrastructure (DoI) were called out to over 160 locations across the island as staff worked to clear more than 200 downed trees.

The worst of the storm hit the island at 4am on Saturday morning (December 7) as winds tore down a number of trees, blocking several areas including Johnny Watterson’s Road, the Snugborough Trading Estate, the Ballamodha and Patrick Road.

The DoI to urged residents to avoid driving for all but ‘essential’ reasons, while Bus Vannin cancelled most of its morning bus journeys.

A number of events were called off due the adverse weather, including the annual Santa’s on a Bike event.

The majority of the island’s plantation were closed for some time after due to the extensive damage caused by Storm Darragh.

The storm was unusually prolonged, lasting much of the day.

Additional gales were experienced on December 22 and December 31, further highlighting the month’s turbulent weather.

Rainfall for December totaled 89.1mm, slightly below the long-term average of 95.3mm.

The wettest day was December 4, with 9.6mm recorded at Ronaldsway.

Half of the month’s rainfall fell in the first seven days, leaving the remainder of the month relatively dry.

Sunshine, however, was in critically short supply.

With only 23.8 hours recorded throughout the month, December saw just half the usual amount of sunlight.

This makes it the fourth least sunny December on record and the darkest since the record low of 17.7 hours in 1977.