IT is with pleasure that I report something good about the weather for a change, instead of reporting record rainfalls and floods and cold, dull weather.

We only had 39 mm (1.56") rain last month which made it two dryish months in a row, an excellent way to start the year with only 47 mm in January.

The total for the year so far is only 86 mm (3.44"), which is 49 mm (2") below the average I would have to go back a few years in my records to the last time that we were below average. It makes a nice change to report below average rainfall.

My 25-year average for February is 54 mm and the last five years is 63 mm. February over the last 10 years has become the driest month of the year which takes some believing. If you kept any of my charts from last year you will see that it just beats May, June and July. February was always known as Feb Fill Dyke because it was always so wet. What my old book says about Feb!

Feb: Is a damp month, not because of high rainfall but because of a low evaporation rate, it is often the month of the most intense cold, as the thermometer falls and the crimson sun sets in an open sky. It can be a time of burst pipes and, in a good year, of skating.

That was certainly true 30 to 40 years ago when as kids we played ice hockey and skated on all the pools around for a few weeks every year, but how many people can say that over the last 20 years or so. Times, weatherwise have certainly changed.

I would like to thank Elizabeth Hatchell from Hope Bagot for her rainfall chart last month. I was very interested to see that they had almost 5" rain less than us in Greete. If anybody else in our area has any more rainfall records I would be pleased to hear from them. Just drop me a line.

Last month was also a good sunny month and for a change had a few night frosts with the lowest temperature here in Greete dropping to -5C on 14th, 15th, 17, 18 and 19th and some sharp frosts on other nights as well.

The highest day-time temperature average 6.46C which is now cold for February. Last year was a lot milder at 9.03C. The mildest February since 1990 is 1992 at 11.34C and the coldest 5.10C in 1994. Just a word about March before I finish. March over the last five years is one of only three months that has actually got drier at 59 mm. Compared to a 25 year average of 67 mm. So let's hope it can keep it up but really three dry months in a row is too much to expect.