Updated: 2026-07-31
The closest long-term measuring point to Manchester is the Met Office station at Holme Moss (West Yorkshire), situated at 520 metres above sea level, about 26.1 km from the city centre. These are its historical records.
One important note before the numbers: Manchester's own urban climate can differ from this hilltop site — the altitude difference, exposure to wind and proximity to the Pennines all play a role. The data below is the best reference we have, not an exact measurement of Manchester itself.
The December rainfall record at Holme Moss is 116.4 mmin a single day, recorded on 22 December 1991
That single day delivered more rain than the entire December of 1981, which totalled 17.8 mm for the whole month. It also represents the highest daily December figure in the 1977–1995 period for which this station has complete records.
December 1991 stands out not just for that extreme day, but for the month as a whole — the total was 281.2 mm, making it the fourth-wettest December in the series. The wettest December on record was 1993, when the monthly total reached 416.2 mm. That month also saw a daily peak of 78.5 mm, yet it was the accumulated persistence rather than a single deluge that set the record.
These are the five Decembers with the highest total precipitation at Holme Moss during the available period. The ranking reveals that extreme Decembers cluster in the 1980s and early 1990s, with 1986 and 1983 also exceeding 300 mm.
| Year | Total December Precipitation (mm) |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 416.2 |
| 1986 | 333.3 |
| 1983 | 308.4 |
| 1991 | 281.2 |
| 1994 | 264.0 |
The table below shows each December from 1977 to 1995 at Holme Moss, with the monthly total and the wettest single day within that month. Notice how 1981 stands out — a paltry 17.8 mm for the entire month — while other years like 1983 and 1986 recorded their maximum daily values of 80.9 mm and 56.6 mm respectively.
The chart shows the complete annual series. The table lists the most notable years; the full series comes from Met Office.
| Year | Total December Precipitation (mm) | Maximum Daily Precipitation (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 17.8 | 17.8 |
| 1983 | 308.4 | 80.9 |
| 1986 | 333.3 | 56.6 |
| 1989 | 189.6 | 42.1 |
| 1991 | 281.2 | 116.4 |
| 1992 | 188.6 | 38.7 |
| 1993 | 416.2 | 78.5 |
The contrast between years in this series is remarkable. December 1991's record daily value of 116.4 mm came on the 22nd — a single event that dwarfed the monthly total of many other years. Meanwhile, 1993's record monthly accumulation of 416.2 mm was built from more continuous wet weather, with its heaviest day reaching 78.5 mm. These two very different patterns represent the upper extremes of what this location can experience in the run-up to Christmas.
For anyone planning outdoor events in the Manchester region, the data suggests that December can deliver surprise deluges even in otherwise modest months. The 1981 example, with just 17.8 mm across the whole month, reminds us that the range is enormous — from barely a week's worth of rain to over 400 mm in a single December.
Source: Met Office (MIDAS archive, station at Holme Moss). Period covered: 1977–1995.
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© 2026 HistoClima · data: Met Office (OGL v3.0) · not affiliated with Met Office · citation permitted with source.