TEMPERATURES soared in Weymouth and Dorchester in a record-breaking start to the year.

Weymouth smashed two of its weather records for January and came within a whisker of breaking a third.

And the Dorchester area had its warmest January for 17 years, according to town weatherman John Oliver.

The highest average minimum temperature for January was recorded in Weymouth and its highest mean temperature for the month since records began back in the 1880s.

Weymouth weatherman Bob Poots said it underlined what everyone now accepted, that global warming was having an effect on climate.

He added: "January was quite exciting. We had a record average minimum temperature of 6.7 degrees centigrade, 3.2C above normal.

"We also had a record high mean temperature of 8.6C, which was 2.6C above normal and we were within 0.2C of the record average maximum temperature for January, which stands at 10.7C set in 1990. Sea temperatures were also 1.2C above average at 13.7C.

"If you look at the records for the past few years there is no doubt conditions are warming up and that global warming is getting to be a reality."

The month started with daytime temperatures into double figures for the first three weeks, with night-time temperatures well above the January average. Five days of ground frosts followed until the temperatures rose again at the end of a month which was also very windy with many gales.

Rain fell on most days during the first three weeks, the heaviest of 13.8mm coming on January 9.

Some 19 days had rain, with two thirds falling during the night.

The 30-year average rainfall for January is 76.6mm and 2006 was just below this at 71.3mm.

By contrast, sunshine during January was just above the 30-year average at nearly 64 hours.

A short sharp shower of small hail was noted on January 20, there was thunder and lightning on January 1, ground frost was recorded on January 22-26 and air frost was recorded on January 25. Gale force winds were recorded on January 4, 11, 12, 18, 19 and 21 with a gust of 73mph on January 11 and a huge one of 92mph recorded on January 18.

In Dorchester the mean temperature was 2.3C above the average at 7.4C.

It was only the brief cold period centred around the 23rd that prevented it being a January of record-breaking warmth.

The first three weeks of the month were very mild and unsettled with sunny periods interspersed with showers or lengthy spells of rain.

Mr Oliver said: "This period was frost-free but frequently very windy with gusts over 40mph recorded on 13 days. The peak gust of 54mph was registered on the 18th.

"The wettest day was the 16th, when showers merged into persistent rain totalling 21.6mm."

He said January 19 was the warmest by day and night with the temperature rising from an overnight minimum of 10.8C to a maximum of 14.1C.

"The incursion of Arctic air on the 22nd brought a marked fall in temperatures and the 23rd was the coldest day of the month at 3.2C. Three nights of frost ensued with the mercury as low as -4.8C on the morning of the 26th.

"The last few days of the month were generally dry and increasingly mild, with light winds but little in the way of sunshine."

He said rain fell on 19 days during the month, the average is 18 and it amounted to 110.3mm. "This is exactly the average of the 30-year period 1971-2000. Day and night temperatures were each 2.3C above average at 9.95C and 4.85C respectively," said Mr Oliver.