Author: Eric Gilbert

The last day of meteorlogical winter was another wet and warm day as the thermometer rose to 9.1C being 1C above my 40-year average. However, I was surprised to see that the temperature had dipped after midnight to a low of 1.9C at 02.26 early Friday, just above average.

There was considerable rainfall in the early hours thanks to yet another depression approaching, and then crossing the west of the UK as the day progresses, currently over west Wales. The automatic rainfall gauge was triggered at 05.00 measuring 12.8mm by 08.00. This took the monthly total to 155.4mm, which was 237% of my 40-year average or+ 89.7mm.

February 2024 Review

A flow of warm, moist air from off the Atlantic gave a mild start to February. This was due to air circulating clockwise around a large area of high pressure, centred over the Bay of Biscay.

From the 2nd to the 6th maxima were in double figures with a peak of 12.8C on the 6th being 4.7C above my 40-year average.

A significant change in our weather occurred late on the 6th as a cold front arrived from the north that saw the temperature drop from a high of 12.8C to a low of 3.8C. The weather front dropped 19.5mm of precipitation. As the weather front departed the wind veered from the southwest to come from the northeast.

The cooler air on the 7th, from a north-easterly direction, gave us the coldest day of the month with a maximum of just 5.5C being 2.6C below my 40-year4 average.

It was all change on the 8th as a warm front moved north across the country lifting the temperature again into double figures. The wide rain band also deposited 23.9mm of precipitation. This was the wettest day since 4th January (29.3mm).

After a very brief dry spell on the 12th, the very warm and moist air, drawn on a long track from far south originating around North Africa and the Western Mediterranean, saw temperatures rise again. The morning of the 13th started with a temperature of 5.7C that slowly rose all day and night, continuously, reaching 11.7C at 08.00 on the 14th making it the warmest start to a day since 24th December.

This unseasonably warm, moist weather was due to a very large area of high pressure over the continent with its air moving clockwise and a depression far west of Ireland with the air mass rotating anticlockwise.

Overnight of the 17th and 18th fourteen hours of continuous rainfall dropped another 27.1mm of precipitation that made it the wettest day since 4th January.

In the early hours of the 22nd the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO) issued an alert for Southern England that mini tornadoes might occur as a very active weather front crossed the area. None were observed, fortunately. In a squall at 08.40 small hail was observed very briefly.

A much colder period arrived at the end of the month producing night air frosts, a minimum of -2.1C in the early hours of the 25th was the coldest night since 20th January. The high of 7.6C on the 23rd was the first below average maximum since 7th February.

It has been an exceptionally warm and wet month with the average temperature a record 3.25C above my 40-year average. Analysing the day and night data reveals that the average maximum was +3.0C and the average minimum was +3.5C.

There were five days with a daily rainfall total in double figures. The wettest day occurred on the 17th with 27.1mm. The monthly rainfall amounted to 155.4mm. This was a record for my station being 238% of my 40-year average or plus 89.7m.

Not surprisingly, the soil temperature at a depth of 5cm was 3.3C above my 15-year average.

The record-breaking rainfall and warmth were the result of a succession of depressions crossing, or passing close by, our country with the average monthly barometric pressure some 4.5mb below my long-term average.

The graphs on my website show very clearly the rising trend with the temperature over the last 40 years, February is a good example.

Winter 2023/2024

It was the second warmest winter I have recorded since the station was set up in 1984 being 1.9C above my 40-year average. The warmest winter occurred in 2025 being just 0.2C warmer.

The rainfall total for the three months of winter amounted to 389mm. This was 156% of my 40-year average or +140mm. This was the second highest winter total as the winter of 2013/2014 produced a record 528mm.

After a dull, wet and warm winter will Spring continue the trend or can we expect some sunshine at last?

Wednesday was the last of the warm days for a while that saw a peak of 10.6C, 2.5C above my 40-year average, in the morning before rain arrived in the afternoon. The past night was mild with the thermometer only dropping a degree to a low of 9.1C, which was a significant 7.4C above my 40-year average.

Thursday arrived wet with a weather front crossing our area, this is a cold front that will see lower peaks for the next day or two.

Waiting in the winds is the next approaching depression that will bring stormy conditions on Friday after a calm day on Thursday.The barometric pressure has already dropped 15mb since Wednesday, currently 1004.7mb, as the low pressure system closes in on the UK.

The temperature recovered a little on Tuesday, thanks to a gentle southwesterly breeze and some brightness, that saw the thermometer rise above average for the first time in five days with a peak of 9.0C at 14.15. Day light hours were dry. The cloud cover again meant a mild night as the cloud minimised warmth escaping into the atmosphere, with a low of 6.6C at 07.28 on Wednesday.

Wednesday revealed a cloudy start to the day but relatively high cloud base. However, two warm fronts are heading our way today that will likely mean some precipitation around mid-afternoon brought on the continuing southwesterly light air stream. The barometer pressure is heading downwards again as another depression approaches.

The very strong wind on Monday, gusting most of the day above 30mph with a peak gust pf 34mph, produced a wind chill. Although the maximum of 8.1C was exactly average it felt more like 4C for much of the day. A clearing sky late afternoon meant the thermometer dropped away to -1.1C (2.6C below average) at 06.02 early on Tuesday producing another air frost.

Tuesday began bright but yet again another weather front is approaching with its advance cloud soon after dawn obscuring any brightness. The thermometer had risen a little to -0.5C by 08.00. The barometric pressure is currently very high with a reading of 1023.2mb at 08.00, that is producing a temporary ridge of high pressure so a mainly dry day in store. The wind today will be much calmer and be predominantly from the southwest.

The wind did increase in strength Sunday afternoon and overnight, as forecast, with a peak gust of 33mph at 05.20 Monday morning. The temperature at 08.00 on Monday was 4.2C but due to the strength and direction of the wind, a cool northerly, a wind chill meant it felt more like -0.1C at that time outside.

The maximum of 6.8C on Sunday made it the coolest day since the 7th (5.5C) being 1.3C below my 40-year average. Irrespective of the strong north northeasterly overnight the cloud cover meant a low of 4.1C at 07.30 Monday was 2.4C above my 40-year average. Not only the cloud limited the loss of warmth into the atmosphere, acting as a blanket, but the wind kept the air constantly on the move. The rainfall for the past twenty four hours measured 7.7mm that took the monthly total to 139.3mm, which is 212% of my 40-year average.

The low pressure system that caused the rain and wind over the past twenty-four hours has now moved across to the near Continent. As it continues to move further away the barometric pressure will continue to rise rapidly. This will also be due to an intense high-pressure system mid-Atlantic that is producing a temporary ridge of high pressure over the UK on Monday helping to funnel the strong wind down from the north between the clockwise rotating air mass of the high pressure and anticlockwise low pressure systems. The air is much drier this morning reading 88% at 08.00, the driest air flow this month.