Author: Eric Gilbert

The peak of 12.3C at 13.23 on Monday was yet again well above average being +4.2C, likewise the overnight minimum of 6.2C that occurred at 03.01 early Tuesday was +4.5C. There was minimal rainfall of 0.5mm that took the monthly total 101.4mm being 35.7mm above my 40-year average. February 2024 is the sixth wettest February I have recorded since 1984 but that is likely to change with many hours of precipitation forecast on Wednesday that will increase the total considerably.

This will be the last of the very warm days as Wednesday’s peak will be depressed due to many hours of rainfall before the recent warm, and most airstream is replaced on Thursday by something a little cooler.

Tuesday after dawn revealed yet again a completely cloudy sky ahead of yet again another weather front moving in from the Atlantic. The barometric pressure continues to be high with a reading of 1028.8mb at 08.00 but this will drop away as the next depression closes in.

Yet again both the maximum of 14.0C and the minimum of 7.7C were well above my 40-year average with +5.9C and + 6.0C respectively. The westerly breeze was quite brisk with a peak of 18mph although there were times when the breeze was quite light. A UV value of 1.8 was the highest since 22nd October.

Monday revealed another overcast start to the day with light rain in the air just after 07.30 as yet another weather front passes over our area. The barometric pressure is still quite high with a reading of 1030.1mb at 08.90, so the rain will be minimal and ease towards lunchtime. The wind will back from northwest to southwest as the day progresses thanks to a large area of high pressure centred over the Bay of Biscay directing the warm, moist air clockwise around its circulation.

Although cooler weather will arrive towards the end of the week, February is likely to be another month when the average temperature is well above average, which will make a run of seven consecutive months with the average above my 40-year average. After 18 days the average for February is quite exceptionally 3.1C above my 40-year average but this will drop a little as the cooler weather arrives.

The past twenty-four hours have once again seen temperatures significantly above my 40-year average with a maximum of 11.9C (+3.8C) at 14.15 Saturday and 10.7C at 07.26 Sunday (+9.0C). The diurnal range of temperatures was thus minimal, the difference between day and night, being just 1.2C.

The other significant feature has been the fourteen hours of rainfall that started at 17.50 late Saturday and finished just before 07.30 on Sunday although a few tail-end drops fell about 08.00 The daily rainfall total was 27.1mm, which made it the wettest day since 4th January (29.3mm) and took the monthly rainfall total to 100.7mm, which was 35mm above my 40-year average. This made it the wettest February since 2020 when 148.2m was recorded.

Sunday revealed complete cloud cover that was brought by two weather fronts that had crossed overnight although there were signs of it thinning after 08.00, but minimal promise of any consistent sunshine.

Friday was relatively calm and still warm but 4C down on the high peak of Thursday reaching 11.3C at 11.15, however, this was still 3.2C above my 40-year average. Before the cloud built up in the early hours of Saturday ahead of the next weather front the thermometer dropped to 6.9C at 01.10, which was 5.3C above my 40-year average.

The UV level of 1.5 on Friday was the highest since 25th October so the light is getting stronger though still rated as ‘Low”.

Saturday dawned with very low cloud that totally covered the trees in Savernake Forest and draped over the top of the Marlborough Downs. This is thanks to two warm fronts crossing southern England today on a light southwesterly air stream that will bring much rain later in the day. The anticyclone that produced a ridge of high pressure yesterday is still in position, reading of 1028.7mb at 08.00, the highest since the 3rd, but will slowly decline today as a depression arrives from the Atlantic tomorrow. Overnight and into Sunday two cold fronts will cross our area bringing sightly cooler air.

The stream of warm, moist air brought on a light southerly breeze, continued on Thursday that saw the thermometer soar to 15,1C. This was a significant 7.1C above my 40-year average and the warmest day since October 30th. This peak was more typical of early Spring temperatures. The wind backed into the west early morning on Friday that meant a cooler direction producing a minimum of 7.5C, also due to a passing cold front, however this was still 5.9C above my 40-year average.

Intermittent light rain began to fall at 19.15 but more consistently after 21.25 amounting to 7.2mm, which took monthly total to 73.4mm being 112% of my 40-year average or plus 8mm. This was due to yet another weather front crossing the area.

Initially on Friday there was welcome if weak sunshine but soon after 08.15 this was muted due to variable cloud. A minor ridge of modest higher pressure should give a drier day on Friday with some brightness.