Author: Eric Gilbert

The forecast change in our recent weather arrived on cue. Friday began sunny and very warm with the thermometer rising to a peak of 20.4C at 13.04, which was 5.7C above the average. Incidentally, all 13 days in October produced a maximum above average. During the afternoon the temperature edged downwards to around 17C but just after 17.00 the clouds had thickened and rain began to fall, very heavy at 17.15 and amounted to 8.3mm. This was as a result of a weather front passing over the area that brought the rain and strong gusts of wind up to 26mph. At the same time the wind abruptly veered from the south into the north that brought the cooler air with the thermometer dropping away to around 10C. Overnight, as the skies cleared, the cooler Arctic air was evident as the thermometer dropped further to 6.1C at its lowest at 07.20 on Saturday.

The sun began to shine after it had risen above the horizon on Saturday, heralding a cool day as the Arctic air streams down on a northerly breeze. The ground temperature at 08.00 a depth of 5cm saw a drop from 16.3C on Friday to 8.7C on Saturday at that time.

After the very calm and warm days during the last week the weather has changed dramatically. The temperature has remained high, with a maximum of 18.3C but during the last evening and overnight substantial rain fell for several hours amounting to 18.0mm, the wettest day for almost a month taking the monthly total 32.6mm when the long-term average is 90.2mm.

The temperature at 08.00 on Friday was 18.3C, which was 3.7C above the average maximum let alone the minimum by +11.3C. The hang back of cloud from the extensive weather front meant a cloudy start to the new day with the wind still very strong after a maximum gust of 32mph. A deep depression just off the southwest point of the UK is now in charge of our weather with the barometric pressure at 08.00 reading 999.7mb, the lowest for a month. For a few hours on Thursday the little wind there was came from the northeast and north, however, it is all change today as the wind is now coming from the southwest.

After another warm day on Wednesday with a peak temperature of 19.3C (+4.6C), there were a few drips of rain mid-afternoon but it arrived with several hours from a wide rain band between 18.30 and 05.30 amounting to 9.6mm. That took the monthly total to 14.6mm when the average is 90.2mm. It was the first rain after a week of dry days

The temperature began to fall steadily after 02.00 on Thursday as the air stream changed from south to northeast, briefly that produced a drop of over 4C to 11.2C at 08.00. By the end of the day the wind will revert to southwest before the colder northwesterly arrives at the weekend. There was light rain and drizzle after dawn as the weather front moved away leaving misty conditions.

The maximum of 18.5C on Tuesday was 6C down on the Monday peak but sill 3.8C above the average. The minimum of 98C was also above average +2.5C. Every maximum and minimum this month has been above average but the previous earth is about to dissipate.

Wednesday arrived with overcast skies with a light breeze at 08.00, unlike previous mornings that were totally calm. The barometric pressure has continued to fall as the anticyclone fills and depressions aporach the UK

The sun was intense on Monday with the highest UV level since the end of September that pushed the thermometer to 24.6C. That high was 9.9C above the long-term average and was the warmest day since 10th September and 2C above the summer month average maximum.

The temperature slowly fell away overnight, but only in the early hours, that in the valleys produced radiation fog again that had cleared by 08.00.

Tuesday saw the sun shine brightly shortly after it got up.The slack wind conditions persisted throughout Monday and overnight with little air movement, the maximum gust was just 8mph and many hours when there was no air movement, particularly overnight. The extensive high pressure, that has been resident over the continent, has begun to weaken and move away so the pressure has begun to fall, down 4mb since yesterday, as low-pressure systems approach the UK.