Author: Eric Gilbert

With a peak gust of 35mph on Saturday it was not exactly summer weather. The wind was strong all day but very slowly began to lose its strength after 13.00. It was the strongest gust of wind since 11th April (36mph). The strongest gust I have recorded for July was 41mph in 2004, however, the record of 56mph was observed on February 18th 2022.

Not surprisingly it was a cool day with a maximum of 19.4C being 3.5C below the 39-year average. Brief rain/drizzle showers fell early afternoon and early evening amounting to 1.9mm. The overnight minimum of 11.8C was 0.1C below the average.

Sunday had a much calmer start to the day with the wind initially from the south but forecast to veer into the southwest as the deep depression eases away to Scandinavia. Brief sunny intervals appeared after 08.00. The barometric pressure has recovered 10mb since Saturday at 08.00 with a recorded pressure of 1008.6mb at that time on Sunday.

The rain continued for twelve hours on Friday amassing 27.9mm of precipitation. That made it the wettest day since 19th December ((29.8mm) and took the monthly total to 65.1mm, which is 7mm abject the 39-year average. Under the thick cloud and strong southeasterly wind the temperature hovered around 15.2C all day but as the cloud began to thin late afternoon and the rain began to reduce in intensity, the thermometer eased upwards to a maximum of 17.9C early evening at 19.17 before falling away to minimum of 14.0C, which was 2.1C above the average. The diurnal temperature range was very low for this time of year, just 3.9C between the maximum and minimum.

The wind was brisk for much of the day with a maximum gust of 25mph. The UV level, due to the persistent low and thick cloud, never rose above the ‘Low’ category.

Saturday revealed that a pattern of showers had replaced the continuous rain of Friday. The barometric pressure has fallen away to a low of 998.6mb at 08.00, the lowest pressure since 12th April. As the centre of the low pressure eases away the wind is forecast to veer into the southwest.

Thursday was dry with the UV level again reaching at its peak up to the Very High level. The limited sunshine meant a below average maximum of 20.8C (-2.1C) but once again due to the thick overnight cloud the thermometer did not drop below 13.1C, which was 1.2C above the average.

During the early hours of Friday the cloud in advance of the approaching deep depression moved in with rain first detected on the automatic rain gauge at 06.15. By 08.00 the light rain amounted to just 0.6mm but much more will accumulate during the numerous hours of rain during daylight hours today.

The centre of the depression at 08.00 Friday was just off the tip of southwest Ireland. Its track is forecast in a northeasterly direction over Ireland and Scotland on Saturday. This morning the UK the wind has backed from the southwest into the southeast but as the depression tracks eastwards the wind is forecast to then veer back into the southwest later on Friday. The wind is currently light but is forecast to rise as Friday progresses and hit its peak on Saturday with winds on the southern flank of the depression reaching in excess of 40mph.

Update at 18.45: the rainfall today from 06.15 to 18.15, when the fine drizzle abated from the last cloud of the low pressure system, was 27.4mm. It was the wettest day since 19th December 2022 when 29.8mm was recorded.

The thermometer registered a maximum of 21.6C on Wednesday, in the strong sunny intervals, with no rain recorded and the UV level into the Very High category again.

The wind from the west was again very brisk with. peak gust of 25mph.

It was an average night, temperature wise, with a low of 11.9C, which was exactly the 39-year July average.

Friday produced some brightness first thing but after 07.30 the cupid began tp build up imitating the sunshine.

Our recent depression, that was centred off the northeast of Scotland, is fading away but will be replaced by a deep depression in the southwest approaches that is likely to bring much rain and strong winds on Friday into Saturday as it deepens considerably and passes close by our area.

The showers were minimal on Tuesday, principally in the evening, amounting to 1.2mm. The southwesterly breeze continued quite strong with a peak gust of 24mph. The limited sunshine and brisk wind limited the temperature rise to a. peak of 20.2C, which was 2.7C below the 39-year average. However, the cloudy night meant an above average minimum of 12.2C (+0.3C).

There was welcome sunshine at first on Wednesday but by 07.45 a large clump of cloud had drifted our way and obscured the sun. The low pressure system to the northeast of Scotland still dominates our weather with the wind continuing from the southwest or possibly west later and brisk.