Author: Eric Gilbert

Thursday was a gloomy day with the least daily solar energy this month due to thick cloud all day. By 13.00 the first drops of rain were observed that continued until 22.10. The daily rainfall of 11.4mm was the wettest day in April and took the monthly total to 74.7mm being 132% of the 39-year April average.

After a maximum of 11.9C at 13.00 (2.2C below the average) the temperature fell away to 9.4C at 20.00 then began to rise again to reach 11.4C at 08.00 Friday.

As a result of the very mild night the soil temperature at a depth of 5cm read 11.3C at 08.00, the warmest the soil has been at that depth since 14th November.

Friday began with more cloud cover and light drizzle, petering out by 08.00.

Wednesday was another chilly day even though a warm front crossed the area as the maximum of 11.8C was 2.3C below the average. There was no sunshine and the UV level only rose to 3.3 being ‘Moderate’.

The past night was cold as the thermometer dropped to 2.7C at 03.31 before making a slight recovery to 6.5C at 08.00 Thursday.

Thursday arrived with more, gloomy and low cloud obscuring any chance of sunshine. Further weather fronts are ganging up on the UK so another dull and cool day in prospect with rain later this afternoon.

In the sunshine and out of the breeze on Tuesday the sunshine for 11.5 hours felt warm but the Artic airstream limited the rise in temperature to 11.5C, which was 2.6C below the average. However, it was a dry day and the UV level of 6.0 took it into the ‘High’ category and was the strongest since 28th August.

The thermometer sank to a minimum of 3.8C at 06.10 on Wednesday being exactly average for April.

Wednesday arrived with total cloud cover, although there was a brief ray of sunshine at 07.50. A warm front is lurking to the southwest that eventually should bring a warmer airstream but not likely to have much effect today. The breeze will be light and veer from the northeast to southeast as the day progresses.

After a dry start to Monday with some sunshine it clouded over at midday with light rain beginning to fall at 13.15 amounting to 5.1mm. The temperature dropped away markedly after 14.00 from a maximum of 11.1C to 6C in the early evening.

A temporary ridge of high pressure meant the skies cleared during the night leading to an air frost, just, with a low of -0.3C at 06.15 Tuesday.

The monthly rainfall total to date of 63.3mm is 7mm above the 39-year average.

The ridge of high pressure, just for today, brought a sunny start to the day, if chilly, but that persistent wind from the northeast and north yesterday has fallen away with calm conditions. The Arctic airstream, originating from north of Greenland, is still with us so temperatures by day and night will continue to be depressed.

The last of the recent warmer air pushed the thermometer to 14.6C on Sunday being 0.5C above the average whilst the minimum of 3.9C was also above average, just (+0.2C). There was a little rain at 1900 and then 2015 with 1.0mm of precipitation.

Monday arrived with welcome sunshine that lifted the temperature to 7.1C by 0800. However, the centre of the depression is now over Denmark, that means its wind circulating anticlockwise will bring down the Arctic airstream as two cold weather fronts cross the area. The wind direction will shorty change from northwest to fluctuate during the afternoon before settling into a northeasterly. As a result of the airstream coming from north of Greenland the temperature under the cloud cover and rain will rise very little from its current level, so a cold, wet day in prospect.