Author: Eric Gilbert

It was a treat to feel a little warmth in the sunshine during Monday afternoon, in light winds, as the thermometer rose to 15.1C being 1C above the average. Sadly the wind backed into the northeast overnight and strengthened with the result that the temperature dropped away to 5.5C at 01.45.

Tuesday revealed a cloudy and dull start to the new day but brief bursts of sunshine began to break through after 07.46 with the temperature having recovered to 7.3C.

The high pressure still extends from Scandinavia to the Bay of Biscay but a slight variation in the position of its centre saw the wind direction change to northeast or nor-northeast. The barometric pressure has eased upwards again with a reading of 1029.5mb at 08.00.

There was no sunshine on Sunday and the UV level reverted back to Moderate that meant a below average maximum of 13.4C (-0.7C). The past night was able average (+5.4) with a low of 9.4C due to yet more cloud drifting across the region.

Monday at first light revealed another dull start to the day with light rain and drizzle falling amounting to 2.0mm. By 07.30 the rain had stopped and the sky began to brighten as the cloud thinned. The barometric pressure has risen further, a reading of 1027.6mb was logged at 08.00, due to a ridge of high pressure stretching from Scandinavia to northern France. This should herald a drier period but likely cloudy as the wind is forecast to come from the southeast and back during the day into the northeast that will collect moisture from the North Sea.

The limited hours of strong sunshine on Saturday produced the highest level of UV light since 12th September with a value of 5.1 that is at the bottom of the ‘High’ category. Irrespective of the sunshine the northerly light breeze meant a below average maximum again with a peak of 13.6C (-0.5C). The temperature fell away quote rapidly in the early evening to a minimum of 5.5C , but that was above average (+1.8C).

Sunday arrived with low cloud and gloomy conditions. Although we are under a ridge of high pressure, a reading of 1016.6mb was logged at 08.00. A warm front is currently crossing the area bringing moist air, in fact there were a few spots of rain just after 07.30. The warmer air stream is brought on a southwesterly breeze as against the northerly yesterday.

The many hours of rain from Storm Noa, combined with a southeasterly breeze for much of the day meant a cold day, the coldest since 11th March. The thermometer struggled to reach 8.7C, which was a significant 5.4C below the 39-year average.

Another 5.2mm of rainfall took the monthly total 52.4mm, just 4mm short of the 39-year average for April.

Late in the afternoon the wind began to back slowly from southeast to north.

The last night was cool with a low of 3.6C at 06.41 on Saturday, just below the average.

Saturday brought us welcome sunshine to start the day but by 08.10 variable cloud had drifted across and began to obscure the sun. With the depression now over the Continent the barometric pressure has been rising to read 1017.2mb at 08.00, a rise of 15mb since this time yesterday that should give us a dry day if not hours of sunshine.

Thursday gave us many hours of strong sunshine between the modest sized, fast moving clouds on a westerly breeze gusting to 22mph at its peak. The maximum temperature was again below average with a maximum of 12.8C (-1.3C). However, it was a dry day until a shower arrived at 14.40 and drove me in from the garden. The UV strength was again at the top end of ‘Moderate’.

The clear overnight skies initially saw the thermometer drop away to 2.4C at 03.08, early Friday, then recovering to 5.9C at 08.00 as advancing cloud from the next weather front began to drift across the sky.

Friday dawned dull with light rain. The culprit is another unwanted, unloved low pressure system that is slowly edging along the English Channel throwing up a rain band over southern England. The wind for Friday morning will come from a very different direction than of late, from the southeast, before backing into the north later as the depression eases away over the continent. The past day has brought 0.6mm of precipitation taking the monthly rainfall total to 47.mm, being 83% of the 39-year average,