Author: Eric Gilbert

During Tuesday the mild air on a southwesterly air steam pushed the thermometer to a maximum of 12.1C being 4.1C above the average. It was a dry, sunless day with very light winds, maximum gust between calm intervals of 11mph.

The thermometer did not drop below 10.8C overnight, which was 8.5C above the average.

The diurnal temperature was just 1.8C between day and night extreme temperatures, an unusually small variation.

The anticyclone that is currently over Switzerland is slowly migrating our way. As a result the barometric pressure has steadily building with a reading at 08.00 on Wednesday of 1030.0mb, the highest since 23rd November. This will ensure the quiet, dry period will continue even of cloud is trapped below it.

Wednesday dawned as previous days this week with total cloud cover.

Once again the thermometer rose above average with a maximum of 11.1C (+3.1C) on Monday with a little short-lived brightness just after midday. The drizzle and light rain in the wrong amounted to 1.8mm that took the monthly total to 29.5mm when the average is 92.2mm.

Tuesday arrived with initially broken cloud that soon filled in. The overnight minimum of 9.4C at 01.36 was a significant 7.1C above the average and by 08.00 had risen to 9.9C.

The ridge of high pressure has intensified with a reading of 1026.5mb at 08.00, the highest since 24th November, hence the quiet weather with minimal wind.

On Sunday the thermometer rose to 12.6C at 12.22, which was 4.6C above the 37-year average and the warmest day since 13th November under the influence of a southwesterly air stream. It was the third dry day this month.

A very mild night followed with the minimum of 9.8C set at 01.41 early on Monday. This was a significant 7.5C above the average and also the warmest night since 13th November.

Monday dawned with a predominantly cloudy sky and the continuation of the southwesterly air stream, light in strength.

The barometric pressure has been rising since Sunday and at 08.00 on Monday registered 1021.9mb, the highest pressure since 24th November. The warmth has mean a rise in ground temperature so that at 08.00 the thermometer at a depth of 5cm registered 8.7C, the highest since 20th November.

As the warm front arrived on Saturday the temperature began to slowly rise to around 7C in the early part of the day and during the evening into double figures. By 06.08 on Sunday the maximum of 11.7C was reached being 3.7C above the 37-year average. This was the warmest day since 19th November.

By Sunday morning at 08.00 the thermometer had slipped back a little to read 11.1C but still well above average under a mostly cloudy sky, but dry.

The barometric pressure has continued to rise with a reading of 1019.2mb at 08.00, the highest since the 24th November. The ground temperature at a depth of 5cm was 8.6C at 08.00, the highest since 20th November.

Friday was a dry day, only the second this month. Although there were 3.9 hours of sunshine the thermometer only rose to 7.0C , 1C below average, due to the cool northwesterly air stream, light for most of the day.

The thermometer fell away in the evening to reach a minimum of 0.9C just after midnight, 1.3C below average, before rising to 3.0C at 08.00 on Saturday.

Saturday dawned with a mostly cloudy sky and calm wind conditions. The barometric pressure is at its highest this month with a reading at 08.00 of 1016.3mb.