Author: Eric Gilbert

Friday was another in the sequence of cloudy, mild, damp days. The thermometer lifted to around 9C for most of the day but during the evening rose to a maximum of 10.9C at 19.32. The southerly wind was often gusty with a maximum of 32mph.

The rainfall during the past twenty-four was minimal, just 1.7mm added to the monthly total that now stands at 52.0mm being 15mm below the 37-year average.

Saturday after dawn was overcast with moisture in the air and light rain again just after 08.30. The temperature reading at 08.00 was 10.3C making it the warmest start to a day since 18th November (11.5C). The soil temperature at a depth of 5cm was 8.1C at 08.00, the warmest since 28th January, which will encourage the snowdrops and daffodils now beginning to show their beauty.

Although we had 2.5 hours of sunshine on Thursday, the highest for a week, both the maximum of 9.7C (+2.0C) and the minimum of 3.5C (2.0C) were down on the previous days but still above average. The brisk southerly breeze reached a maximum gust of 26mph.

The next weather front made its appearance overnight.The minimum temperature registered just after midnight, but increasing cloud stopped the fall and a rise of 3C occurred by 08.00 on Friday with a temperature of 6.8C.

The first rain drops from this new weather front were observed at 07.15. The past twenty-four hours produced rainfall of 4.2mm bringing the monthly total to 50.3mm being 17mm below the 37-year average. The southerly air flow continues.

The warm, southerly air movement continued on Wednesday producing a maximum of 11.3C. This was 3.6C above the 37-year average but almost identical to the maxima on the two previous days of 11.2C and 11.4C. Rain occurred at intervals during daylight hours and a little overnight amounting to 4.3mm that brought the monthly total to 46.1mm, which is 69% of the long-term average. It was a breezy day with blustery winds and a maximum gust of 29mph at 18.39.

It was another very mild night with the thermometer not dropping below 7.8C being 6.3C above the average.

As dawn arrived on Thursday another rain band, about 40 miles wide, approached the area with light rain after 07.00 and more intense rain at 07.45. The southerly wind continues gust with a gust of 26mph at 08.09.

The warm, southerly air continued to produce a mild day and night on Tuesday with a maximum of 11.4C being 3.7C above average and a minimum of 6.4C, which was 4.9C above average.

A narrow band of rain crossed the area between 1555 and 1620 on Tuesday afternoon during which the temperature dropped 2C. Further rain arrived in the early hours of Wednesday triggering the automatic rain gauge at 0440 that combined produced a doily total of 8.2mm. The monthly total has reached 41.8mm when the 37-year average is 67.2mm

Due to the mild air by day and night also overcast skies, the temperature at 08.00 on Wednesday read 9.2C making it the equal warmest day this month with the 2nd. The southerly breeze continues but again we have a very calm start to the day.

The thermometer on Monday soared to a maximum of 11.2C, which was 3.5C above the 37-year average and the warmest day since 28th January (11.7C). The wind from the south was breezy with a peak gust of 25mph so the absence of any wind chill. The sunshine logged was just 1.3 hours with the UV level at 1.3, rated as Low.

Rain arrived in the early hours of Tuesday triggering the automatic rain gauge just after 06.00 with a daily total of 4.4mm as measured in the standard Meteorological Office 5″ copper rain gauge. The automatic rain gauge, using a tipping bucket mechanism, gives a constant readout of rainfall but not being at the recommended 30cm above ground level can have some inaccuracies due to wind currents affecting the precipitation collected.

Tuesday after dawn was very wet as a rain band crossed the area but in calm conditions, the anemometer stationery for lengthy periods at 08.00. It was the second warmest start to a day this month with a temperature of 8.4C at 08.00 when 9.2C was logged on the 2nd. The ground temperature at a depth of 5cm has risen significantly over recent days with a reading of 6.8C at 08.00.