Author: Eric Gilbert

The barometric pressure stabilised over the past twenty-four hours and continued to bring quiet, autumnal weather. The thermometer edged slightly higher than on recent days but still below average (-2.6C) with a peak of 12.2C, the ninth consecutive day with a below average maximum.

It was another dry day with the air movement from the northeast much calmer producing a peak gust of just 12mph.

The cloud began to thin in the early hours of Sunday holding around 8C for several hours until the thermometer began to drop steadily after 02.00 to reach a minimum of 2.8C at 07.24, which was 4.3C below average and the coldest night since 29th September.

Sunday arrived with brightness in the eastern sky but no sun as a bank of cloud slowly eased eastwards obscuring the sun. The centre of the high pressure is now over central France that as the day progresses will see the persistent northeasterly wind over recent days change in direction to come from the south or southwest

The high pressure in the North Atlantic maintained dry weather during Friday although it was much cloudier with just 15 hours of sunshine. The maximum temperature of 11.3C was down again and 3.3C below average even though the persistent northeasterly breeze was less brisk with a peak gust of 13mph.

A milder night followed with the thermometer not sinking below 8.3C being 1.2C above average. This produced a diurnal temperature variation of just 3C.

Saturday arrived quite gloomy with thick cloud. The wind is still from the north east but light in strength. The high-pressure has intensified but moved westwards in the Atlantic allowing a depression to edge towards the country.

A ridge of high pressure, from the anticyclone centred to the north west of Scotland, maintained fine weather on Thursday with another 4 hours of sunshine. However, the north easterly wind, gusting again to 22mph, meant a cool day with the thermometer struggling to reach 11.6C, which was 3C below average.

It was almost a dry day, but not quite. A few shower clouds drifted over the area in the late afternoon that produced a few drops of rain but not measurable so recorded as a trace.

The thermometer dropped to 6.4C overnight being 0.7C below average.

Friday arrived with a cloudy sky and almost calm conditions.

Despite the stronger breeze from the northwest on Wednesday with a peak gust of 22mph, the increased sunshine (4.3 hours) meant a slightly warmer day than on Tuesday with a maximum of 13.3C, still 1.3C below average. The overnight minimum was also below average (-2.2C) with the thermometer dropping to 4.9C just before dawn on Thursday.

Rain drops were observed just before 1700 on Wednesday but not measurable however overnight a shower amounted to 1.0mm bringing the monthly total 125.1mm.

Thursday saw the sun rise in a mainly clear sky as the barometric pressure has risen to 1024.8mb due to an intense high pressure system centred in the North Sea just off the Scottish coast. A temperature of 5.0C at 08.00 made it the coldest start to the day at this time since 28th September that followed a ground frost.

With the wind veering into the north on Tuesday it was no wonder the temperature by day was depressed even further with a maximum of just 11.2C being 3.4C below average. However, it was a dry day with 2.2 hours of sunshine.

Overnight the thermometer fell to a minimum of 7.4C almost exactly average for October.

Wednesday arrived with sunshine as soon as the sun appeared over the horizon. The barometric pressure has been rising again with a current reading of 1019.5mb.