Author: Eric Gilbert

After a damp start to Monday the afternoon was brighter with 5 hours of sunshine and a peak temperature just above the average (+0.4C) with a reading of 21.4C at 15.52.

The wind strength was moderate on Monday with, during daylight hours, a peak gust of 14mph.

There were a few drops of rain, not measurable, late afternoon on Monday but the real rain arrived overnight beginning at 01.30 Tuesday with an intense burst at 02.15. By the time readings were taken at 08.00, 17.1mm had fallen making the past twenty-four hours the wettest day since 20th July. This rainfall brought the monthly total to 49.3mm, which is still 17.4mm below the 36-year average. The main rain band has now departed as the depression eases north eastwards.

The barometric pressure has been falling since the early hours of Monday as Storm Francis approached the UK. The current reading was 999.2mb at 08.00 and falling rapidly. As the depression deepened the isobars tightened that produced the increase in wind speed since 01.30 Tuesday morning with peak gusts, so far, of 30mph at 07.55, but forecast to increase considerably during daylight hours. The centre of Storm Francis is currently moving northeastwards across Ireland towards the Isle of Man with a central pressure of 981mb. As a consequence the current southerly wind with veer towards the southwest as the day progresses.

Update on Tuesday at 17.50: maximum gust of 48mph at 15.28.

Sunday was again a mixture of sunshine and showers with a daily total of 2.0mm that brought the monthly total to 32.2mm when the average is 66.7mm.

Temperatures by day and night were down a little on Saturday’s figures, but still above average, with a maximum of 21.2C (+0.2C) and 12.8C (+1.2C).

The wind was still brisk, but having veered a few degrees came from the west with a maximum gust of 22mph, the lowest for six days.

Monday opened with a totally cloudy sky and drops of rain, not enough to call a shower, as a fragmented rain band began to cross the area. The temperature at 08.00 was 13.6C making it the coolest start to a day since 20th July.

As Storm Ellen eased away on Saturday the wind slowly subsided, although still blustery with a peak gust of 31mph. The increased sunshine of 7.2 hours meant a slightly warmer day than on Friday with a maximum of 21.4C (+0.4C).

Saturday was a dry day but in the early hours of Sunday, between 01.00 and 02.15, rain fell totalling 1.7mm, briefly quite heavy just before 02.00.

Sunday arrived with total cloud cover but beginning to thin producing brighter intervals at 08.00 after another mild night with a minimum of 13.9C (+2.3C). With the departure of Storm Ellen there has been a consequent variation in the wind direction. Saturday’s breeze was from a predominantly southwest to west-southwest direction whereas on Sunday it had veered a little more now coming from the west but very light in strength.

After the lowest barometric pressure for over two months on Friday the barometer has been rising steadily over the past twenty-four hours to reach the highest pressure in two weeks with a reading of 1016.0mb at 08.00, Sunday.

The effect of Storm Ellen was very noticeable on Friday as we experienced a very windy day with frequent gusts well over 30mph and a peak gust of 44mph at 13.55. This was the strongest gust in August that I have recorded since the station started in 1984. The previous August record was set in 2019 with a maximum gust of 38mph on the 10th.

No rain fell in the past twenty-four hours even though showers were prevalent around the country. The August rainfall total now stands at 28.5mm with a 36-year average of 66.7mm. Evaporation far exceeds what has seemed a very wet few days with the equivalent of 59mm of rainfall lost to the atmosphere.

The thermometer rose just above the average during the daytime on Friday with a maximum of 21.1C (+0.1C) then another mild night that produced a minimum of 13.7C (+2.1C).

Today is definitely Saturday that saw bright periods after dawn with the wind, thankfully, much subdued with a peak gust in the last hour or two of 15mph, now from the westsouthwest. By 08.00 there were breaks in the cloud that allowed the sun to appear.

After a relatively calm day on Thursday with 10.5 hours of sunshine and an above average maximum 22.2C (+1.2C), the wind began to increase in strength around 23.00 Thursday evening. This was due to the very deep depression to the north west of the country named Storm Ellen by Met Eireann.

It has been another very mild night with a minimum of 15.9C being 4.3C above the 36-year average. A little before dawn on Friday, at 05.13, a maximum gust of 33mph was recorded.

Friday brought broken cloud and bright intervals to start the day with the wind very gusty and still rising in strength with the occasional light shower giving a rainfall total for the past day of 2.3mm.

Update on Friday at 18.00: maximum gust of 43mph at 13.55.