Author: Eric Gilbert

As Storm Brendan began to ease away on Tuesday another deep depression, centred in the western approaches, made itself felt with 16 hours of precipitation and very strong winds.

The first drizzly rain began to fall shortly after 09.30 that continued, with the rain intensifying throughout the day and night, ceasing around 04.15 Wednesday morning. Between 19.30 ad 19.45 Tuesday evening a strong squall arrived with intense rain.

The wind strength during daylight hours was very strong, particularly between 10.00 and 22.00. The peak period was between 11.00 and 20.00 when gusts were often between 30 and 40mph with the maximum gust of 42mph at 14.44.

Rainfall for the past twenty-four hours amounted to 21.6mm bringing the monthly total to 64.7mm when the 35-year average is 90.4mm.

Wednesday arrived with a hang back of cloud from the recent depression but, thankfully, the strong winds abated late evening and currently conditions are very still.

The warm air from the Azores, brought on the south westerly air mass, saw the thermometer rise to a maximum of 12.6C at 15.15, which was 5.6C above the 35-year average. Another mild night followed, due the extensive cloud cover, producing a minimum of 5.9C being 4.8C above the average.

Update: almost three hours of sunshine on Wednesday, what a change from previous days!

Monday saw the result of Storm Brandon, centred to the north west of Scotland, bringing a windy and cloudy day after initial brightness. The wind increased during the afternoon with a maximum gust of 38mph at 16.01.

A wide rain band arrived late afternoon with a significant squall line at 19.00, lasting around 15 minutes, when heavy rain was falling briefly at 44mm/hour. The rainfall for the past twenty-four hours amounted to 11.6mm bringing the monthly total to 43.1mm.

As the back edge of the rain band eased away eastwards the temperature dropped by almost 4C and the wind abated.

The air mass, brought on a southerly wind from around the Azores, meant another very mild day and night with a maximum of 9.8C, which was 2.8C above the 35-year average and a minimum of 5.8C being a significant 4.7C above the average.

Tuesday at dawn saw thin cloud rapidly thicken as the next weather front approached front the south west.

Update on Tuesday at 14.50: wind now gusting to 42mph at 14.44 as next storm approaches with warm southerly wind lifting temperature to 12.5C currently, which is 5.5C above average.

Update at 18.35: although the peak gust of 42mph has not been exceeded since 14.44 the wind has continued very strong with the 10 minute average wind strength now reaching 13mph. There is currently a windchill that makes it feel more like 9C than actually 12.2C.

Sunday gave us a bright morning with 1.8 hours of welcome sunshine but just after noon thick clouds rolled in from the south west obliterating the sun. The sunshine and the air mass from mid-Atlantic meant another mild day with a maximum of 9.6C (+2.6C).

Rain showers occurred overnight amounting to 1.6mm. The disturbed weather continues with only two totally dry days in January so far.

Another cloudy night meant now frosts occurred although it did get chilly with a minimum of 4.4C late evening.

Monday initially saw a little brightness but soon after dawn the cloud began to thicken with a light rain shower at 08.00 and the thermometer having lifted a little to read 6.1C.

Update on Monday at 16.02: The early effects of Storm Brandon being felt as barometric pressure has been dropping rapidly all day, currently 997.1mb, resulting in wind strength rising all day and a current maximum gust of 38mph at 16.01. Occasional drizzle showers after noon but main rain band arrived just before 15.30.

Although Saturday was bright no sunshine was recorded although the UV level at 0.7 was the highest since the beginning of December.

It was a windy day with strong gusts throughout the east twenty-fur hours with the strongest gust of 46mph recorded at 14.08 Saturday afternoon and another almost as strong measuring 39mph at 17.47 Saturday evening.

The air mass brought to us on a southerly wind from the Azores meant anther warm day with a maximum of 10.3C, which was 3.3C above the average. This was maintained at about that level during the evening and night but as the clouds moved away on Sunday morning the thermometer began to fall a little under the clearing skies to read 8.9C at 08.00.

There was a little rain around midnight but an intense, short shower just before 06.00 on Sunday morning saw rain falling briefly at the rate of 60mm/hour. The rainfall for the east twenty-four hours amounted to 4.0mm bringing the monthly total to 29.9mm when the 35-year January average is 90.4mm.

Sunday at dawn saw the heavy black clouds rolling away to the east being replaced by broken cloud.

The mild weather continues as an air mass originating near the Azores brings warm air with a maximum of 8.1C, which was 1.1C above the 35-year average. We enjoyed 2.8 hours of sunshine, principally in the morning.

There was a light shower overnight amounting to 0.3mm.

The temperature fell away during Friday evening, under clear skies, to a minimum of 3.9C at 18.19 but intruding cloud cover later in the evening and night meant that the temperature recovered to 8.0C at 08.00 Saturday morning.

Update at 14.30 Saturday: wind strength has been increasing for the last four hours with a gust of 46mph at 14.08.