Author: Eric Gilbert

Saturday was still cloudy, sunless and with no UV registered but it was dry after 18 successive days with rain.

Both maximum of 8.8C (+0.8C) ad minima of 6.4C (+4.2C) were above average due to an air mass originating from the continent.

Sunday started with complete cloud cover although the air mass was a little drier at 94% when for much of the month it has been between 97% and 98%. The wind has also strengthened a little, maximum of 17mph, after the very calm day on Friday.

Barometric pressure continues to be high so rain unlikely today.

The very still conditions on Friday were due to the highest barometric pressure since 14th September at 1035.2mb. As a consequence there was little movement of air, maximum gust of just 9mph, but periods when no movement of air was measurable on either anemometer. The anticyclone is centred over southern Scandinavia at 1042mb.

There was just a little more rainfall of 0.9mm from the thick cloud that persisted throughout the twenty-four hours giving murky conditions that lifted a little around noon.

The air originating well down in the Atlantic in the region of Iberia, was relatively mild and moist with a maximum of 7.2C by day and not dipping below around 8C overnight.

Saturday arrived with similar conditions although the cloud base was a little higher.

After the very sunny day on Wednesday the thick cloud and rain returned without even a glimpse of the sun.

Another 3.6mm of rainfall was recorded bringing the monthly total to 129.6mm, which is 39mm above the 35-year average.

Not surprisingly, given the cloudy conditions at this time of year the maximum of 8.8C was 0.8C above average and the minimum of 5.1C was 2.9C above the average.

Friday saw a continuation of the cloudy conditions with the cloud base so low it masked the tops of the Marlborough Downs and Savernake Forest. However the strong winds of Thursday, gusting to 28mph, have fallen light.

Glorious sunshine, 5.2 hours of it, made a splendid Christmas Day with light winds although cooler with a maximum of 8.1C, 2C down on Tuesday, but just above average.

The thermometer fell away steadily Wednesday evening to a minimum of 0.7C at 21.35. However, from that time warmer air began to arrive lifting the temperature steadily to reach 6.4C at 08.00 on Boxing Day.

A little rain fell just before 06.00 on Thursday although the wind had been rising since midnight gusting to 24mph recently and heavy rain noted at 08.00, falling from thick, low cloud.

Tuesday was another unsettled day with sunshine of 1.9 hours but rain in the morning and again in the afternoon amounting to 2.1mm.

The brisk south westerly wind, gusting to 24mph, meant a milder day with the thermometer rising to 10.9C being 3C above average.

Clearing skies overnight saw the thermometer tumble to 1.3C at dawn on Wednesday, which was 0.9C below average and giving a short lived ground frost.

Wednesday dawned with clear skies and the promise of much more sunshine as the barometer has risen 17mb in the past twenty-four hours, now the highest pressure for three weeks.