Author: Eric Gilbert

Tuesday saw the thermometer rise 3.1C above average with a maximum of 17.1C accompanied by light winds. The UV level, with a reading of 6.6 meant the strength was ‘high’.

A much warmer night followed with the minimum well above the average with a reading of 7.4C (+3.1C), which was up 6C on the previous cold night.

The rainfall for April amounted to 43.0mm, which was 15.3mm below the 35-year average, whereas evaporation from ground sources and plant life equalled rainfall of 70.66m

Wednesday arrived with mainly cloudy skies and the occasional brief glimpse of sunshine with the thermometer having risen to 10.7C at 08.00

The sunshine on Monday, also a calmer day, meant the thermometer rose above average (+2.1C) to a peak of 16.1C at 16.35.

The reverse was true as after the peak the temperature began to fall, and quite rapidly late evening, so that a minimum of 1.3C was reached at 05.08 this morning, Tuesday, which was 2.8C below average. This meant a sharp ground frost occurred for over four hours and any tender plants uncovered outside would have been badly effected.

Sun was in evidence, initially weak, from dawn that lifted the temperature on Tuesday morning at 08.00 to 6.9C

The ridge of high pressure to the east, which has influenced our weather for the past three days, has been blocking the advance of the next weather front coming in from the west.

Sunday eventually saw the temperature rise above average, just, in late afternoon as the sunshine increased, reaching a peak of 14.2C (+0.2C). With Storm Hannah well into the North Sea it was a much quieter day with a peak gust of 17mph.

We have enjoyed 19 dry days in April, the 9 wet days produced a total rainfall of 43.0mm whereas the sunshine and strong drying winds meant we have lost the equivalent rainfall of 62.15mm through evaporation from ground sources and plant life.

Another cool night followed with the thermometer sinking to 5.7C at 03.34 Monday morning that saw hazy sunshine from dawn that lifted the temperature to 9.8C at 08.00

Update on Monday at 18.25: ridge of high pressure lifted temperature to a maximum of 16.1C at 16.35, which was 2.1C above average

Saturday brought us the evidence of Storm Hannah, centred over Ireland, that gave us a very windy day. The peak gust measured 42mph at 09.09 but for many hours the 10 minute average seed was 10 – 12mph.

I was a dry day with the overnight rain ceasing just before 08.00

Due to the strength of the wind and the direction, then from the west, the maximum was depressed producing a peak of only 11.6C, which was 2.4C below average. However, the other factor was the strength and direction of the wind, which produced a wind chill making it feel 3C cooler.

The temperature fell away overnight giving a chilly night with a minimum of 5.4C at 03.46, recovering to 7.6C at 08.00, Sunday, with thick cloud obscuring any sunshine.

Update on Sunday at 16.35: after a very cool morning with the thermometer hovering around 11C, late afternoon sunshine lifted the temperature to a maximum of 14.1C, just above the average for late April. Fortunately the wind has abated from yesterday’s storms with the strongest gust today of 17mph and now from the north west.

Although Friday morning was very sunny the cloud built up before noon and the first rain shower was observed at 12.14 when in the squall the wind gusted to 23mph.

There followed occasional showers with more overnight and a longer period between 05.00 and 07.50 that brought the daily total to 6.1mm.

The thermometer reached its highest point early in the day on Friday, before the cloud increased, with a maximum of 14.8C at 11.48 being 0.8C above average. Overnight the thermometer fell away to minimum of 5.9C at 05.40 Saturday, which was 1.8C above average.

Saturday saw the wind strength rising as a result of Storm Hannah with the peak gust by 08.00 of 33mph. The cloud began to thin just before 08.00 as the rain band eased eastwards when the sun began to make an appearance.

Update on Saturday at 12.30: peak gust of wind measuring 42mph at 09.09. The wind speed has been easing down over the past hour or so with the 10 minute average reduced from 13mph to 8mph. Wind chill meant it felt 3C cooler.

Further update at 15.36: strongest gust of wind in past hour now down to 33mph as Storm Hannah moves off into the North Sea. The warmest part of the day was mid afternoon when the thermometer reached a maximum of only 11.6C being 2.4C below average, the coolest day since 14th April. Wind chill meant if felt 2C below the ambient temperature.