Author: Eric Gilbert

Monday gave us a sunny day with 10.6 hours of sunshine that lifted the temperature above average with a maximum of 10.8C (+0.5C).

Since 13.00 on Monday the barometric pressure has been in rapid fall loosing 23mb in 19 hours as Storm Gareth approached. A peak gust of 33mph was recorded at 04.45 today, Tuesday, as a very active weather front began to cross the area.

At 08.00 on Tuesday the barometric reading was 1004.4mb, with the wind increasing in strength from just before midnight, driving in drizzle and light showers before the arrival of heavy rain, which is imminent. We have yet to have a totally dry day in March.

Update on Tuesday at 11.00: wind gusted to 46mph at 09.34.

Update at 13.35: drizzle turned to intense rain at 11.00, since reducing to steady rain.
Temperature dropped from 9.3C at 11.00 to 3.2C at 13.30

Update at 16.20: total rainfall of 11.7mm, which after just twelve days in March brings the total just above the monthly average for the whole month.

Sunday proved a stormy day with winds from the northwest gusting to 39mph. Temperatures were depressed with a maximum of 9.3C being 1C below average. However, the strength of the wind and from that direction produce a wind chill that meant at the warmest past of the day it felt more like 6C.

There were two very brief showers of small hail (<5mm) at 12.05 and 12.50 amounting to 0.4mm. The thermometer fell away overnight to register a minimum of 2.4C at 06.07 Monday morning, which was just above average for early March. The wind had abated somewhat on Monday morning and we were greeted by sunshine as it rose above the horizon with the thermometer lifting a little to register 4.1C at 08.00. Update on Monday at 16.10: Strong westerly winds all day with a peak of 29mph. The sunshine raised the temperature to a maximum of 10.8C, which was 0.5C above average in the 10 hours of sunshine that weakened in late afternoon as cloud began to drift in from the west.

With the strong breeze coming from the southwest on Saturday it was a warmer day as the thermometer reach 11.3C at 13.43 in the sunshine, which was 1C above average.

A wet night was to follow with heavy rain falling in the early hours of Sunday, particularly so around 03.45 when the peak rate was 11mm/hour. The daily rainfall total was 8.8mm bringing the monthly total to 45.7m. Just after 02.00 the wind began to veer from the southwest into the northwest, whih surprisingly lifted the temperature by 4C.

Sunday has seen the wind strength from the north west increasing with a peak gust of 37mph at 07.39. Considerable sunshine greeted Sunday morning as the weather front that brought drizzly rain until 07.00, eased away to the east with the thermometer reading 8.3C at 08.00. However, the very strong wind produced a wind chill so that it felt more like 4C.

Update on Sunday at 15.50: peak gust of wind at 10.50 measuring 39mph. Temperature depressed in the strong northwesterly wind with a maximum of 9.3C, being 1C below average, but wind chill made it feel more like 6C. Two very brief showers of small hail were observed at 12.05 and 12.50.

Friday gave us a bright morning but just after midday the cloud built up with light rain and drizzle during the afternoon. The daily rainfall amounted to 2.7mm. It was another fresh day with the maximum temperature only 9.2C, down again on Thursday and 1.1C below average, feeling cool in the brisk wind.

Saturday morning saw the thermometer at its lowest with a reading of 5.8C, being 3.C above average and broken sunshine as the cloud from the latest weather front eased away to the east.

The UV level on Thursday rose to 2.6, the strongest since 13th October as we enjoyed over 6 hours of sunshine. The strong westerly winds then from a cooler direction and peaking at 38 mph, restricted the temperature to a maximum of 9.7C, which was 0.6C below average.

Overnight the temperature fell away to a minimum of 1.6C at 07.09 this morning, giving a slight ground frost.

Friday arrived with broken sunshine and the thermometer having recovered to 3.9C at 08.00

Update on Friday at 15.55: dribs and drabs of light rain after midday but no quantity. Bright periods in the morning lifted the temperature to a maximum of just 9.2C, being 1.3C below average, before the rain arrived and depressed the temperature further to currently 8.5C.