Author: Eric Gilbert

The tropical air that has covered the UK on recent days meant a maximum of 10.4C yesterday, which is 2.2C above the 33-year average for February. Sadly, it did not bring any sunshine but moist, calm air. Overnight the thermometer slowly dropped to a minimum of 8.8C before rising again to 10.3C just after 4.30 this morning. At the time of my readings this had dropped back to 9.8C. This is exceptionally warm weather for February.
This morning has dawned, as on so many days earlier in the month, with low cloud draping the Marlborough Downs and very moist, still air with humidity at 99% and visibility down to around 300m. It is the warmest morning since Christmas Day 2016.

Update at 18.30: Maximum 12.2C, warm but not exceptional.

Saturday brought us another spring like day, after the low cloud and mist started to clear around midday. It was another mild day with a maximum of 10.6C (mean is 7.2C), light winds again with a maximum gust of 13mph at 11.28 from a southerly direction and 1.2 hours of strong sunshine. Overnight cloud built up again so the thermometer rose from a minimum of 4.1C just after midnight to 7.1C at 08.00.

Although there was limited strong sunshine yesterday, 1.1 hours,it pushed the thermometer to a maximum of 11.8C, exactly as the previous day with the UV level rising slightly higher to 1.6. There was no further rainfall with the cloud holding up the temperature overnight to a minimum of 4.8C. It was a very calm day with the strongest breeze registering just 12mph, the calmest day this month.
This morning has arrived with low cloud giving misty conditions and visibility varying from 300 – 900m.

The sunshine yesterday was such a treat after the gloomy days earlier in the month. It was the warmest day since 12th December with a maximum of 11.8C, some 4.6C above the average for February. Broken cloud after midday limited the strong sunshine to 2.75 hours but by then it produced the highest UV level (1.5) since 30th October. The small ridge of high pressure, with a maximum of 1030mb yesterday, brought the improved conditions with light winds. Overnight the thermometer did not drop below 6.3C, which is 5C above the mean minimum for February.
This morning has dawned with thin cloud obscuring the sun and almost still conditions.

After a dry start the rain set in before 11am yesterday and amounted to 5.5mm, which brings the total for February to 31.4mm. This is about half the average rainfall for the month being about half way through February in a relatively dry winter. Overnight the thermometer dropped to 4.2C just after 4am, which is 3C above the average following the maximum yesterday of 8.9C, which is nearly 2C above the average. Light winds, the calmest this month with a maximum gust of 14mph, made it a pleasant morning before the rain started. Significantly the wind has veered further, now from the south.
This morning it was a treat to have the sun stream through our east window before a bank of fog/cloud obscured it. Fog formed in the River Og valley at dawn but started to disperse as the sun rose. Sunshine this month has been in short supply wth a total of 13 hours to date when the average for February over the past two years is been 60 hours.