Author: Eric Gilbert

The anticyclone continues to dominate with some hazy sunshine yesterday but with a maximum of 4.6C it was the coldest day since 13th February 2016. This low maximum was 3C below the mean maximum for December and led to a sharp frost overnight with a minimum of -2.4C at 08.00. Also noticeable were the long periods without any wind, in fact the strongest movement was just 5mph. The barometric pressure has changed very little from its peak yesterday morning, with a drop of just 2mb to 1042.7mb at 08.00.
Today dawned with drifting fog of variable visibility but by 09.40 it had cleared with the sun shining in a slightly hazy blue sky.
The fog returned mid-morning with viability down to 300m at times with the thermometer not moving into a positive figure until just before noon.

Due to the current mild weather there has been much in the media abut the warmest Christmas Day record temperature that was originally set at Killerton in Devon in 1920 at 15.6C. Yesterday the peak temperature of 12.1C was reached at 14.27. The December of 2015 was even warmer with a Christmas Day maximum of 13.4C and days before had reached 14.4C, which was the warmest December Day for 33 years in Marlborough. The mean maximum for December is 7.7C.
Overnight there was light rainfall adding to the shower late afternoon producing 1.1mm. The wind picked up during the afternoon yesterday but the peak of 23mph was recorded at just before 1am.
The barometric pressure is now rising rapidly heralding an intense high pressure system building over the UK producing much blue sky this morning as the temperature dropped to a minimum of 5.4C at 08.00. The wind has backed into a westerly direction bringing drier air and greater visibility.

Christmas Eve was dry with no sunshine and the wind rising a little during the afternoon. The peak gust was early this morning at 24mph as the wind backed from the south into the south east. The temperature dipped during the afternoon but has been rising slowly overnight to reach a peak of 9.9C at 08.00, which is 2C above the mean daytime and 8C above the mean night time temperature.
This morning is overcast with low cloud and moisture in the air, but not measurable.

The much warned about Storm Barbara had minimal effect in our region. The wind began to pick up during the morning with a peak gust of 41mph at 14.53. The weather front passed through late afternoon bringing 1.3mm of rainfall and as it cleared just after 6pm, the wind veered from the south into the west and the temperature dropped significantly from a high of 10.4C to a minimum of 3.7C at 06.35 today.
This morning the wind has dropped out almost completely. The humidity at 89%, is the lowest for almost a month due to the drier westerly wind. It is overcast with high cloud and a temperature of 5.4C at 08.00.