Author: Eric Gilbert

Today (6th December) was the sunniest day since 1st November and produced 6.19 hours of direct sunshine. This followed a sharp air frost when the thermometer dropped to -3.2C, which was the coldest night since 26th November 2013.

The thermometer struggled to each a maximum of just 3.8C yesterday, which is 3C below the long-term average for December. It was also the coldest day since January 30th 2014 that registered a maximum of 2.4C.
Overnight there was a slight air frost registering -0.2C although the advancing cloud cover this morning raised the air temperature to above freezing (+1.2C) at 0800.

With a total of 4.84 hours of direct sunshine yesterday it was the sunniest day since November 9th. The flow of much colder, drier air from a northerly direction has meant humidity levels are lower and the wind strength produced a factor of wind chill for the first time since last winter. The wind chill reduced the actual air temperature to a perceived temperature lower by at least 2C all day.

The last two days, with winds from a north-easterly direction, have brought a much drier air. At 0800 on the 2nd the humidity was 88%, the lowest at this time of day since August.
This year all months in Marlborough, with the exception of August, have produced a mean temperature above the long-term average. Most have been at least 1C higher with March being the warmest at +1.8C. The extreme was the summer month of August, which was 1.6C below the long-term average.