Friday 19th December
The rain on Thursday was relentless, once it started at 10.00, very light at first. For once the main area of heavy rain passed over our area, not relenting until 16.00 when there followed brief light rain showers. The daily rainfall amounted to 26.8mm that made it the wettest day since 9th November. Not only was there no UV registered on the sensor but for the first time this year there was no evapotranspiration, being the loss of moisture from the ground and plant life. The peak temperature of 11.3C was logged at 13.44, which was 3.8C above average. The thermometer hovered around 11C during daylight hours and it was not until 18.10 that the temperature began to fall, as the clouds began to thin, with a further decline after 22.00 that resulted in a minimum of 5.1C at 06.21.
After first light on Friday it was evident that the thick cloud had moved replaced by thin high cloud that revealed a light blue sky with the promise of perhaps some sunshine today. Not only has the rain band moved off to the east but the barometric pressure has been building overnight that will minimise any possible light showers today.
Two areas of low-pressure are likely to form to the northwest of the UK on Saturday, however, the remnant of the high pressure towards the east is likely to mean a dry day on Saturday but giving way to more unsettled weather on Sunday. The relocations of the high and low pressure systems by Sunday will see the wind back into the southeast later on Saturday and then east, which will introduce the drier but much cooler temperatures, probably below average for several days. By the time Christmas Eve arrives the wind will have veered further, into the northeast, the herald of a much colder, probably drier air stream, more like winter.