Category: Commentary

The maximum of 15.6C on Wednesday was the second warmest day this month being 5C above my 40-year average, 15.9C was logged on the 17th. It was only the sixth totally dry day this month. The low of 7.8C, that was logged at 04.13 on Thursday, was also above average (+5.3C).

Thursday yet again revealed a dull start to a new day with low cloud producing misty conditions draping the high ground. The thermometer had recovered to 9.2C by 08.00.

The temporary ridge of high pressure will collapse away over the Continent later today so a mainly dry day is ahead but conditions will change as we approach the weekend as the wind changes to come from a more northerly quadrant on Friday. The barometric pressure reading at 08.00 was 1026.5mb, the highest pressure since 20th February. Thursday is likely to be the last of the exceptionally mild days.

The wind was predominantly from the south on Tuesday, that gave us another mild day after the initial drizzle faded away, but no lasting sunshine, just occasional very brief glimpses. However, the maximum of 14.6C was a whole 4C above my 40-year average. Overnight the temperature only dropped slowly to a low of 10.3C at 06.50 on Wednesday, being 7.5C above my 40-year average.

Only six days this month have produced a maximum that was below my 40-year average. Likewise, only seven nights have dropped below my long-term average.

There was a small precipitation of 0.6mm and the UV level rose to 3.1 that equated to the bottom of the ‘Moderate’ level.

Wednesday revealed a cloudy sky again but higher and thinner as weak fronts cross the UK this morning. The wind today will slowly veer from the south and southwest into the northwest later today as the depression over Brittany eases away and a temporary ridge of high pressure moves in for Thursday.

The very welcome sunshine on Monday, especially during the morning, lifted the thermometer to 14.3C, this was 3.7C above my 40-year average and the seventh consecutive warm day with peaks well above average, thanks to the flow of moist, warm air brought on a predominantly southwesterly air stream. The peak was logged at 13.38 before the sun became intermittent and cloud built up again. The low of 9.4 wa recorded jus after midnight at 00.04 being a significant 6.9C above the long-term average.

Tuesday revealed another damp and dull day with very low cloud masking the high ground and producing intermittent light drizzle. These conditions are due to three weather fronts crossing our area that are not very active, just bringing the depressing, low cloud and misty conditions. The barometric pressure has varied little over the past three days with a reading of 1014.0mb at 08.00

The maximum of 15.9C on Sunday made it the warmest day since 26th October being a significant 5.3C above my 40-year average. The thermometer did make a surprising drop in the early hours with a low of 4.8C at 02.58 early Monday, however, this was still 2.3C above my long-term average. The rain ceased shortly before 08.30 adding just 0.4mm to the monthly total now standing at 51.3mm, being 84% of my 40-year average.

Monday arrived with glorious sunshine that broke through just before 07.00, that by 08.00 had lifted the temperature to 9.4C. The flow of warm air will continue for a couple of days brought on a light southwesterly breeze, being predominantly dry.

After a very sunny start to Saturday the cloud increased mid-morning obscuring the sun. Light rain arrived just before 16.00 and was heavy in the early hours adding another 7.8mm to the monthly total now standing at 50.9mm being 83% of my 40-year average. The thermometer reached its peak of 11.2C at 12.41 but fell very little in the afternoon and overnight dropping just a degree to 10.2C at 03.18 thanks to the thick cloud as the next depression approached.

Sunday struggled to come alive as the thick cloud meant the rain continued. The temperature had in fact risen a little to 10.7C by 08.00.

Due to a very mild night, the ground temperature at a depth of 5cm read 10.4C, the highest since the mild spell on the 15th February.