Category: Commentary

The maximum of 7.6C on Friday made it the coolest day since the beginning of the month and the first below my 40-year average since the 2nd. Clear skies overnight meant a low of -1.4C at 05.56 Saturday producing an air frost. This minimum was 3.1C below my 40-year average and the coldest night since 20th January.

The early risers on Saturday saw brief, weak sunshine but by 07.30 a sheet of cloud had moved eastwards blocking out all possible brightness. This was due to a weather system running along the English Channel throwing cloud over southern England with the possibility of rain and depressed temperatures. The wind direction is going to change considerably today from southeast to north west and then back again to southwest as the centre of the low pressure moves eastwards.

The thermometer dropped abruptly 3.4C on Thursday morning at 08.40 as the squall went through then dropped a further 0.6C in the next half hour. The rain was almost continuous on Thursday adding another 14.7mm taking the monthly total to 130.6mm, some 65mm above my 40-year average.

The sky began to clear late afternoon that led to a much cooler night with the thermometer sinking to 2.2C at 23.15 late Thursday, rising to 3.9C at 08.00 on Friday. This minimum was the lowest since 2nd February.

Friday initially began with weak sunshine but cloud soon drifted in from the west limiting its strength.

There are four areas of low pressure to the north of the UK that are influencing our current weather producing a light northwesterly of a showery nature. The cool air that arrived behind the cold fronts yesterday will continue for much of the day.

The cooling of the exceptionally warm days started on Wednesday with the coolest day for almost for a week when the thermometer rose to 11.8C, however, this was still 3.7C above my 40-year average. Overnight was also mild with the thermometer not sinking below 7.7C being 6.0C above the average.

Rain was logged starting at 15.30 on Wednesday and after a mainly dry night began again at 05.45 in advance of the main rain band on Thursday. Another 8.2mmm took the monthly total to 115.9mm, which is 176% of my 40-year average.

With a week to go in February the rainfall for the winter season is currently 139% of my 40-year average or + 90mm.

Thursday will be the last of the warm days that began with a temperature of 9.8C at 08.00. Late morning will see a drop in temperature as two cold fronts pass over southern England that will then drag in colder air behind them. There will be a significant lowering of temperatures by day and night for several days as the wind veers from southwest and west into the northwest.

The depression over Iceland is now exerting its influence more strongly over the UK as the high pressure system over the Continent slips away producing a barometric pressure of 983.7mb at 08.00, the lowest for almost a fortnight.

Update: Within an hour of my readings at 08.00, at which time the thermometer read 9.8C, the temperature had dropped 3C to read 6.8C after the cold front had passed through. By 09.30 there was a further fall to 6.3C with the wind already having veered into the northwest.

The last of the very warm days occurred on Tuesday with a maximum of 12.7C (+4.6C) and overnight minimum of 7.2C (+5.5C). Rainfall totalling 6.3mm was recorded during the past twenty-four hours taking the monthly total to 107.7mm being 164% 0f my 40-year average.

Wednesday revealed a wet start to the day as rain began to fall just before 06.00. This is due to a very deep depression centred just south of Iceland but moving north, current pressure a very low 955mb, throwing thick cloud and rain over the UK thanks to two cold fronts that will slowly traverse the UK. The rain radar indicates several hours of rain during the daytime. The barometric pressure has been falling rapidly since Tuesday having dropped a significant 19mb in 24 hours with a reading of 1009.3mb at 08.00. The cloud and rain will produce a cooler day than of late.

Later tonight and tomorrow the wind will back into the northwest, as against southwest today, which will mean a cooler airstream thus lower temperatures that will be closer to normal for late February.

The peak of 12.3C at 13.23 on Monday was yet again well above average being +4.2C, likewise the overnight minimum of 6.2C that occurred at 03.01 early Tuesday was +4.5C. There was minimal rainfall of 0.5mm that took the monthly total 101.4mm being 35.7mm above my 40-year average. February 2024 is the sixth wettest February I have recorded since 1984 but that is likely to change with many hours of precipitation forecast on Wednesday that will increase the total considerably.

This will be the last of the very warm days as Wednesday’s peak will be depressed due to many hours of rainfall before the recent warm, and most airstream is replaced on Thursday by something a little cooler.

Tuesday after dawn revealed yet again a completely cloudy sky ahead of yet again another weather front moving in from the Atlantic. The barometric pressure continues to be high with a reading of 1028.8mb at 08.00 but this will drop away as the next depression closes in.