Category: Commentary

Thursday was much as Wednesday and Tuesday with modest hours of sunshine and dry but the strong northeasterly persisted, gusting to 33mph, the strongest gust since the 13th.

The many hours of sunshine lifted the temperature steadily to a peak of 14.4C, which was just 0.3C above the average. The sunshine disappeared early evening as cloud from the next weather front eased in from the east and produced a little rain from 2000 to 2030 amounting to 0.3mm.

The cloud from the weather front limited the temperature fall overnight with a minimum of 5.0C being 1.3C above the average.

Friday dawned dull and grey with another weather front crossing the area and rain threatening from mid-morning. The wind continues from the northeast but is forecast to veer into the southeast as the afternoon progresses. However. The temperature of 6.2C at 0800 felt more like 5C due to wind chill. A change is afoot as the pressure has dropped considerably in the last twenty-four hours with a reading of 1014.2mb at 0800, down 10 mb since yesterday.

The flow of brisk, cool air from the northeast continued on Wednesday although the several hours of sunshine lifted the maximum above average (+0.8C) with a peak of 14.9C. It was another dry day with Moderate levels of UV light.

The modest level of sunshine and drying northeasterly breeze saw the loss of equivalent rainfall through evaporation from ground sources and plant life increase to 2.2mm.

It was cool overnight due to clearing skies that saw the thermometer drop to 2.9C at 05.20 early Thursday being 0.8C below the 39-year average.

We were greeted on Thursday after dawn with glorious sushine the lifted the temperature to 6.2C by 08.00. The barometric pressure remains high with a reding of 1024.2mb at 08.00, a small drop of 5mb since the high on Monday.

The wind on Tuesday was brisk, gusting to 31mph and from the northeast, a cold direction. After one day with an above average maximum on Tuesday it was a below average again with a peak of just 13.6C (-0.5C). At least the cloud overnight helped retain a little warmth from the daytime as the thermometer did not drop below 6.4C, which was 2.7C above the average.

Tuesday was a dry day, only the eighth this month, with the UV level at ‘Moderate’.

Wednesday revealed that the continuing northeasterly had dragged more cloud across the region after picking up moisture as the airstream crossed the North Sea where the sea temperature is just 8C, so no wonder it feels distinctly cool outside. The high pressure is still ridging from Scandinavia to the Bay of Biscay and not moving or losing much pressure, so today is likely to be similar to Tuesday, but possibly less sunshine.

It was a treat to feel a little warmth in the sunshine during Monday afternoon, in light winds, as the thermometer rose to 15.1C being 1C above the average. Sadly the wind backed into the northeast overnight and strengthened with the result that the temperature dropped away to 5.5C at 01.45.

Tuesday revealed a cloudy and dull start to the new day but brief bursts of sunshine began to break through after 07.46 with the temperature having recovered to 7.3C.

The high pressure still extends from Scandinavia to the Bay of Biscay but a slight variation in the position of its centre saw the wind direction change to northeast or nor-northeast. The barometric pressure has eased upwards again with a reading of 1029.5mb at 08.00.

There was no sunshine on Sunday and the UV level reverted back to Moderate that meant a below average maximum of 13.4C (-0.7C). The past night was able average (+5.4) with a low of 9.4C due to yet more cloud drifting across the region.

Monday at first light revealed another dull start to the day with light rain and drizzle falling amounting to 2.0mm. By 07.30 the rain had stopped and the sky began to brighten as the cloud thinned. The barometric pressure has risen further, a reading of 1027.6mb was logged at 08.00, due to a ridge of high pressure stretching from Scandinavia to northern France. This should herald a drier period but likely cloudy as the wind is forecast to come from the southeast and back during the day into the northeast that will collect moisture from the North Sea.