Category: Commentary

The thermometer rose to its highest this month on Tuesday with a maximum of 15.2C. This was 4.6C above the average and the warmest day since 13th November. The UV level rose to 3.8, which was in the ‘Moderate’ category and the highest since 23rd September.

More rain arrived just before midnight and added another 10.6mm to the total that now stands at 68.7mm being 10mm above the average.

Wednesday morning saw the back-edge of the of the rain band with thick cloud, which began to thin after 08.00.

The soil temperature at a depth of 5cm read 10.0C at 08.00, the warmest the soil has been since 15th November.

The flow of mild, moist air on a southwesterly airstream continued on Monday accompanied by continuous cloud cover. As a result the thermometer climbed to 12.0C being 1.4C above the average. Overnight was also very mild with. low of 8.4C, which was 6.0C abject the average.

There were a couple of showers during daylight hours and overnight that amounted to 4.4mm and took the monthly total to 58.1mm, just 0.7mm bleep the 39-year average.

Tuesday brought us occasional short bursts of sunshine early morning but not sustained sunshine. The thermometer rose to 9.6C by 08.00 on the continuing southwestern breeze.

Both maximum and minimum were above average on Sunday with 11.8C (+1.2C) and 6.6C (+4.2C) due to a modest westerly breeze and being mostly cloudy.

Monday arrived with thick cloud and light moisture in the air but not measurable. The moist, warm air from the Atlantic will continue as the wind backs a few degrees into the southwest today.

The temperature on Saturday was again well above the average (+4.1C) with a maximum of 14.7C, very welcome after so many cold days. Overnight the thermometer fell away to a minimum of 2.5C, which was almost exactly the average for late March.

Sunday started very sunny but after 07.30 cloud could was observed approaching from the northwest that by 07.55 had obliterated the sun.

The Arctic maritime air brought on the Northwest or north-northwest airstream meant a cool day and night. The thermometer eventually reached 9.8C, which was 0.8C below average and the clearing skies overnight produced an air-frost that saw the thermometer dip to -2.4C at 06.35 on Wednesday being 4.9C below the average.

A brief, short shower of small hail was observed starting at 15.15 amounting to 0.2mm.

Early evening the wind backed from the northern quadrant to west.

Wednesday dawned with weak sunshine as the advance cloud from the next weather front had already edged in. The airstream is now coming from the southwest but calm at the time the readings were taken.