Category: Commentary

Temperatures by day and night were depressed over the past twenty-four hours with a maximum of 9.8C and 1.2C being 0.3C and 2.5C respectively below the 38-year average. It was the coldest start to a day at 08.00 since 8th April. However, we still have not experienced an air frost in October or November this year, which at the moment is a record.

A significant feature of the weather over the past two days has been the absence of wind. The maximum gust on the two days was 9mph and 8mph with many hours of total calm.

The large high pressure system to the east has begun to influence our weather with the wind today veering into the east or southeast. The pressure reading at 08.00 was 1020.7mb, up 13mb since this time yesterday.

Tuesday at dawn revealed that fog had developed overnight limiting visibility to 200m as a result of the low temperature and lack of wind.

Sunday was another cool, cloudy day, however, the peak temperature of 10.8C was just above average (+0.7C) thanks to the very gentle southwesterly air stream.

Overnight, but especially in the early hors of Monday, the temperature fell away, dropping to 4.8C at dawn, also above average (+1.1C).

Monday dawned with a little brightness at first but the wind is going to change and veer into the Northwest then North as the day progresses. This is a forerunner of a significant change in our weather pattern as high pressure will come to dominate to the east of the UK bringing a much cooler airstream from the east or southeast as we move into Tuesday.

Although Saturday was predominantly dry substantial rain began to fall just after 21.30 until just after midnight and later the occasional shower. The past twenty-four hours produced another 14.3mm of precipitation that took the monthly total to 134.1mm, which is 45mm above the 38-year average and the wettest November since 2009 (171.9mm). The record was set in 2002 with 203.5mm.

It has been very mild night that saw the thermometer rise to 12.2C overnight at 03.05. Thereafter the temperature began to fall as thick cloud from the weather front began to ease away so that by 08.00 the thermometer read 10.4C, which was still 0.3C above the average maximum for November. It was warmer during the night than the day for a few hours!

Sunday dawned dull with the residual cloud from the passing weather front and rain band. The thermometer continued to fall.

The very mild days and nights are coming to an end with a significant change in our weather, and wind direction, from possibly as early as Tuesday.

The mild weather continued on Friday that saw the thermometer rise to 11.8C, the highest since the 15th, and 1.7C above the average under the influence of a temporary ridge of high pressure over the continent.

As the high pressure over the continent edged northwards and the depression in the mid-atlantic edged southwards the wind backed from the southwest into the south late on Friday and continues from that direction for mots of Saturday.

The thermometer did not drop below 6.6C overnight being 2.9C above the average.

Saturday arrived with brightness through thin cloud but no sunshine. The temporary ridge of high pressure has built a little further with a reading of 1024.1mb at 08.00, up 36mb over the past three days.

Another 5.9mm of precipitation was recorded over the past twenty-four hours taking the total to 119.8mmm which is 30mm above the long-term average.

There were strong gusts of wind, maximum of 28mph, on the southwesterly breeze.

Both the maximum of 11.6C and the minimum of 6.1C overnight were again above average with +1.5C and 2.4C respectively.

Friday dawned with mainly clear skies and weak sunshine to greet the day. The barometric pressure has been rising again, up 27mb over the past two days, so Friday should be dry and bright.

At the moment there is a cluster of five depressions circulating in the Atlantic, unusual to have so many grouped together. This large weather system combined with high pressure over Iberia will mean a continuation of the southwesterly breeze today.