Category: Commentary

The wind from the north on Saturday depressed the temperature with a maximum of 18.4C although this was just above average (+0.9C). It was a dry day but just after dawn on Sunday, at 06.30, a rogue shower drifted down from the north producing 0.2mm.

The overnight minimum of 7.8C was 1.2C above the average.

Sunday arrived with total cloud cover that contained the brief shower. After 08.00 it began to brighten but no prolonged sunshine, as thicker cloud from the north approached the area.

Due to the anticyclone easing away from the UK northwards, the wind is coming from the east-northeast.

The many hours of strong sunshine on Friday raised the temperature to 19.9C being 2.4C above the average. It would have been higher except for the fact that the wind after dawn veered from the west into the northwest, a cooler direction. The UV level of 7.0 was again rated as Very High.

The monthly rainfall still stands at 50.9mm against the 38-year average of 60.7mm. Set against that must be the equivalent loss of rainfall due to evaporation that so far this month amounts to 71mm.

It has been a very cool night with the thermometer dropping to 5.3C, which was 1.1C below the average.

Saturday brought a mainly sunny start to the day with light, variable cloud and the thermometer having recovered to 12.7C at 08.00 at which time the barometric pressure read 1027.0mb having strengthened 2mb since Friday.

Thursday brought more sunshine and a dry day as the anticyclone built with the UV level back again to Very High. The wind began to veer from west to northwest late afternoon with a peak gust of 22mph.

Temperature extremes were 17.8C (+0.3C) and 11.8C (+5.2C) overnight.

Friday arrived with welcome sunshine after dawn with the wind now settled into the northwest, a cooler direction that west. The air temperature at 08.00 had recovered to 14.4C. The ground temperature at a depth of 5cm read 16.1C at 08.00, the highest at that time since 11th September. The barometric reading at 08.00 was 1025.4mb, the highest since the 8th.

The drizzle on Wednesday came across in waves, but very light, so that by the end of the day it amounted to just 0.7mm. The wind began to veer from the southwest to west just after 14.00 and the sky to clear producing intermittent sunshine.

The maximum temperature was 17.8C (+0.3C) and the minimum of 10.0C (+2.6C) gave a mild night.

Thursday saw the continuation of total cloud cover and a temperature of 13.4C at 08.00.

The barometric pressure began to build during the past twenty-four hours to reach 1021.8mb at 08.00 on Thursday as an anticyclone developed to the west of the Bay of Biscay, thus the change in wind direction to west.

Tuesday was dry although heavy rain showers passed just to the east of this area, thus a dry day. The changeable, showery weather meant squally winds from the west with a peak gust of 22mph.

The thermometer rose to 17.4C in the sunny intervals, through breaks in the cloud, being just below average. Once again the cloud meant a milder night with the minimum of 7.9 being 1.5C above the 38-year average.

Wednesday dawned with total cloud cover from which the first spots of rain were observed at 07.29 in advance of another approaching weather front to shortly pass over the area from the west.