Category: Commentary

Yet again the maximum and minimum were above average with 11.7C and 4.1C being +3.9C and +2.6C respectively. It was a dry day until early evening with the UV level easing upwards during the 2.4 hours of sunshine to peak at 1.3, classed as ‘Low’.

Rain triggered the rain gauge just after 18.00 and again at 21.00 amounting to 2.4mm in the 5” Met. Office standard copper rain gauge. The monthly rainfall total is 19.8mm against the 38-year average of 66.9mm for February.

Thursday arrived with total cloud cover and just a very light wind. The direction veered from the southwest to west and north-northwest on Wednesday as the afternoon progressed.

Tuesday was another very mild day for February with a maximum of 12.0C being 4.2C above the 38-year average. The brisk southwesterly breeze continued with a peak gust of 18mph.

Overnight was also mild for February with low of 6.8C at 07.31 on Wednesday being 5.3C above the average.

Wednesday dawned with broken cloud and calm conditions.

As the centres of the high and low pressures relocate the breeze is forecast to veer from the mild southwest to west and northwest as the day progresses so it will be a cooler day.

The brisk southwesterly wind, less strong but its a peak gust of 18mph, meant another mild day with a maximum of 9.6C. This was a degree down on Sunday but still 1.8C above average. In fact every day this month has seen a maximum above average.

It was a more cloudy day with just 3 hours of sunshine that was weaker than of late with the UV level at 0.9, down from 1.3 on the 1st.

The thermometer stayed well above average overnight, not dropping below 8.7C (+7.2C).

Tuesday dawned grey and dull with total cloud cover. The barometric pressure remains high with the centre of the anticyclone to the southeast of the country, over Switzerland, that still brings a southwesterly breeze.

Sunday saw the thermometer rise to a maximum of 10.5C being 2.7C above the 38-year average in the limited sunshine of 1.9 hours.

The temperature began to fall away during the evening to reach a low of 0.8C at 07.10 on Monday being 07C below the average.

Monday began with welcome sunshine after the sun rose above the horizon.

A ridge of high pressure has been building over the past twenty-four hours that has seen a rise of 22mb with a pressure of 1027.5mb at 08.00, the highest since the end of January.

Saturday was dry and breezy also mild again with a peak 9.4C (+1.6C).

In the early hours of Sunday a cold front arrived and brought 10.1mm of rainfall making it the wettest day since 25th December. Between 07.00 and 08.15, as the cold front eased away to the east, the wind was very strong gusting to a peak of 37mph, which was the strongest gust since 27th November.

After 08.15 on Sunday brightness was observed to the west as the hang back of cloud from the weather front eased away to the east. The wind also began to calm down.

The barometric pressure has been falling for the past twenty-four hours, rapidly in the past few hours, with a reading of 1005.5mb at 08.00, the lowest pressure for a month.