Category: Commentary

Wednesday was a day to forget, weatherise, with no sunshine and almost continuous misty conditions with light drizzle from time to time.

The very light southwesterly air flow continued the run of very mild, moist air with the flow off the Atlantic, that lifted the temperature to a maximum of 13.6C being 3.5C above average.

There was a little light rain that started at 1815 and continued briefly to 1900 providing 1.1mm of precipitation.

Once again the minimum overnight was significantly above average (+6.9C) with a low of 10.7C.

Thursday, as on Wednesday, dawned with low cloud and mist shrouding the Marlborough Downs and Savernake Forest. The centre of the high pressure is now over Brittany that this morning will continue the southwesterly air flow that is forecast to back into the south this afternoon, still a warm, moist air flow.

Under the influence of the warm air mass brought on the southwesterly light breeze, the thermometer rose to 14.7C. This peak was a significant 4.6C above the 37-year average and the warmest day since 28th October. The day was dry but a light shower in the early hours of Wednesday produced 1.0mm of precipitation that brought the monthly total to just 3.0mm.

The past night has been exceptionally mild with the thermometer only very slowly falling to a low of 10.8C at 05.41 on Wednesday morning. This minimum was 7C above the average minimum and more exceptionally 0.7C above the average daytime maximum.

Dawn on Wednesday revealed low, thick cloud shrouding the Marlborough Downs and Savernake Frost in still air conditions.

Tuesday brought an almost identical peak temperature as Monday with a maximum of 11.8C in the very light southwesterly breeze. The high was 1.7C above the average and the strongest gust of breeze was just 10mph.

It was another dry day with just 1.5 hours of logged sunshine.

The thermometer held steady around 11C in the evening until just after midnight when it fell away to a minimum of 8.3C at 07.04 on Wednesday morning. This low was 4.5C above the 37-year average. Much sunshine was in evidence shortly after dawn in a predominantly blue sky with minimal cloud. The barometric pressure continues high bring the settled weather.

Sunday saw the thermometer rise to 11.7C in the modest breeze that varied between west-southwest and west-northwest. This peak was 1.6C above the 37-year average. It was the fifth dry day this month.

The thermometer dipped overnight to give a minimum 1.4C just before dawn being 2.4C below the November average.

Monday brought a little brightness first thing but encroaching cloud from the west, in advance of a warm weather front, meant no strong sunshine. The centre of the high pressure, holding high again, is just to the west of Portugal and will bring a breeze from the southwest today.

Saturday by day and night produced temperatures above the average with a peak of 12.3C (+2.1C) and 5.3C (+1.5C) at 07.11 on Sunday.

It was not quite a dry day as a very light shower passed this way just after 2100 producing 0.4mm of precipitation. The monthly rainfall total stands at 2.0mm during this dryer period after the very wet October, with minimal rain forecast in the near future.

Sunday brought light, high cloud that allowed some brightness but no sunshine after dawn. The barometric pressure remains relatively high with a reading at 08.00 of 1023.0mb having fallen a few millibars since the Saturday peak of 1029.8mb.