Category: Commentary

Fog persisted for much of the day on Friday that, combined with the air mass coming predominantly from the north, meant anther cold day. The thermometer rose to a maximum of 1.3C at 14.59 being 5.8C below the 37-year average before slowly falling again to reach a minimum overnight at 00.33 of -1.4C, which was 2.C below average. We have yet to have a day or night in January that is above the 37-year average. The thick, low cloud and fog meant no sunshine or any UV recorded.

Saturday arrived where Friday ended with fog limiting visibility to 1100m and the air almost still, the anemometer just occasionally rotating very slowly but mostly stationary. The temperature at the time of readings at 08.00 was -0.4C.

Thursday saw the thermometer continue to fall during daylight hours, rather than rising, to reach a minimum of -3.0C at 18.54 before pausing. There followed a gradual reversal so that by 23.00 Thursday evening the thermometer read +0.8C. We endured 32 hours of continuous sub zero temperatures.
The fog on Thursday lifted in the early afternoon to misty conditions but never cleared completely before visibility reduced again towards dusk. The wind was from the northwest until late afternoon before backing into the southwest and very light with the maximum movement of air, could not be classed as a gust, of just 6mph. This was the quietest day for wind since 21st January 2020 when a maximum air movement of only 5mph was recorded.

Friday morning dawned grey and gloomy with the occasional flake of snow observed after 08.10. The thermometer read 0.3C at 08.00 in still conditions.

There was no sun on Wednesday nor any measurable UV due to the persistent low, thick cloud. Occasional flakes of snow were seen in the morning also drizzle but not measurable. The thermometer struggled to reach a maximum of 3.4C being 3.7C below the 36-year average.

Late afternoon and into the evening the thermometer slowly fell away, with a slight rise in the early hours, before falling back to read -1.5C at 08.00 on Thursday with thick fog having formed that limited visibility to 200m.

The thermometer continued to fall after 08.00 with a reading of -1.7 at 08.35.

Update at 10.45: thermometer dropped further to -2.1C

Update at 18.35: the thermometer never rose above freezing during daylight hours during Thursday with a maximum of only -1.2C at 15.20 before falling again to read -2.9C at 18.30.

The brisk north-northeasterly breeze gusting briskly to 27mph, meant a cool day on Monday. The thermometer eventually reached 4.2C being 2.9C below average. The strength and direction of the wind meant a wind chill was prevalent all day and night that meant often it felt up to 2C cooler than registered on the thermometer.

The coolest part of the past night occurred just after dawn at 08.16 when the thermometer registered briefly -0.2C being 1.6C below the 36-year average.

Tuesday arrived with a brighter sky than on Monday, the cloud being much higher and thinner.

Sunday was a little warmer than on Saturday, just 1C, but still below average (-2.8C). As the wind strengthened, windchill became a factor in the open air so that it felt up to 2C colder. The wind was mostly from the north-northeast but later the northeast gusting to 22mph. It was a dry and sunless day.

The past night was cold dropping to 0.7C with a slight recovery at 08.00 on Monday to 1.1C which felt more like -2C in the strong, gusty wind.

Although there was little brightness at dawn cloud soon drifted in on the brisk north-northeast wind gusting to 20mph again.