Category: Commentary

Thursday was another dull day with minimal sunshine, just half an hour, interspersed with occasional sharp showers when the wind gusted strongly, maximum 40mph.

The precipitation amounted to 6.2mm that included a small hail shower at 15.00. This brought the monthly total to 98.4mm, which is almost 30mm above the 35-year average.

Another twenty four hours when both maximum and minimum were above average with readings of 9.8C (+2.3C) and 2.2C (+0.9C).

Friday saw thin cloud cover after dawn allowing a little brightness but no sunshine, the thermometer having recovered to 4.6C at 08.00 and the barometric pressure much higher again at 1022.8mb after the low of yesterday.

The mild weather continued on Wednesday with both maximum and minimum again well above average with 8.6C (+1.1C) and 8.0C (6.7C). The cloud cover by day minimised much rise in temperature and thick cloud cover overnight minimised loss of warmth into the atmosphere by providing a duvet.

The occasional shower amounted to 1.7mm bringing the monthly total to 92.2mm being 142% of the 35-year average.

Thursday morning saw the cloud thickening further as another weather front approached with the barometric pressure having fallen for the past twenty-four hours.

Update on Thursday at 15.15: two short lived squalls with strong gusts, peak of 40mph at 12.47, the second at 15.00 with small hail. So far today another 6mm of precipitation.

A sunny morning soon changed to heavy, brief showers after midday amounting to another 2.8mm of rain bringing the monthly total to 90.5mm when the 35-year average is 64.9mm. The total so far this month makes it the wettest February since the record washout in 2014 when 151.6mm was recorded.

The southwesterly wind moderated just a little with a maximum gust of 27mph.

Again the temperatures were above average in the mild air mass from the Atlantic with a maximum of 9.4C, down 1.6C on the warm Monday but still 1.9C above average. Thinner cloud cover overnight meant the thermometer eventually dropped to 1.9C (+0.6C) at 05.15 Wednesday morning. Continuous cloud cover meant no sunshine after dawn with the thermometer having recovered a little to read 3.3C at 08.00.

Although Monday was still very breezy, winds gusting to 30mph, it was almost a dry day. There were a couple of very light showers amounting to 0.3mm.

As Storm Dennis relinquished its hold on the UK we enjoyed 3.2 hours of sunshine and the UV level easing upwards again – still low at this time of year.

Monday was a mild day with the thermometer rising to a maximum of 10.0C being 2.5C above the 35-year average. Modest cloud cover meant a mild night with the thermometer not sinking below 3.6C, which was 2.3C above the average.

Tuesday saw bright sunshine after dawn as the sun tried to get through thin high cloud but thankfully the south westerly wind has moderated again.

Update on Tuesday at 16.00: dry, sunny morning followed by lines of moderate showers in the afternoon driven on by blustery south westerly winds gusting to 29mph. Another mild day with a maximum of 9.4C, being almost 2C above average.

Sunday was another blustery day under the influence of Storm Dennis that saw winds frequently above 30mph and a peak of 38mph. The morning was very wet until just after 13.00 when the clouds began to thin. However violent squalls still occurred at 19.34 and 21.40 increasing the daily rainfall total to 12.2mm.

We have been very fortunate that the worst of the deluges occurred to the west, south and north of Marlborough. The monthly rainfall total for February currently stands at 87.4mm, which is 135% of the 35-year average.

Monday saw muted sunshine after dawn as cloud eased away to the east.

Temperatures by day and night were again above average with a maximum of 8.8C (+1.2C), down 4C on the Saturday high and a minimum 3.3C (+2.0C) being 5.3C below the Saturday minimum. The thermometer had recovered to 4.2C at 08.00 and the barometric pressure risen to 1005.7mb. So far this month we have only had two days with below average maxima.

Update on Monday at 18.45: thankfully almost a dry day, just 0.2mm, and two hours of sunshine. Although breezy a maximum gust of 30mph was much less severe than of late.