Category: Commentary

The intense high-pressure that has dominated our weather for the past two weeks is now weakening with the air from mid Atlantic circulating clockwise around it bringing milder air for the past day or so. As a consequence the temperature rose overnight to 7.9C at 08.00 on Saturday making this the warmest morning since December 31st, being a significant 6.3C above the average minimum for January.

There were almost 4 hours of sunshine on Friday and the UV level at 0.7 the highest in January, as on three other occasions this month, only once in December, the first sign indicating that the sun is slowly beginning to strengthen.

Saturday arrived with the wind now coming from the west, still light in strength. Thick, low cloud has returned giving complete coverage of the sky.

Update on Saturday at 15.05: now experienced longest dry spell since September 2014 with 17 consecutive dry days. Temperature rose to maximum of 9.3C, which is 2.3C above average, but no sunshine.

After the sharp frost on Thursday morning the thermometer very slowly recovered to a maximum of 4.3C during daylight hours but then an advancing weather front with slight warmer air arrived just before 18.00 that saw the temperature ease upwards to a peak of 6.4C at 20.45.

It was another dry day that makes sixteen consecutive dry days under the influence of the intense high pressure. There was a little sunshine in the morning that totalled 1.52 hours.

Overnight the temperature dropped very little with a reading of 5.9C at 08.00 on Friday morning that arrived with the continuation of complete cloud cover and very light winds.

Update on Friday at 16.30: thermometer eased above the average temperature with a maximum of 7.8C at 13.36. Little wind to break up the cloud although 1.6 hours of sunshine was welcome around noon.

It was a treat to see the sun on Wednesday and enjoy 6.12 hours of strong sunshine. However, the northwesterly breeze, gusting to 18mph, pegged back the temperature after the overnight frost to a maximum of just 4.6C early afternoon at 13.02. This low temperature was 2.4C below average.

It was another dry day, the fifteenth successive dry day.

Overnight the sky was initially clear that allowed the thermometer to fall away to a minimum of -2.7C at 01.43, which was 2.7C below average. Thereafter, cloud drifted across so that by 08.00 on Tuesday the temperature had risen slightly to -1.4C but total cloud cover obscured any sunshine.

Update on Thursday at 15.55: thermometer eased slowly upward after the overnight frost to a maximum of 4.3C at 15.53 with little wind as the strongest air movement was just 7mph today.

Tuesday brought us 6.42 hours of welcome sunshine after the previous gloomy days.

The maximum temperature was 7.4C, just above average but with no blanket of cloud by night any warmth in the ground dissipated into the atmosphere producing a ground frost with a minimum of 0.2C, which was 1C below average.

Wednesday started with clear skies and the prospect of more sunshine as the high pressure began to reassert itself, now to the west of the country.

Daily Statistics page for 2019 is now available, as also wind chart for 2019, with the niggling technical problems resolved.

Update on Wednesday at 20.00: thermometer struggled to reach a maximum of 4.6C at 13.02, which was 2.4C below average. Another 6 hours of welcome sunshine.

The thermometer very slowly rose during the daylight hours on Monday to a peak of 10.0C late in the day at 16.18, which was 3C above average. It was another sunless and overcast day but dry day, now nine consecutively.

Overnight the temperature eased downwards to a minimum of 4.6C at 04.20, lifting to 5.0C at 08.00.

Tuesday dawned with much blue sky, minimal broken cloud and welcome sunshine after it got up!

The influence of the recent intense high pressure is reducing with not only warmer air from a. westerly direction but much more wind – peak gust of 42mph after many days with maxima in single figures.

The technical difficulties regarding the Daily Statistics page for 2019 have been resolved so the page is now available.