Category: Commentary

Thursday was a bitterly cold day that saw the thermometer struggle to reach a maximum of 3.4C at 13.10. The was due to the lack of sunshine, the very brisk wind from the Northeast and the continuing feed of Arctic air. At 11.30 the thermometer read 2.4C but the combined effect of wind strength, direction, humidity and temperature meant outside it felt more like -0.5C due to wind chill. Initially during the evening the temperature dropped away reaching a minimum of -1.7C at 20.25 but after that time the thermometer began to rise again reaching 0C at 00.50 just after midnight and 2.3C at 08.00 Friday. This change was due to cloud cover increasing although the major factor of the wind changing direction to come from the west, a slightly warmer direction that began to cut off the flow of Arctic air. The strongest gust of wind all month was logged at 04.05 early Friday with a peak of 22mph. The maximum was 6.9C below the long-term average and the minimum 5.7C below.

Friday brought a much brighter start to the day with minimal cloud cover and the possibility of sunshine as the morning progresses.

A depression in mid-atlantic is beginning to fill rapidly that will close in on the UK over the weekend and has been named Storm Bert by the Meteorological Office.

The low temperatures by day and night are causing the cold to continue to seep into the ground with the temperature at a depth of 5cm reading 0.9C at 08.00, the lowest since 20th January 2024

The thermometer struggled to reach a maximum of 4.6C on Wednesday as the Arctic air continued to be brought down on the northwesterly breeze. The low was 5.8C below my long-term average. It was a breezy day with a maximum gust of 15mph that produced a wind chill again so that just before midday the thermometer read 3.9C but the wind chill meant it felt more like 1C outside in the breeze. The very welcome sunshine lasted until late afternoon. The temperature dropped away steadily in the evening to reach a minimum of -1.8C at 22.56 before stabilising then slowly recovering to -0.6C at 08.00 on Thursday producing another air frost.

The cold air by day and night continues to slowly feed into the ground so that at 08.00 on Thursday the soil temperature at a depth of 5cm read 1.2C, the lowest since 3rd March 2024.

Thursday was another very dull start to a new day under thick cloud and air frost.

A depression has moved eastwards across the western approaches and predicted to be over Brittany by midday. This has brought the thick, low cloud and the reason that the temperature has lifted 1C overnight. The rain associated with this low pressure is perhaps twenty miles to the south of our region and will slowly move southwards as the day progress so hopefully the cloud will thin and lift after midday. This movement of the depression will see the airstream change from east northeast to north and eventually into the northwest and west as the day progresses.

Tuesday brought a wintry day with the first snow flakes observed at 09.05 and heavier, continuous snow at 10.45. The total precipitation amounted to 3.7mm that took monthly total to 25.5mm compared to the 40-year average of 91.7mm. It was observed that snow began to settle on the grass at 11.00, a slow thaw began late afternoon after the snow had stopped falling.

The thick cloud, modest northerly breeze later in the day and snow meant a cold day with the maximum of 2.1C at 08.00C but wind chill outside meant felt at least 2C colder. By 11.30 the thermometer had dropped to 0.8C. During the evening the thermometer dropped to 0C at 21.10 with a minimum of -2.2C at 06.11 early on Wednesday, which was 6.3C below my 40-year average.

The start to Wednesday revealed variable cloud but some brightness with the possibility of sunshine later. The temperature had recovered a little to read -1.2C at 08.00.

The soil temperature at a depth of 5cm read 1.3C at 08.00, a drop of almost 5C since that time on Tuesday and far below the 11.0C logged on the 3rd.

Monday started with a temperature of 5.2C at 08.00 and hovered around 8C for much of the day, however, in the evening an area of much warmer air arrived that lifted the maximum to 11.2C at 00.15 very early on Tuesday, which was 0.9C above my 40-year average. After stabilising around that temperature for a couple of hours a cold front arrived that saw the temperature then dive to reach a minimum of 2.1C at 07.51. During this period, that accounted for the drop in temperature, the air stream began to veer from the west into the north.

The first light rain was observed falling at 12.05 on Monday, but became heavier after 14.15 and continued during the evening and early hours and heavy just after 05.00 Tuesday.

The barometric pressure fell rapidly during the night dropping from a pressure of 1012.9mb at 08.00 on Monday to 997.5mb at that time on Tuesday as the centre of the depression was over southern England. The low was 995.8mb, which was the lowest pressure since 9th October (986.3mb). The wind was brisk in the early hours producing a wind chill that meant it felt more like 0C outside.

Tuesday struggled to come alive under thick, low cloud and light rain or drizzle. The rain band is extensive and is likely to produce more precipitation during the morning, hopefully not white!

Update at 09.05: Temperature dropped to 1.7C and snow flakes observed falling.
10.45: Large flakes in heavier fall with the temperature reading 1.3C
11.00: Snow beginning to settle on grass in zero air movement
11.30: Temperature dropped to 0.8C

Sunday gave us a very welcome sunny morning but cloud began to build after midday and totally obscured the sun late afternoon. The limited sunshine hours, combined with the brisk, cool wind from the west gusting ti 14mph, resulted in the thermometer only reaching a maximum of 9.9C just before midday at 11.55 being 0.4C below my 40-year average.

A cold front produced sporadic rain after 19.15 Sunday evening but more persistent and heavier rain arrived just after 23.30 amounted to 6.9mm, which took the monthly total to 8.5mm when the 40-year average is 91.7mm. This was the wettest day since 18th October.

The cold front meant that the thermometer fell away in the early hours of Monday to reach a low of 5.2C at 08.00, which was 1.2C above the average.

Monday revealed radiation fog forming in the River Og valley just before 07.30 as the temperature continued to fall. The fog had all but dissipated by 08.30 although the thermometer had dipped further to reach 5.0C at 08.25 before starting to recover.

A mini low has recently formed to the west of the UK and will travel over southern England as the day progresses and bring more continuous rain later this afternoon.