Category: Commentary

Saturday was a very wet and cold day with very sharp, brief showers well into the early evening adding another 8.3mm to the total for July, currently standing at 35.5mm when the average is 59.7mm. The wet, cloudy morning and very brisk wind front eh eat that had a northerly component in it, meant a cold day that saw the thermometer hover around 11C until the afternoon, which was 11C below the average. However, brief bursts of sunshine in the afternoon between the sharp showers lifted the temperature eventually to a maximum of 16.1C, but that was a significant 6.7C below my 40-year average. Clearer skies overnight meant anther below average night with a minimum of 9.4C at 03.47 being 2.5C below my 40-year average.

Sunday saw welcome sunshine after dawn but by 06.30 cloud drifted across and totally obscured any further sunshine. The unsettled weather is going to plague us for a few more days.

The rain and drizzle eased mid-morning on Friday that allowed some brightness and brief sunshine to break that lifted the temperature to a peak of 19.5C early in the afternoon at 13.43, but this was 3.2C below the average. However, rain was observed falling again at 14.45, very light but increasing as the afternoon and evening progressed. There were two intense but brief rainfall periods at 02.15 then 06.45 early Saturday when the precipitation fell at 33mm/hour and 30mm/hour respectively. The daily rainfall total was 24.3mm making it the wettest day since 17th February (27.1mm) but this is supposed to be summer!

Saturday dawned slowly with the rain continuing as the wide rain band eased eastwards.

The small but intense low pressure system that formed over East Anglia yesterday was the culprit for the many hours of rainfall, which is easing slowly into the North Sea but will dominate our weather over the weekend. Although the wind will continue from the west it originates much further north thus has a colder component so another cool day in prospect.

The brisk westerly wind, gusting to 23mph for much of the day, pegged back the temperature to a peak of 19.1C even thought there was much sunshine. This high was 3.7C below my 40-year average. The thickening cloud in the evening and overnight gave us a very mild night with the temperature not sinking below 12.4C at 03.25 early Friday, which was 0.5C above the average.

The start to Friday revealed a wet and cloudy scene. The rain from the weather front had produce 2.7mm by 08.00, although we had missed the heaviest and more sustained rainfall. A small depression had formed overnight, just off the southwest approaches, which will reform and deepen later today, centred around East Anglia. This is likely to bring more heavy rain this afternoon into the evening, on a southwesterly air stream, as another front crosses the area.

The last three days have seen the maximum slowly fall away and far from a summer temperature. The peak of 18.1C was the lowest this month and was logged early in the afternoon before the light drizzle began that got heavier just before 15.00. The peak was a significant 4.7C below my 40-year average with the minimal precipitation amounting to 0.2mm. The minimum of 10.0C at 05.18 early Thursday was also the lowest this month and 1.9C below average.

Thursday began with welcome sunshine that had lifted the thermometer to 13.8C at 08.00. The wind has veered into the west, a cooler direction, and will strengthen as the day progresses.

There are currently two low pressures systems to the north of Scotland that will produce unsettled, wet and windy weather tomorrow.

A maximum of 19.0C on Tuesday and reduced sunshine was not a summer’s day being 3.8C below average thanks to the cooler air stream mainly from the north-northwest. The overnight minimum of 12.2C was at least above average, just, at +0.3C. The UV level was also down at a peak 5.8, in the High category, the lowest for almost a month.

Wednesday dawned dull with total cloud cover.

The short lived ridge of high pressure has now receded westwards and we are coming under the influence of a depression to the Northwest that is bringing the cloud and its associated weather fronts across our region today. The barometric pressure has dropped 9mb since 08.00 on Tuesday as the low-pressure system edges closer. Ahead is a cool, wet and very windy period before the weekend.