Category: Commentary

The depression that has been hanging around for the last three days is reluctant to move away. As a result the high of 16.4C on Monday was 0.9C below my 40-year average as shower clouds built up early afternoon although they were very light and brief. The low of 10.00C at midnight was 3C above average. After that time the temperature eased upwards thanks to the increasing cloud from the next weather front. The rainfall total was just 1.4mm and fell predominantly between 07.00 and 08.00 Tuesday, that latter is when daily readings are taken.

Tuesday once again staggered into life under thick, low cloud that was masked the Marlborough Downs. The synoptic chart for today indicates that three if not four weather fronts are forecast to cross the country so a dull and damp day ahead, with little prospect of any sunshine. A further wave of precipitation is likely later in the morning or early afternoon. The drift of a light breeze from the southwest will continue.

The forecast charts give some hope that by the end of the week the pesky depression that has been plaguing us for several days will have been replaced by a high pressure system easing in from the west. There are indications that at last the Jet Stream will begin to travel north of the UK rather than south, that has brought so many depressions, thus allowing high pressure to develop and influence our weather.Time will tell!

At least the thermometer rose above the long-term average early in the day on Sunday with a peak of 18.7C (+1.4C) at 13.08 but cloud built up late morning with showers arriving just after 14.00. These were heavy between 14.30 and 15.00 and produced another 5.8mm of precipitation taking the monthly total to 55.5mm being 92% of my 40-year average. A minimum of 8.4C at 04.49 early Monday was also above average +1.4C.

Monday started with variable welcome sunshine that had lifted the temperature to 11.7C by 08.00. However, the low pressure system is still dominating our weather. Shower activity was already present on the rain radar to the west of our area at 07.30 and will likely become more frequent and possibly heavy as the day progresses drifting on the southwesterly breeze. As the temperature increases the unstable moist air rises, condenses as it cools at higher altitude, and produces the shower activity. This unsettled weather is likely to persist until Thursday as the depression is reluctant to move away.

Saturday was a very pleasant day with many hours of sunshine, however late afternoon, just after 16.00, thin cloud began to drift across front the west and obscure the sunshine. As a result the maximum of 20.6C was logged at 15.16 being 3.3C above my 40-year average. Rain from the weather front began to fall just after 23.00 for an hour with more sustained rain in the early hours amounting to 5.3mm. That took the monthly rainfall total to 49.7mm being 82% of the average. The past night was very mild with the thermometer not sinking below 11.2C at 02.16 early Sunday, which was 4.2C above the average.

The start to Sunday revealed a totally cloudy sky but just after 07.00 there were brief glimpses of brightness and just after 08.15 brief bursts of sunshine as the cloud thinned.

Another weather front will be crossing our area as the day progresses so any sunshine will be limited as the cloud will increase again with more rain late morning, early afternoon.

It looks as if low pressure will dominate our weather for the next few days being over or close to the UK until Wednesday at least bringing unsettled weather, with sunshine and showers.

Friday brought a warmer day but still below average, just (-0.1C) with a peak of 17.2C at 16.52 with little sunshine that resulted in the UV level returning to High as on previous days. The thermometer slowly fell away in the evening and overnight to reach a minimum of 5.4C at 05.32 early Saturday, which was the coldest night since the 5th (2.1C) and 1.6C below average.

There was variable sunshine after dawn on Saturday but cloud began to build after 07.30.

Two weather fronts will be approaching as the day progresses with heavy rain forecast late evening and overnight lasting well into Sunday morning.

Thursday was another dull and cool day thanks to the cloud from the depression that limited the rise in temperature to a maximum of 15.5C at 17.50 being 1.8C below my 40-year average. However it was a dry day and in the brief bursts of sunshine the UV level peaked at 7.1 that was just into the ‘Very High’ category and not reached since 12th August 2023.

The past night was the chilliest for a week with a low of 7.2C logged at 05.16 early Friday and just above the average.

Friday revealed another cloudy start to a new day although the cloud was thinner and by 08.00 bright spells were appearing. As a result of the depression moving just a little further away, over north of Scotland, the barometric pressure has risen a little higher with a reading of 1018.7mb at 08.00, the highest since the 11th.