Category: Commentary

The depression on Wednesday that very slowly rotated up the country, meant a damp start to the day that got wetter in the afternoon with intense rainfall between 1500 and 1600 that amounted to 10.8mm. That took the monthly rainfall total to 44.4mm being 74% of my 40-year average. The temperature by day was restricted due to the lack of sunshine with the thermometer struggling to reach 15.3C at 16.18, which was exactly 2C below the average. That contrasted with the minimum overnight that produced a low of 10.9C at 05.57 early Thursday, thanks to the cloud cover acting as a duvet, this was 3.9C above my 40-year average.

Thursday began dull but just after 0830 the sun briefly broke through a very small gap in the clouds, but it was a dry start to a new day. The air stream has backed from the northwest on Wednesday coming from the west today. The barometric pressure has risen 6mb since Wednesday as the depression moves away, over Northumbria, so hopefully a better day than yesterday, with indications that Friday will bring a warmer, dry day.

Tuesday slowly deteriorated after a bright morning, the cloud built up early afternoon and light rain began to fall at 16.15 until 23.30. Another rain event started at 05.00 early on Wednesday. The daily rainfall amounted to 6.8mm that took the monthly total to 33.6mm against the average of 60.3mm.

It was a cool, day with the thermometer climbing above 14.8C, some 2.5C below my 40-year average and the coolest day since the 3rd. There was little drop in temperature overnight thanks to the thick cloud cover, a minimum of 12.3C was logged at 06.05 early Wednesday.

Wednesday struggled to dawn under the low, thick cloud and counting intermittent splashes of light rain. The centre of the depression early Wednesday was over the London area and the depression is rotation anticlockwise, as they do, throwing showers and longer rain episodes over our area.

There were many hours of glorious sunshine on Monday although the brisk breeze from the north east pegged back the temperature to a maximum of 20.1C at 17.45, the lowest for four days but still 2.8C above my 40-year average. The past night was cooler again as the thermometer slipped to a low of 7.6C at 05.19 early Tuesday. The UV was aging High.

It was another dry day with 3.78mm of equivalent rainfall lost to the atmosphere through evaporation from ground sources and plant life.

Tuesday began bright with short glimpses of sunshine around 08.00 that had lifted the temperature to 10.6C at 08.00. As the depression re-orientates and barometric pressure slowly falls, the breeze will later this evening back from the northeast to come from the northwest. Cloud will slowly increase this afternoon with the slight possibility of precipitation later this afternoon or evening.

There has been very little change between Saturday and Sunday thanks to the relatively high pressure. The thermometer eventually climbed to 21.8C late afternoon at 17.38 thanks to strong afternoon sunshine, which was 4.5C above my 40-year average. The thermometer dropped a little lower overnight than recently with a low of 8.1C at 04.38 early Monday but this was still 1.1C above the average.

Monday gave us a sunny start to the day with the thermometer reading 11.2C at 08.00. The air steam will continue to be brought from a northeasterly direction that produced a misty start to the day thanks to the moisture picked up as the air travelled down the North Sea.

Both the maximum of 20.3C late in the afternoon at 16.40 and the minimum of 8.8C early on Sunday at 04.50, were above my 40-year average with +3.0C and + 1.8C respectively.

Sunday began with total cloud cover and it felt quite cool in the brisk northeasterly breeze from the low of 8.8C at 08.00.

The low pressure over the Low Countries and the high-pressure in the eastern Atlantic are continuing to produce an air flow from the north or northeast and likely to for the next three days. The long flow down the NorthSea is collecting moisture overnight and will take time for the cloud to burn off in the mornings.The high pressure is easing in from the west with a slight increase in pressure again, this is keeping weather fronts at bay but shower clouds are always a possibility although we missed the intense showers over the West Country yesterday.