Category: Commentary

The heavy cloud and light precipitation continued on Friday morning becoming drier and the cloud thinning after around midday with the daily rainfall amounting to 1.7mm

A maximum of 12.5C was once again below average at -4.8C as was minimum of 3.4C logged at 03.41 early Saturday being 3.6C below average.

Due to the low temperature overnight combined with the rain on Friday, the moisture laden air condensed into fog overnight that limited visibility to 300mm at 07.00 but cleared shorty afterwards.

Saturday saw the fog clearing by 07.45 with the cloud thinning and brightness coming through with the odd burst of sunshine just after 08.00. The temperature had recovered a little to 7.7C at 08.00. The position of the nearest low pressure, now over Scotland, will produce an air stream from the southwest and will be light in strength.

For the beginning of May the maximum of just 12.8C on Thursday was a distinctly cool day being a significant 4.5C below my 40-year average. This was due to persistent low cloud and drizzle that draped the high ground all day. The limited rainfall amounted to 1.1mm.

The minimum overnight of 8.4C, being 1.4C above the long-term average, was thanks to the continuing thick blanket of cloud acting as a duvet limiting what warmth there was dissipating into the atmosphere.

Friday shrugged to dawn as the weather front is still wriggling over the south of England with its associated cloud and intermittent rain showers. The wind continues from the west and currently light but rise during the morning to a modest in strength.

The peak of 17.1C at 14.29 on Monday was again below average as on many previous days but only j0.2C below. A low of 10.3C at 06.00 on Tuesday was well above average at +3.3C.

The first spots of rain from the two weather fronts crossing the area were observed at 15.30 however the more consistent rain began just after 16.30 for three hours with another band of rain arriving in the early hours at 03.45 until just after 05.00. The daily rainfall amounted to 8.5mm.
The intense rain was just to the west of our area with the overnight storms principally to the north.

Tuesday revealed a dull start to the new day with low, thick cloud but no precipitation before 08.00. The light wind is currently from a northerly quadrant but after midday will slowly back into the west as the two low pressure systems relocate around the UK.

April 2024 review

April began where March left off with an unsettled weather pattern thanks to numerous low-pressure systems being brought across the country on a fast moving jet stream.

The south-westerly wind brought increasing warmth for the first six days with a peak of 17.2C on the 6th, some 3.1C above my 40-year average.

There was much rain every day for the first five days, the wettest produced 9.9mm of precipitation.

Storm Kathleen, named by Met Eireann as Ireland took the brunt of the storm, was the culprit on the 5th and 6th as it tracked northwards up the west coast of Ireland producing a glancing blow over our area. The thermometer rose to a maximum of 17.2C on the 6th, which was the warmest day since 13th October 2023. Also on the 6th was a gust of 36mph.

After Storm Kathleen came Storm Pierrick over the 8th and 9th. This storm was named by Meteo France and thus did not follow the UK series of alphabetically named storms. Yet again we were subjected to more rain and high winds gusting to 30mph.

A brief cooler spell began on the 14th as a depression to the north streamed cold air on a north-westerly breeze that was very strong. A gust of 39mph was logged on the 15th when a maximum of just 11.3C was recorded making it the coldest day since 28th March and 2.8C below my 40-year average. Outside it felt over 2C colder due to wind chill. A squall at 14.40 on the 15th saw small hail falling briefly in a short burst of heavy rain.

As the depression moved away an anticyclone in mid Atlantic began to determine our weather. As it approached it directed the air stream to come from the northwest that resulted in cool days with a modest wind chill. A maximum of 12.3C on the 17th was 1.8C below my 40-year average. A clearing sky overnight the 19th/20th saw the thermometer drop away to a minimum of -0.3C producing a brief air frost. This low was 4.0C below my 40-year average and made it the coldest night since 6th March.

A depression that developed over the Bay of Biscay on the 26th then tracked over France and arrived over southern England later on the 27th. On that day the thermometer refused to rise above single figures with a maximum of only 9.2C being 4.8C below my 40-year average. There followed almost twelve hours of continuous precipitation that amounted to 23.1mm. This daily total was the highest since 27th February (27.1mm) and took the monthly total to 77.7mm, which was 20mm above my 40-year average.

The month ended with a warmer spell as a southerly breeze lifted the maximum on the 30th to 17.4C being 3.3C above average after ten successive below average days.

The average temperature for the month was 9.66C being 0.9C above my 40-year average. The record was set in the very warm April of 2011 that produced an average of 12.24C. The records show that we have now experienced a significant nine successive months with the mean temperature above my 40-year average, January was only just.

Part of the reason for the warmer month was due to the lack of frosts, just 2 against the average of 6 for April over the past 40 years.

The April precipitation amounted to 78.0mm being 137% of my 40-year average or plus 21mm. It was the wettest April since 2020 although the record was set in 2000 with a massive 165.2mm of precipitation.

Tuesday brought us much welcome warmth combined with a dry day as the southerly air stream pushed the thermometer to a maximum of 17.4C at 15.33 being 3.3C above my 40-year average. This was the warmest day since the 13th that then peaked at 18.7C. The UV level at its peak was still in the ‘Moderate’ zone.

A minimum of 6.9C at 05.57 early Wednesday was also above average at +3.2C.

Twin low pressure systems are just to the west of the UK this morning that later today will push two warm weather fronts across the country with much rain expected.

April 2024 review

April began where March left off with an unsettled weather pattern thanks to numerous low-pressure systems being brought across the country on a fast moving jet stream.

The south-westerly wind brought increasing warmth for the first six days with a peak of 17.2C on the 6th, some 3.1C above my 40-year average.

There was much rain every day for the first five days, the wettest produced 9.9mm of precipitation.

Storm Kathleen, named by Met Eireann as Ireland took the brunt of the storm, was the culprit on the 5th and 6th as it tracked northwards up the west coast of Ireland producing a glancing blow over our area. The thermometer rose to a maximum of 17.2C on the 6th, which was the warmest day since 13th October 2023. Also on the 6th was a gust of 36mph.

After Storm Kathleen came Storm Pierrick over the 8th and 9th. This storm was named by Meteo France and thus did not follow the UK series of alphabetically named storms. Yet again we were subjected to more rain and high winds gusting to 30mph.

A brief cooler spell began on the 14th as a depression to the north streamed cold air on a north-westerly breeze that was very strong. A gust of 39mph was logged on the 15th when a maximum of just 11.3C was recorded making it the coldest day since 28th March and 2.8C below my 40-year average. Outside it felt over 2C colder due to wind chill. A squall at 14.40 on the 15th saw small hail falling briefly in a short burst of heavy rain.

As the depression moved away an anticyclone in mid Atlantic began to determine our weather. As it approached it directed the air stream to come from the northwest that resulted in cool days with a modest wind chill. A maximum of 12.3C on the 17th was 1.8C below my 40-year average. A clearing sky overnight the 19th/20th saw the thermometer drop away to a minimum of -0.3C producing a brief air frost. This low was 4.0C below my 40-year average and made it the coldest night since 6th March.

A depression that developed over the Bay of Biscay on the 26th then tracked over France and arrived over southern England later on the 27th. On that day the thermometer refused to rise above single figures with a maximum of only 9.2C being 4.8C below my 40-year average. There followed almost twelve hours of continuous precipitation that amounted to 23.1mm. This daily total was the highest since 27th February (27.1mm) and took the monthly total to 77.7mm, which was 20mm above my 40-year average.

The month ended with a warmer spell as a southerly breeze lifted the maximum on the 30th to 17.4C being 3.3C above average after ten successive below average days.

The average temperature for the month was 9.66C being 0.9C above my 40-year average. The record was set in the very warm April of 2011 that produced an average of 12.24C. The records show that we have now experienced a significant nine successive months with the mean temperature above my 40-year average, January was only just.

Part of the reason for the warmer month was due to the lack of frosts, just 2 against the average of 6 for April over the past 40 years.

The April precipitation amounted to 78.0mm being 137% of my 40-year average or plus 21mm. It was the wettest April since 2020 although the record was set in 2000 with a massive 165.2mm of precipitation.

The very gusty wind from the south on Monday brought a milder air stream that saw the thermometer rise to 13.9C at 14.49 before cloud built again. This was the warmest day since the 19th (15.3C) being 1.2C above average. The wind produced a peak gust of 29mph that was logged at 12.46 but it was close to that strength all afternoon. It was a dry day although light rain fell just to the north of Swindon a few minutes after 18.00.

A minimum of 8.1C at 05.11 early on Tuesday was 4.4C above my 40-year average and the warmest night since the 13th although equal to that on the 19th.

Glorious sunshine greeted the new day on Tuesday that resulted in the thermometer climbing to 11.1C by 08.00. That was the warmest start to a day at that time since the 11th (12.1C).

The low pressure systems have reorganised with the closest just off the coast of west Ireland that will produce winds from south or south-southeast all day. Hopefully, the associated thick cloud will just be to the west of our area during daylight hours. There is the possibility of precipitation later in the afternoon.

For gardeners, the soil temperature at a depth of 5cm read 9.8C at 08.00, the highest since the 19th and should continue to rise thanks to the warmer airstream and sunshine. There appears to be no likelihood of a frost in the near future, thankfully.