Category: News

There was a brief shower of drizzle and light rain to start the day yesterday amounting to 0.1mm but the morning brought 4.03 hours of strong sunshine before thicker cloud rolled in during the early afternoon. The maximum, at 11.0C, was 3C below the average. The thick cloud cover overnight meant a relatively mild night with a temperature of 7.8C at 08.00 due to the overcast sky. With just six days left this month the total rainfall for April is 44.9mm or 75% of the long-term average. However, the evaporation from ground sources, surface water and plant life has been 46mm, which is greater than the rainfall for April.

Although yesterday was slightly warmer than friday with a maximum of 10.3C, it was still 4C below the average for April, more like March. A dry day with 4.89 hours of strong sunshine, with clear skies in the evening the temperature dropped to 2.3C at its lowest just after 01.30 this morning before cloud returned, to reach 4.9C at 08.00. A light and brief shower of drizzle and rain occurred at 08.00.

With a maximum of just 9.5C yesterday, which is 5C below the average for April, it was a depressing day, especially when the drizzle turned to rain after midday (3.3mm). The wind strength was brisk with no sunshine and the lowest UV level for a month.
However, today has dawned sunny with little cloud and light winds giving a temperature of 3.7C at 08.00, after a light ground frost with an overnight minimum of 1.3C.

After five totally dry days and brisk north-easterly winds it was not surprising to find that the humidity yesterday afternoon dropped to just 51%. It has been rising overnight and at 08.00 was 78% (the driest air at this time of day since 1st July) indicating the arrival of a few drops of rain falling from the thick cloud cover just after 08.00. These drying conditions meant that evaporation from the ground, surface water and plants reached 4mm and 3mm, in equivalent moisture, for the last two days respectively. The ambient temperature, after a high of 15.6C yesterday in the early afternoon, has been dropping continuously since to give an overnight low of 6.9C.

Yesterday was a day to enjoy with 12.37 hours of strong sunshine, the highest number of hours since 30th June 2015. The thermometer rose to a maximum of 15.6C that is 1C above the average for April, only the fifth above average this month. This morning arrived with much cloud and a fresh north-easterly breeze that reduced the temperature of 6.0C at 08.00 to feeling more like 4C with wind chill taken into account.