Monday 2nd March
Sunday brought little sunshine due to much cloud cover that produced a minor shower just before midday whilst the late afternoon and evening were dominated by even lower cloud that produced light rain and drizzle amounting to 1.8mm. The maximum of 12.9C was logged at 13.14 being 2.1C above average whilst the minimum of 7.6C was 5.0C above my long-term average, logged at 05.09 early Monday. Thus the trend for above average temperatures continues into the new month.
The arrival of Monday revealed a much better, brighter start to the new day with weak sunshine appearing shortly after sunrise at 06.51 in Marlborough, then shining strongly just after 08.00. The barometric pressure is beginning to rise again that should produce a dry and sunny day with no weather fronts showing on the surface pressure chart until late afternoon, which will then herald the arrival of thin cloud, but no rain.
Over the next couple of days the Azores high will send a ridge of higher pressure over the UK that will by Wednesday extend and develop into a separated area over the Continent. This reposition will see the wind will come from a northerly then on Wednesday an easterly direction. This would normally indicate colder conditions but the air is originating from mid-Atlantic so relatively warm for this time of year. Tuesday is likely to be a day with much cloud, little sunshine and lower temperatures, but picking up on Wednesday onwards.
February 2026 Review
The unsettled weather that we experienced in January transferred into February. The large area of high pressure over Scandinavia continued to act as a ‘blocking high’ that stopped the depressions arriving from the Atlantic travelling further eastwards. The first week brought more copious rainfall, except for the 4th, that gave us a very welcome sunny day also dry during daylight hours.
The peak solar radiation on the 2nd under a thick cover of cloud peaked at just 97W/m2 compared to the sunny day on the 4th that gave a peak of 468W/m2, almost five times the strength.
The wet and mild conditions continued until the 14th when a transitory ridge of high pressure edged in from the southwest producing the first sunny day this month, following a clear night, that gave us the first air frost since the 15th January with a minimum of -0.2C.
An Azores high began to influence our weather from the 20th, wafting mild, moist air across the country that resulted in temperatures by day and night climbing well above average. A peak of 14.1C on the 21st made it the warmest day since 16th November. On the same day the UV level was logged at 1.5, the highest for three months as the light began to get stronger, that is when the sun shone.
The Atlantic air had originated close to the Azores and had travelled around the southern then western flank of the anticyclone, picking up moisture as it crossed the ocean surface. This resulted in changeable conditions with variable cloud bringing sunshine and showers, but thankfully, no persistent heavy rain.
The month ended with continuation of the moist and warm air from the area around the Azores with the last nine consecutive days producing both maxima and minima well above average with winds again from a Sputjw south-westerly quadrant, breezy at times with a peak gust of 32mph om the 26th.
The monthly precipitation totalled 132.6mm, which was 195% of my 42-year record for February or plus 127mm. This was the fifth wettest February since 1984, the wettest being 2024 with 155.4mm. The wettest day occurred on the 5th with 19.4mm of precipitation.
The mean temperature was 2.6C above my long-term average, principally due to the many nights when the minimum was well above average. This was because of the numerous nights with cloud cover, in fact only one night produced an air frost, and that was only -0.2C.
The average number of air frosts in February over the last 42 years is 10.5, varying from 26 in 1986 and nil in 2014. The trend is distinctly downwards from an average of around 12 in the 1980s and 9 in recent years.
Fog was observed on 3 mornings and mist on five mornings.
Winter 2025/26 Review
The total rainfall for the three months of December to February amounted to 435.8mm making it the second wettest since 1984 when my station was opened. There is a clear upward trend of rainfall for this period, since my records began in 1984, with the greater totals logged in more recent years. The highest total was 528mm in 2013.
Memory would indicate that it has been a mild winter, and the facts bear that impression out, with the mean temperature for the three months 1.8C above my 42-year record.