Windrush Weather

The westerly breeze was gusty on Thursday, reaching 20mph on occasions, but continued the flow of mild air such that the thermometer rose to 12.4C being 2.2C above the average. It was another totally dry day and night, only the fifth this month. The past night was also mild with a low of 7.6C, which was 3.7C above the 39-year average.

Friday dawned dull with the wind that had begun to veer into the westnorthwest now coming briskly from the northwest. The high pressure, now currently elongated in shape, reaches from Spain to Iceland that combined with a low pressure system to the east, will feed a northerly flow of much cooler air, originating near the Arctic, as the day progresses. This is because air around an anticyclone rotates clockwise and the reverse for a depression. As result it will be a much cooler day with windchill in evidence making it feel even cooler than that indicated on the thermometer. The air is now much drier, the humidity at 08.00 read 83%, the lowest humidity since 25th August.

The much cooler air and clearer skies later could well produce an air first overnight, which will be the first for a month.

Wednesday was only the fourth dry day this month with the monthly rainfall total standing at 112.6mm being 21.5mm above the 39-year average. Both the maximum of 10.7C (+0.5C) and minimum (+0.9C) were just above the average.

Thursday dawned with a mainly cloudy sky although there is a possibility of breaks as the morning progresses. The high pressure has slipped a little further south into the Bay of Biscay, as a result the wind will continue from the west but towards the end of the day with veer into the north west heralding a distinct change in our weather.

Tuesday was dull and miserable for much of the day as a warm front slowly crossed the area producing light drizzle for several hours either side of midday but amounting to little in quantity, just 0.4mm. As the front edged southeastwards the sky began to lighten late afternoon. It was a cool day with the light northerly breeze gusting to just 18mph at its peak, with a maximum temperature of 9.7C being 0.5C below the average. The minimum of 3.5C at 02.37 in the early hours of Wednesday was 0.4C below the 39-year average.

Wednesday revealed a very red sky in the east as the sun was rising towards the horizon. An extensive ridge of high pressure now extends from the eastern Atlantic to Russia emanating from an anticyclone just to the west of the UK. The pressure has risen another 10mb since yesterday with a pressure reading of 1032.6mb at 08.00 making it the highest pressure since 1st March (1033.7mb) and should bring us a quiet and dry day. There were calm conditions after dawn with a light breeze backing into the west as the day progresses.

Monday brought a maximum of 11.2C, still above average (+1.0C) and minimal rainfall of 0.6mm. The past night was also above average, well above average (+4.4C) with a minimum of 8.3C at 7.03 Tuesday.

The barometric pressure has been rising significantly since Monday as the depression that brought the rain continues to cross the continent and down over Italy later today. This is being replaced by a high pressure system to the west of the UK.

Tuesday arrived dull with total cloud cover but the the barometric pressure reading of 1022.6mb at 08.00 was the highest since 16th October and continues to rise, producing a ridge across the UK that will bring us a drier period. So far just three dry days in November, will today be the fourth? Just after 01.30 the wind veered from the northwest to north that saw the temperature drop a couple of degrees in the early hours.

The maximum of 12.8C on Sunday was again above average (+2.6C) due to the moist, warm air brought on the southwesterly breeze that gusted to 32mph. However, later in the afternoon the wind veered into the northwest and dropped light. Once again a mild night with the minimum of 7.9C being 4C above the 39-year average. There was an additional 1.4mm of precipitation.

Due to the depression having migrated into the North Sea during Sunday produced the change in direction to northwest, which will persist on Monday.

Monday dawned very dull with total cloud cover but dry. There have been just three totally dry twenty-four hour periods this month.