Sunday 8th February
Saturday brought us another mild and moist day but far less rain than recent days. The total of 2.0mm fell briefly after 08.00 and again late afternoon. The monthly total now stands at 56.3mm being 83% of my 42-year record. There was a repeat of the continuous cloud cover of recent days that minimised the variation in temperature between day and night with a maximum of 10.6, being 2.3C above average, and a minimum of 7.2C, being a significant 5.3C above average.
Sunday arrived with the cloud once again thick and low with the cloud base draping the Marlborough Downs and Savernake Forest. The first week in February has produced rainfall every day and today is no exception with light rain arriving mid-morning. At the moment the radar indicates that the weather front is fragmented and less intense.
There are distinct signs that the recent battle between the high pressure to the east and successive low-pressure systems arriving from the west is about to change with the anticyclone moving away. The wind will continue from a southerly quadrant until Wednesday when it is likely to veer into the southwest then west before a significant change to come from the north by the end of the week. That will herald the arrival of cooler weather with temperatures dipping below average but likely drier conditions.