Month: October 2024

Yet again on Wednesday, under the high pressure, the weather was quiet, very calm with very little movement of air. The peak temperature that occurred at 12.45 was 13.3C being 1.6C below my 40-year average.. Under clearing skies the thermometer fell steadily to reach a low of 3.4C at 06.40 early Thursday. This low temperature combined, with recent rainfall and still air, meant that fog formed with visibility initially dropping to 200m after dawn. However, the fog thickened around 08.30 with visibility dropping to 100m before the sun began to raise the temperature and lift the fog very slowly.

Thursday will be another very quiet day as we are under the centre of the high pressure, a reading of 128.8mb was logged 08.00. With litte air movement the fog will be slow to clear and probably reform tonight.

The high pressure began to settle over the UK on Tuesday bringing, quiet, calm conditions, however, much cloud was trapped below it. With just brighter periods in the morning and no sustained sunshine the thermometer slowly crept to a maximum of 14.4C late in the morning, not afternoon as usual, at 11.55, this was down 0.5C on the Monday peak. There were a few spots of rain mid-morning from a small passing shower, but not measurable, classed as a ‘trace’. The peak was 0.5C below my 40-year average. After midday cloud built up and thus no increase in the warmth, but it was dry. The significant feature was the lack of wind, many hours of calm with a maximum movement of air at just 8mph, couldn’t call it a gust.

The cloud cover was sustained overnight therefore limited loss of warmth into the atmosphere under the cloud ‘duvet’, a drop of just 4C to a minimum of 10.4C at 07.07 early Wednesday, being again above average at +3.0C.

Wednesday revealed another cloudy start to the new day, the thermometer registering a temperature of 10.5C at 08.00.

The high pressure is acting as a dome trapping the warm, most air under it from the airmass having traveled across many miles of ocean gathering moisture on its journey to us.

The low, thick cloud persisted all day on Monday with pockets of drizzle passing overhead producing damp conditions. There was a light shower late afternoon and another heavier shower starting just before 19.00 with a daily rainfall total of 1.6mm. The additional precipitation took the monthly rainfall total to 101.6mm being 112% of my 40-year average.

The maximum of 14.9C was exactly average for late October and occurred at 14.49. There was little variation in temperature overnight due to the cloudy conditions with the thermometer reaching a low of 11.9C at 07.00 on Tuesday being exactly 4C above my long-term average.

Tuesday brought a slightly brighter start to the new day than on Monday with much higher and thinner cloud. The wind has recently veered into the northwest from south yesterday.

The high pressure system in the Atlantic is beginning to influence our weather, the barometric pressure has been rising for the past five days with a reading of 1024.7mb at 08.00. This is likely to bring quiet, calm weather but at this time of year, with little air movement could produce misty conditions with variable cloud.

The cloudy start to Sunday meant a cooler day with the maximum of 14.9C occurring shortly after midday at 13.29 being exactly average for late October. There was some brightness in the afternoon that did not add to the warmth. Overnight a warm front brought more cloud hence the minimum of 10.2C occurred at 00.01 following which cloud rolled in again from a warm weather front that meant the thermometer reversed and rose slowly to reach 11.4C at 08.00 Monday.

Monday brought variable sunshine shortly after sunrise through brief gaps in the cloud. Two more weather fronts will cross the country on Monday on a southwesterly breeze, which will mean a predominantly cloudy day with the possibility of light showers.In fact a showery band was shown on the rain radar at 08.00 passing over Bath reaching diagonally over Swindon and heading our way, but doesn’t look too threatening.

A high pressure is developing in mid-Atlantic that is forecast to spread eastwards over the UK mid-week. This is likely to bring cloudy, moist air but relatively calm conditions with possible fog or mist in the very light breeze.

The stream of warm air continued on Saturday that saw the thermometer rise to 16.6C at 15.24 being 1.7C above average. However, clearer skies initially overnight saw the temperature drop away to a minimum of 5.7C early on Sunday at 02.53 being 1.7C below average. That was followed by a weather front with associated cloud crossing the area after that time that allowed the temperature to recover to 8.2C at 08.00.

Sunday after dawn revealed that radiation fog had formed in the River Og valley due to the lower temperatures, which had almost cleared by 08.00 as the sun rose above back edge of the cloud from the weather front.

A ridge of high pressure is edging in from the west that will give a fine day and a few quiet days ahead. The barometric pressure has risen to 1022.6mb at 08.00, the highest for four days.