Author: Eric Gilbert

Temperatures continued to fall on Wednesday as the Arctic air was still in place along with total cloud cover that prevented any sunshine, however weak. The thermometer eventually struggled to a maximum of 0.8C at 14.56 and stayed there until late evening, this low being a significant 6.3C below my 40-year average. The two weather fronts that had been lurking off the coast of France and the English Channel decided to move northwards across Southern England in the afternoon, the cloud thickened with the first light drizzle and sleet observed at 16.00 that initially triggered the automatic rain gauge with 0.2mm but as the temperature dropped and more consistent snow began to arrive at 17.50 the moisture began to freeze.

The total melted precipitation amounted to 1.2mm.

First light on Thursday saw the remnants of the cloud from the two weather fronts disappearing over the eastern horizon that had kept the overnight low to around -0.5C, which then dropped to -1.5 by 07.00 and -2.9C at 08.00 under clear skies.

The wind direction has changed from an easterly to north-west today, and later west, that will continue to feed cold air over the UK being directed between a depression over Scandinavia with air circulating anticlockwise and an anticyclone in the Atlantic with air circulating clockwise. The thermometer eventually fell to -3.3C at 08.46 and any further drop arrested by the arrival of weak sunshine.

2024 Annual Survey

Maximum Day Temperature 30.7 19th July
Minimum Day Temperature 0.7 19th December

Maximum Night Temperature 18.1 2nd December
Minimum Night Temperature -6.3 19th January

Last Air Frost – Spring -0.7 25th April
First Air Frost – Autumn -0.4 11th October
Number Air Frosts 28

Total Precipitation 1126.8
Maximum Daily Rainfall 43.4 23rd September

No. Days with Snowfall 1
No. Days with Thunder 4
No. Days with Small Hail (<5mm) 5 No. Days with Large Hail (>5mm) 0
No. Days with fog at 08.00 25

Soil Temperature (av at depth at 5cm) 10.3
Max Soil temperature at 5cm depth 22.2 1st August
Min Soil temperature at 5cm depth -2.9 19th January

Wettest Month 221.4 September
Driest Month 25.0 June

Maximum Wind Gust 45 7th December

Maximum Barometric Pressure. 1040.0 11th January
Minimum Barometric Pressure 976.1 2nd January

Wind Directions
20 N
34 NE
22 E
29 SE
47 SE
87 SW
80 W
47 NW

N.B. Temp in C: Rainfall in mm: Wind Speed in mph: Barometric Pressure in mb

After waking to a surprise covering of snow on Tuesday, from a passing shower just before dawn, the thermometer struggled to climb to a maximum of 4.7C at 13.36 even though we enjoyed many hours of sunshine that lasted through to the afternoon. This high was 2.4C below my long-term average and outside it felt a couple of degrees cooler than indicated on a thermometer due to wind chill. It was a dry day and the UV light gave a value of 0.6 on the sensor.

The past night saw the thermometer slowly fall away to a low of -2.7C at 05.41 early Wednesday being a significant 4.0C below average.

Wednesday after first light revealed a sky with total cloud cover that had allowed the temperature to make an about turn, after the early clear skies, to rise a little to -2.2C by 08.00.

Two warm fronts are lurking over Brittany being associated with a new depression over Biscay. The centre of the low will move eastwards over France and during the daytime the fronts will ease northwards towards Southern England with possible precipitation alert in the day or evening. This low has meant the wind backing from the west yesterday to east today and then probably northeast later in the day so another very cold day ahead.

The soil temperature at a depth of 5cm read 0.7C at 08.00 due to the nighttime frost and still some lingering snow in the shade from the sunshine on Tuesday.

There are signs that the Jet Stream will move north of the UK on Saturday. This change in direction will begin to cut off the flow of cold air from the north, the UK then being on the slightly warmer, southern side, which will mean temperatures recovering to near normal for January from Sunday.

Under cloudy skies and a brisk westerly breeze the temperature on Monday eventually rose to a maximum of 5.7C at 13.46 being 1.4C below average. This below average temperature was not unexpected as the ground was still very cold from the Arctic air of previous days, there was no sunshine to lift the temperature and the cold air from around the Arctic was still in place. I deduce that the snow which was evident at daybreak on Tuesday fell in the early hours as the 5 minute radar showed a very red, angry display reaching our area at 06.10 and clearing at 06.35. The level snow depth was just 1cm that on melting amounted to 1.4mm of precipitation for the last twenty-four hours.

The thermometer fell to a minimum of 0.1C at 05.02 early Tuesday and lifted to 0.8C by 08.00 thanks to the cloud arriving at 06.10 that brought the snow minimising any further loss of warmth into the atmosphere in a previous relatively clear sky. The soil temperature at a depth of 5cm read 1.6C at 08.00.

The deep depression is very slowly easing eastwards towards Scandinavia but will still direct the cold air, originating from the north, on a westerly air stream. The barometric pressure has risen a significant 22mb over the last twenty-four hours with a reading of 997.9mb at 08.00.

We will still be on the cold north side of the Jet Stream until it is projected to move later in the weekend when it might get a little warmer

P.S. The 2025 Data Stats is now online.

After starting the day on Sunday with snow on the ground and a temperature of 2.9C at 08.00, by 08.15 sudden warmth arrived from the warm front overcoming the previous Arctic air with a temperature of 7.8C at 08.15 and by 08.30 had risen further to 9.6C. The thermometer reached a maximum of 12.4C at 13.25 being a significant 5.3C above the long-term average and prompting a rapid thaw assisted by modest rainfall. The total precipitation amounted to 18.9mm that took the monthly total to 46.4mm when the average is 89.6mm. During the early hours of Monday more steady rain fell but as the wind backed into the west the temperature began to fall again reaching a minimum of 1.6C at 07.26 early Monday.

Monday slowly came to life under thick cloud cover and strong winds, the main rain band having moved on and the temperature having lifted slightly to 1.8C by 08.00 The deep depression is just beginning to pull away with the barometric pressure reading at 08.00 of 976.4mb, a very low pressure as currently the centre of the depression is close by. The minimum of 971.0mb was the lowest pressure since 28th March 2024.

The low as it moves away has seen the wind veer into the west beginning to feed a much colder air stream. Wind chill is now a factor again as outside it feels more like -2C rather than the 1.8C indicated on the thermometer. Colder days and nights are ahead.

The thermometer on Saturday struggled to reach 0.8C by 14.53 and stayed there until early evening before the snow arrived. The first sleet and snow was observed at 18.30, shortly afterwards the thermometer dropped to 0.6C. The snow was observed turning to drizzle at 22.20 and heavier rain at 23.00. It was not until 01.30 early Sunday that the influence of the warm front was seen when the thermometer very slowly began to rise, a little more rapidly after 05.00, reaching 2.9C at 08.00.

The precipitation, rainfall and melted snow and sleet, amounted to 27.4mm by 08.00, the wettest day since 24th November.

A significant event occurred after 08.00 at which time the thermometer read 2.9C. By 08.15 the temperature had rapidly increased to 7.8C, the mist lifted but moisture was deposited on the outside of cold window surfaces. At 08.30 the thermometer had risen to 9.6C and continued to rise.

Sunday after dawn revealed fog with visibility down to 300m with light rain falling, heavier after 08.10.

The moist air from the warm front that arrived last night was much lighter than the previous Artic cold air and rose above it, the moisture in it condensed and cooled hence the sleet and snow that then followed.

The wintry weather is associated with a low pressure system just off the southwest coast of Ireland that is continuing to deepen and travel eastwards over the UK, this has seen the wind direction change from east-southeast yesterday to southwest today. The barometric pressure at 08.00 read 987.9mb, the lowest pressure since 26th September 2024.

Update at 09.00: the temperature has reached 10.4C resulting in a rapid thaw this last hour.
At 10.00: temperature risen to 11.4C

I hope that the 2025 Data sheet will be online this coming week when my webmaster returns to work.