Author: Eric Gilbert

A maximum of 21.2C on Sunday, in the very welcome sunshine after midday, was 2.1C above my 40-year average and the warmest day since the 4th. It was, thankfully, a dry day with the UV even recovering a little reaching the top end of Moderate. The thermometer slowly fell away overnight to reach a low of 12.6C at 08.00 Monday.

Monday revealed another cloudy start to a new day but this time it was much thinner and higher. Also notable, was the change in wind direction, coming from the Northwest. Also notable was that the humidity at 08.00 for the last three days was 100% but this morning, not only a cooler air but drier air. At the moment we are coming under the influence of a high pressure mid-atlantic but over the next two days this will sink away and we will come under the influence of a low to the northwest. The current barometric pressure at 1010.9mb is up 7mb since yesterday. This will result in a stronger and cooler air stream and from the northwest.

Saturday was another sunless day as the depression to the south continued to feed cloud and intermittent rain over our area. The maximum of 18.7C was up a degree on the cool Friday but just below average at -0.4C. There was little change in the diurnal range of temperatures, difference between night and day, with a low of 14.8C at 05.12 early Sunday being 5.9C above my 40-year average. The rain amounted to 4.8mm. The day was notable for the lack of wind, the maximum gust was just 9mph.

Sunday dawned, yet again, dull and dreary with heavy rain falling after 07.45 from a cell that developed locally. It is so calm as we are almost at the centre of the depression.

The centre of the depression has been moving northwards and currently over central England. As it continues to change position the wind will veer from the south this morning into the northwest later. This will herald a change in the air stream that will become drier and cooler, significantly cooler mid-week.

Friday was the second successive dull, dreary and wet day that saw intermittent bands of heavy rain pass over our area. It was particularly dark day just after 08.00 with claps of thunder heard between 07.00 and 0930. Another 9.4mm of precipitation took the monthly total to 36.5mm being 58% of my 40-year average. The conditions meant another cool day as the thermometer struggled to reach 17.7C early in the afternoon at 13.52 before beginning to fall away to 15.8C at 16.15. The UV level at 1.3 was obviously ‘Low’. There was little change in temperature overnight as a low of 14.3C was logged 03.55. It was an exceptionally calm day as the strongest gust of breeze was just 9mph.

Saturday again struggled into existence as low cloud and mist blanketed the high ground, initially limiting visibility to 300m. At least the rain had stopped.

The depression that had been centred over the continent is still there and is likely to throw more bands of rain across our area tonight. The barometric pressure of 10110mb is almost identical to that logged yesterday at that time. The wind initially today from east southeast will later this afternoon swing into the northwest heralding a cooler airstream.

Thursday was a day best forgotten as it was dark and dreary all day with copious amongst of precipitation. As a result the thermometer struggled to reach a maximum of 17.2C late in the day at 18.29 being 1.9C below my 40-year average. The many hours of rain amounted to 26.8mm. Te diurnal range of temperatures, difference between night and day, was exceptionally low, just 1.6C, due to a low of 16.6C at 06.40 that meant a mild night being 6.9C above the average. The wind from the northeast was strong gusting to 22mph.

Friday dawned slowly as we were still under the rain band and thick cloud that continued to deposit bursts of heavy rain with the humidity at 100%. The depression is still over the continent with the barometric pressure reading 1011.1mb at 08.00. The wind has backed into the southwest.

Wednesday was a very pleasant, dry and warm day that saw the thermometer rise to a maximum of 18.6C at 15.36, increasing cloud stopped any further rise. This peak was 0.5C below my 40-year average and almost identical to that on Tuesday. The UV level of 4.5 was at the top end of ‘Moderate’. A very light shower, logged at 05.30 on Wednesday, produced just 0.1mm of precipitation. The thermometer dropped away to a low of 11.2C at 02.18 early Wednesday before increasing cloud stopped any further decline. This low was 2.5C above my average.

Thursday arrived with a blustery wind from the north northeast, veering into the northeast later today. The first drops of rain from the large area of cloud and heavy rain began to fall minutes before 08.00. This is thanks to a large depression over the continent that will continue to throw cloud and probably heavy rain over our area for perhaps in excess of twenty-four hours, amounts uncertain as currently on northern edge of main rain band.