Category: Commentary

Maximum wind gust: 37 mph
Rainfall: 11.8mm
Temperature drop at 08.00: 7.7CC
Maximum temperature: 13.7C (+3.7C)
Minimum temperature: 6.0C (+2.3C)
Barometric pressure: 984.8mb at 02.28
Humidity at 08.00: 86%

All day on Wednesday the thermometer hovered around 13.6C with a maximum of 13.7C being a significant 3.7C above the 33-year average. It started to drop a couple of degrees in the evening but the major fall in temperature was this morning as the cloud began to thin just after 5am. By 08.00 the thermometer had fallen nearly 8C within twenty-four hours.

The significant rainfall of 11.8mm, very heavy around 23.30, brings the total for November to 55.6mm, being 60% of the November average. However, this was just a quarter of the deluge that fell in Lancashire causing much flooding.

The weather front cleared to the east this morning leaving a legacy of thin cloud at 08.00 with the wind having veered from the south into the west. As a result of the change in wind direction, the humidity reading at 08.00 was 86%, being the driest air at this time for almost a month.

All this dramatic weather was due to a very deep depression to the west of the country giving the lowest barometric pressure of 984.8mb since 5th March.

The conveyor belt of depressions yesterday and today has continued to feed moist and mild air across the country. As a result, the thermometer steadily rose to a maximum of 12.8C yesterday (+2.8C) and stayed around that temperature for almost twenty-four hours.

At the time readings are taken (08.00) the thermometer read 12.6C, the warmest night and morning since 25th October.

An intermittent rain band late evening and night produced 4.3mm bringing the total for November to 43.8mm (47% of the average).

Barometer plunges to lowest pressure for two months with a reading of 998.8mb at 08.00.

Monday returned to the extensive low, thick cloud bringing moist but mild air.

It was another sunless day but the mild air meant a maximum of 11.7C, being 1.7C above the average. The thermometer drifted downwards a little overnight but did not fall below 10.3C, which was 6.6C above the average. Although the air was moist, no precipitation occurred.

This morning has dawned with complete cloud cover but much higher and thinner.

After the dismal day on Saturday, Sunday brought us 3.4 hours of strong sunshine. However, the thermometer was reluctant to rise above 8.5C, some 1.5C below the average.

Although the temperature fell away late afternoon, by 08.00 this morning it had risen to 9.7C, making it a very mild night due to another weather front and its associated thick cloud.

No sunshine this morning, just thick oppressive cloud and light westerly winds.

Saturday was a day to forget, weatherise. It started with heavy cloud that lowered as a weather front again traversed the area bringing drizzle and light rain that intensified late afternoon.

The rainfall amounted to 4.5mm bringing the November total to 39.2mm, which is 42% of the November average.

The thermometer struggled to reach 10.6C, just above average, then fell away as the cloud thinned overnight, to a minimum of 2.3C just before dawn giving a brief ground frost.

It was not surprising to find that no sunshine, strong or global, was recorded and that the UV level did not register, the first day that this has occurred since 15th February.