Category: Commentary

The October of 2016 was the driest since my records began in 1984 with 31.5mm when the average was 86.6mm. The total rainfall for October 2017 was 31.0mm until just after 7.30am this morning when a brief shower, amounting to 0.3mm, raised the total to 31.3mm.

There was more welcome sunshine yesterday with a total of 4.95 hours. The temperature recovered from a very cold start to reach 15.6C, exactly 1C above the October average.

Late afternoon the cloud began filling in that arrested the decline in the temperature so that the thermometer did not fall below 11.3C.

This morning is predominantly cloudy with gusty winds and that very brief shower just after 07.30.

After the gloom of Thursday, Friday started with a clear sky and remained that way all day with the occasional cumulus clouds passing by.

We enjoyed 6.66 hours of strong sunshine but the very light breeze, strongest gust of 10mph from the north-west, meant a maximum of 14.1C, which was 0.5C below the average. However, the lack of wind, frequently there were quite still conditions, gave a very pleasant day.

This was all due to a ridge of high pressure, centred off the south-west approaches, producing the highest barometric pressure, of 1035.1mb, since 20th April.

Inevitably, the clear skies meant that the thermometer began to tumble as soon as the influence of the sun departed and continued to fall steadily until just after midnight, at 00.27 precisely, when it reached the lowest of the night with a minimum of 2.4C. Variable cloud after that time meant that slowly the thermometer started to rise so that at 08.00 it read 4.7C.

This low overnight temperature meant that radiation fog formed in the Og and Kennet river valleys as the cold air, being more dense, settled in the lowest local area.

The low of 2.4C was the coldest night since 10th May resulting in the coolest morning for a month.

After the very sunny day on Wednesday with 7.4 hours of strong sunshine, which followed the overcast day on Tuesday, yesterday was back to the thick cloud and no sunshine. As a consequence the temperature was down again to a maximum of 15.2C, still above average (+0.6).

There was a very light shower of drizzle mid afternoon amounting to 0.2mm bringing the total for October to 31.0mm

Late afternoon the start of a clearance, from the persistent meandering weather front, could be detected from the west as the wind veered into the north west. The sky slowly cleared allowing the thermometer to drop to a minimum of 6.9C by dawn, which promised a much more sunny day to follow.

The barometric pressure with a reading of 1032.2mb at 08.00 as a result of a ridge of high pressure, is the highest pressure since 20th April.

After a dismal day on Tuesday, Wednesday was a gloriously sunny day with 7.36 hours of strong sunshine, the second sunniest day this month, 7.91 hours on the 9th.

The sunshine again boosted the temperature above maximum to 16.4C (+1.8C) but down nearly 2C on the previous day’s maximum. Another dry day, the 10th this month.

Overnight the temperature initially fell away under the clear skies but this was reversed as after 02.17, when a minimum of 5.9C (-1.4C against average) was recorded, the advancing cloud lifted the temperature to 11.0C at 08.00.

This morning we are back to the very low cloud and hill fog (visibility down to around 900m) with moisture in the atmosphere, but not enough to be measurable, as the wandering weather front again travels back over southern England. With completely calm conditions, there is no air movement to lift or move on the very thick, low cloud.

Tuesday was memorable for the very mild air brought to us on the south-westerly wind, gusting to a peak of 25mph, from deep down in the Azores.

The thermometer steadily rose to a maximum of 18.2C, which was 3.6C above the 33-year average. Likewise the overnight cloud and mild air meant another well above average minimum of 13.1C, that being almost 6C above the long-term average for October.

We have so far enjoyed 18 above average maxima and 20 above minima from the 24 days in October to date.

There was more brightness than the previous dull day and that included 1.4 hours of strong sunshine.

No precipitation was recorded yesterday so the total for October, that is turning out to be a very dry month, is now 30.8mm when the 33-year average is 86.4mm