Month: March 2024

The cloudy day on Monday combined with the brisk southeasterly breeze meant a maximum of 11.0C was a degree down on Sunday but just above my 40-year average (+0.4C). It was a dry day with nothing added to the monthly rainfall total of 57.6mm, when the average is 61.4mm.

Tuesday brought us a little brightness and weak sunshine around 08.00 that lifted the thermometer from a low of 6.4C at 01.49 early Tuesday to 7.1C at 08.00.

The depression, now off the southwest approaches, is going to be with us for a few days and deepening considerably over the next few days. More rain is forecast around midday as a wide rain band is currently crossing the Channel from France on a southeasterly breeze and will bring a few hours of heavy rain.

The forecast is that by Thursday the centre, now just to the west of the UK, will have dropped another 30+mb so a stormy period is likely in a couple of days time. Wednesday will see the end gang in strength and by Thursday we will experience the wind likely gusting to over 40mph and possibly reaching 50mph, so a very stormy day

The barometric pressure at 08.00 read 989.3mb, down 37mb since the 21st, the lowest since the 2nd of March and still slowly falling.

Both the maximum and minimum of Sunday were above the cool day on Saturday with a peak of 12.0C at 15.17 (+1.4C) and 5.7C at 01.55 early Monday (+3.2C). Rain in the early hours amounted to 1.8mm that took the monthly total to 57.6mm being 94% of my 40-year average.

Monday dawned dull with the residua compete cloud cover from the latest rain band. The centre of the depression is over Ireland and it will slowly sink a little further south but be around for the next few days, as a result we will have a few more cool days with limited sunshine and showers. The wind backed from the northwest on Sunday and is now coming from the southeast. As the centre of the depression gets near the barometric pressure will continue to drop with a reading of 1001.3mb at 08.00, down 25mb from its highest on Thursday and the lowest since the 10th.

The thermometer struggled to reach a peak of 9.3C on Saturday, early in the day at 10.13, thanks to the very strong westerly breeze that had a maximum gust of 28mph at 14.26. This was the coolest day since the 10th (9.0C). Rain was observed to start at 13.00 this was followed by frequent, sharp showers with small hail (less than 5mm diameter) observed at 13.05 and 14.27. During these periods the temperature dropped from 9.1C to 4.5C with the wind gusting strongly in the squalls, there was also wind chill that made it feel up to 2C colder outside. A minimum of 4.2 was logged at 06.08 early Sunday before the sun got to work.

We were greeted by strong sunshine after sunrise on Sunday that lifted the temperature to 7.2C by 08.00. We will be under a very brief ridge of high pressure for much of Sunday before another depression drifts in from the Atlantic.

The depression will shortly be centred over Denmark and will continue in a southeastwards direction. This will result in the wind backing currently from northwest to west then south late Sunday evening, a significant change in direction.

The maximum of 11.7C at 15.06 on Friday was the lowest maximum for a week but still 1.1C above my 40-year average due to the brisk wind from the northwest. It felt cold outside thanks to a modest windchill, however, it was dry. Not surprisingly with the wind from that direction, to see that the thermometer dropped away to a low of 2.9C at 04.25 early Saturday, that produced a slight ground frost but obviously no air frost and the coldest night for a week.

Glorious sunshine greeted the start of Saturday that had lifted the thermometer to 5.8C at 08.00. The wind today will continue from a northwesterly quadrant, however, although the air is cooler it is much drier as a humidity reading at 08.00 of 84% indicated,, the lowest since 20th January. The depression is currently off the Norwegian coast and not moving far today so the wind will continue from the west-northwest or north-west later. The barometric pressure has seen a further drop of 5mb since Friday as the depression gets closer.

Thursday was another very mild day, the 4th continuous with well above average maxima, yesterday’s peak was 15.7C being 5.1C above my 40-year average. This was the last day that the southwesterly breeze brought mild, moist ir from well down in the Atlantic. The overnight minimum of 8.4C occurred at 00.12 on Friday that agin was well above average with +5.9C.

Thursday was dry with the UV level of 3.4 in the ‘Moderate’ category.

Friday dawned dull with spots of rain and drizzle observed at 07.40. This was due to a cold front crossing our area this morning. A narrow band of rainfall will arrive mid-morning. The rain band is thanks to the depression centred just off the east coast of Iceland that will influence our weather over the weekend. The days of the mild southwesterly breezes have gone with the air stream slowly veering into the west and then northwest as the morning progresses. This change in direction will bring a much cooler air steam, eventually from the Arctic. The barometric pressure that was at its highest all month on Thursday with a peak of 1027.1mb, has already lost 7mb since yesterday and is forecast to fall lower as the day progresses. The breeze will increase in strength as the low pressure slides down the North Sea in the next twenty-four hours.