The advance effect of the deep depression off Ireland was felt on Tuesday as an extensive rain band produced the first spots of rain at 13.25 and finished just after midnight that produced 15.1mm of precipitation. This was the second wettest day in March and took the monthly total to 72.27mm, which is 118% of my 40-year average or +11.3mm, with much more to come on Wednesday. It was a warm morning until cloud built up before midday that saw the thermometer climb to 13.7C at 11.09, being 3.1C above my 40-year average. After the cloud and rain arrived the temperature dropped back. In the early hours of Wednesday, as the rain stopped and the cloud thinned, the temperature began to drop to a minimum of 4.2C at 04.40 being 1.7C above the long-term average.
Wednesday brought us glorious sunshine until 07.45 when advance cloud from the next weather front arrived and blotted out the sun.
The intense depression just off the south west coast of Ireland is at the moment continuing to deepen with a forecast centre pressure of 955mb this morning. The Spanish Meteorological Service have named this as Storm Nelson as it will have its greatest effect over that country. This intense low pressure system will influence our weather for the next two days with much more rain and strong winds, currently from the south. The barometric pressure here at 08.00 was 978.0mb, the lowest pressure since 9th February.
Both the Meteorological Office and BBC Weather forecast winds in excess of 50mph for a period on Thursday.
