Under the influence of the high pressure system extending from mid-Atlantic to east of the Black Sea on Monday, we enjoyed yet again wall to wall sunshine that lifted the temperature to a maximum of 11.1C at 15.23, despite the very light northerly flow of air. This high was 2.7C above my long-term average and the warmest day since the 24th February when 12.3C was logged. There was a slow fall in temperature during the evening when freezing point (-0.1C) was reached later than the four previous evenings, at 21.02, and then levelled out a little to reach a minimum of -4.6C at 06.29 early Tuesday after which time the sun got to work and the thermometer engaged reverse and started to climb again.
The UV light strength rose to its highest since 8th October with a value of 2.4, still at the top end of ‘Low’, but it is only early March.
Tuesday morning was a re-run of three previous mornings with glorious sunshine, as soon as the sun rose above the horizon, that gave a temperature of -0.7C at 08.00, the highest at that time since the 27th February. As the anticyclone slowly relocates and changes in pressure the wind today will come principally from the southwest, a much warmer direction than the north yesterday, but still light in strength. However, the ground is still very cold after the succession of hard frosts so the maximum is like to climb only slightly higher than the peak reached on Monday.
The forecast synoptic charts show the anticyclone completely in charge until later on Thursday when the pressure is forecast to drop a little as the anticyclone eases eastwards. This will still provide a blocking high against weather fronts trying to make their way across the southwest, associated with a depression developing in the Atlantic, when one forecast indicates possible light rain, the other forecast another dry day.