British Isles weather diary

British Isles weather diary

Recent temperature, rainfall and sunshine extremes over the British Isles (Note: figures in parentheses give an indication, from first reports, of the spread of daily max and min temperatures, min daytime temperatures (occasionally), rainfall and sunshine in the 24 hours ending 2100 GMT.)

British Isles weather, January 2012

Overnight into the 22nd there was widespread rainfall across Scotland as a low pressure centre (994mb) moved E'wards across here during the morning. As the associated warm sector moved E'wards across England during the day there were falls of slight rain in parts of N England and N Ireland with little rainfall of note further S. Most places had sunny spells during the day once the cold front had cleared - while there were a few falls of light snow in parts of N and Cent Scotland. (Swanage 12.7C, Loch Glascarnoch 3.3C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -0.3C minimum, Cluanie Inn 30.4mm, Leuchars 6.2h.)

There was almost no air frost on the 23rd but a few parts of Scotland and N England experienced a slight ground frost. Troughts gave some overnight rain to N Ireland and W Scotland with further falls in parts of W Britain, N Ireland and W and N Scotland during the day. With a moderate NW'ly surface flow E areas tended to remain dry - while some wintry precipiation fella t times during the day in N Scotland. Away from S areas of Ireland and England where it remained cloudy most places had sunny spells. (Isles Of Scilly 11.6C, Aviemore 3.5C maximum, Leeming -0.8C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 13.4mm, Leconfield 6.6h.)

Away from W Ireland, where cloud led to a mild night and a minimum temperature of 10.0C at Valentia on the 24th, there was a widespread ground frost. Rain fell across Ireland and then spread into W areas of Scotlands, Wales and England. Much of NE Scotland remained dry, and then stayed largely dry during the day as the rain areas spread E'wards to most other places. It remained cloudy across Ireland and it was generally a dull and misty day. Rain was mixed with snow for a while in parts of S Scotland and N England. (Usk No.2 13.5C, Eskdalemuir 1.7C maximum, Braemar -4.1C minimum, Porthmadog 22.6mm, Dyce 1.2h.)

It was a mild night into the 25th under a warm sector across Ireland and much of England (away from the extreme E). Scotland, Wales and N England had some overnight rain - this weakened as it spread E'wards. There was early mist and fog in parts of SE England before dawn with mist and fog in other parts of E England. During the day a cold front spread across Ireland, Wales and Scotland giving some heavy falls of rain, especially across W parts of Ireland aqnd Scotland where falls were heavy. Again it was another widespread cloudy day with some sleet reported later in the afternoon in parts of W Ireland. (Hawarden 12.1C, Okehampton 7.6C maximum, Eskdalemuir 0.7C minimum, Cluanie Inn 39.2mm, Leeming 1.2h.)

The cold front soon cleared E England on the 26th leaving a W'ly flow around an area of low pressure close to/over N Scotland. Behind the colds front there was a widespread ground frost across Ireland, Wales and Scotland - early rain in W areas spread E'wards quickly and skies cleared in the W. By dawn only parts of kent and East Anglia remained dry. Following the cold front, that gave slight falls in all E areas of England as it moved away offshore, there were showers in W parts of Britain and across W and cent Ireland. These showers fell as snow in N England and S Scotland; it was a rather cloudy day here and across N Scotland with sunny periods elsewhere. (Dunkeswell 10.9C, Cassley 0.8C maximum, Altnaharra -4.0C minimum, Lerwick 18.2mm, Yeovilton 5.6h.)

By the end of the 27th high pressure was beginning to build from the SW into the British Isles. The day began with an air frost in E and Cent Scotland and in a few places in England. Rain and showers fell across W parts of Ireland and Britain overnight, fading a little before becoming re-invigorated and spreading into Cent and some E parts of England - associated with a trough. Parts of Scotland and N England had some falls of snow during the day. E and S England had long sunny spells, there were sunny periods elsewhere except over parts of N England and S Scotland. (Swanage 10.5C, Saughall 1.6C maximum, Kinbrace -7.0C minimum, Stonyhurst 16.4mm, Wattisham 7.9h.)

A developing ridge of high pressure on the 28th (MSL pressure rose to 1034mb over S Wales by 2400GMT) led to a widespread ground frost by dawn. Across Scotland, N England and N Ireland there was an inland air frost - with a slight air frost in a few other areas. S areas of N England and parts of the Midlands had some slight rainfall overnight - and there were heavier falls on parts of Shetland. Parts of E England had some early mist and fog patches. The rain across England had largely ended by dawn, and most places then had a dry day until fron tal rain edged into W areas of Scotland and Ireland later in the afternoon. It was a sunny day in E England but across Ireland and W Scotland cloud, ahead of the rain, meant a sunless day. 8mm of rain fell at Belmullet during 0600GMT to 1800GMT. (Belmullet 9.3C, Newton Rigg -0.7C maximum, Shap -5.2C minimum, Fair Isle 5.0mm, Nottingham 6.7h.)

Frontal systems across Ireland made only slow progress E'wards on the 29th. Across W Scotland and Ireland it was a cloudy night with overnight rain in Ireland; Belmullet reported 18mm of rain in the 12 hiours ending 0600GMT. E Scotland and much of England had an overnight air frost. Mist and fog patches were widespread in E England and the Midlands by dawn. The rain moved E'wards a liitle during the day into SW England, Wales and SW Scotland - and onshore-blowing showers led to some light falls of rain in E parts of Scotland and England close to the North Sea. These fell as snow grains at Wattisham; and snow and sleet also fell over high ground in Wales, Sw England and in parts of Scotland and N England. The extreme W of Ireland had a mainly dry and mild day - but except in NE England it was a dull day. (Valentia 12.1C, Lake Vyrnwy 0.5C maximum, Aboyne -4.4C minimum, Killowen 37.4mm, Kinloss 7.2h.)

Much of England and Scotland had a ground frost on the 30th with an air frost in places. Further W there was some overnight rain in Ireland, Wales, SW England and W Scotland. Precipitation fell as snow in parts of East Anglia, and also across parts of SE Scotland, S Wales, SW England and oiver high ground in parts of Cent S England. During thr day precipitation was mainly confined to S Wales and SW England with lesser falls in parts of Ireland and close to the E coast of NE England. There were falls of snow in NE England during the morning, with falls for much of the morning and afternoon in S Wales, East Anglia and SW and Cent S parts of England. A few flake also fell on Shetland and in E Scotland. Many palces had another cloudy day - but Cent parts of England and Scotland had sunny spells.Up to 5cm of snow fell in parts of south Wales, with similar amounts in parts of Pembrokeshire and Snowdonia. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said an ambulance crew got into difficulties at about midnight when their vehicle began slipping in snow north of Abergavenny. (Valentia and Isles of Scilly 10.8C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park -0.4C maximum, Shap -6.0C minimum, Cardinham 14.2mm, Kinloss 6.3h.)

Pressure rose from the E during the 31st as a freshening SE/E'ly flow became establihsed by the end of the day in all areas. Over Shetland MSL pressure had risaen to 1036mb by 1200GMT. Britain and N Ireland had a widespread ground frost with an air frost in Cent parts of Scotland and England and in Wales and W England. A few parts of Wales and Sw England remained freezing all day. Parts of SW England and S Ireland had some precipitation overnight and during the day while the E'ly flow brought snow showers onshore to many parts of England and Scotland - although falls were mainly slight. (Valentia 8.9C, Pennerley -1.0C maximum, Pershore -6.2C minimum, Isles Of Scilly 16.8mm, Aviemore 5.2h.)

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Last updated 3 February 2012.