Llansadwrn (Anglesey) Weather Diary 2003

Where you see these icons click for a pop-up graphic

Most pop-up graphics on this page are self-closing on next click of mouse..

January 2003

1st: It was a mild start to the new year with the temperature warming through the night reaching a maximum (for the past 24-h) at 0900 GMT. It was misty with poor visibility. Pressure 990 mb was falling with low (975 mb) to the W of Ireland. Rain was falling heavily in the SW {Culdrose 42 mm, Cardiff 32 mm, Milford Haven 24 mm}, Brittany and the Channel Islands {Scilly 42 mm} and patchily in the Midlands and the London area adding to the possibility of flooding. More flood warnings were issued bringing the number to 120. Here the morning brightened with the sun trying to break through thinning cloud at times. The afternoon was similar with the W coast having a little sunshine. The temperature decreased gradually through the day, as cooler air came in over Scotland from Scandinavia, with the light wind backing W'ly. [Rain 0.1 mm; Max 10.2C; Min 3.5C; Grass 0.4C]
2nd: Pressure was 983 mb with complex low N Ireland and Cornwall. With the cooler air meeting warmer there was some convection taking place and cumulonimbus were seen in the vicinity. At 1015 GMT there a heavy shower of rain and ice pellets in Beaumaris. With somewhat lower temperatures there was a chance of wintry showers on the mountaintops in Snowdonia. The day remained showery but there was a dry and sunny spell early in the afternoon before another moderate shower at 1515 GMT. With further heavy rain in England the Swan, in Upton upon Severn, was again under several inches of water. The pub is flooded on a regular basis the worst in 1947 when the level rose to over 6 ft. The number of flood warnings rose to 130 during the day. At Chertsey (Surrey) 100 homes were inundated with flood water from the River Bourne. Here the night was showery at first and, with a cold front passing just after midnight, the temperature fell 5C to the minimum of 1.9C. Persistent wintry showers, some prolonged and moderate, gave 13.1 mm precipitation by morning, the 2nd largest fall in the month. [Rain 13.1 mm; Max 9.4C; Min 6.0C; Grass 3.6C]
3rd: Sleet then showers of 1 mm snow grains at 0900 GMT. Light snow was lying as low as 500 ft near Bethesda in the Nant Ffrancon Pass. Snow was less to the W around Yr Wyddfa. Soon another shower of small flat star shaped (six pointed) ice crystals up to 2 mm diameter that melted quickly so I could not get a photograph. Pressure 999 mb had risen with low (983 mb) at midnight over the Irish Sea now filling Wales (993 mb). A band of precipitation on the cold front had moved on to the Midlands and there were snow showers in the N Scotland. Here the morning brightened with a few more light wintry showers and a little sunshine between. The first few snowdrops had popped up on a sunny lawn. The afternoon was sunnier but with cumulus clouds around showers of hail returned to coastal parts (snow pellets in Malltraeth at 1815 GMT and later) in the west during the evening. Here the evening and night was partly cloudy but free of showers. [Rain 0.4 mm; Max 4.2C; Min 1.9C; Grass 1.3C]
4th: A bright start to the day with sunny spells and a temperature of 2.1C (dewpoint -0.4C). Pressure 1016 mb had risen with high pressure (1019 mb) Rockall. With freezing temperatures snow was still lying thinly at 500 - 1000 ft mainly on the Carneddau Mountains. There were showers in the SW of England but with the weather turning colder and drier, levels of water in rivers were expected to hold and soon start falling, but in 3 places levels were still causing concern. Here the sky cleared to give a sunny day with the maximum reaching 4.5C. After a spectacular sunset temperatures fell rapidly under a clear sky with bright stars and there were 4.5 h of airfrost before midnight.. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 4.5C; Min 1.8C; Grass 0.5C]
5th: A cold night with airfrost (-2.2C) and ground frost -7.3C, the lowest of the month, with moderate and extensive hoar frost. After a peach-coloured pre-sunrise the sun rose in a clear sky over the glistening Carneddau Mountains. The temperature at 0900 GMT was -1.4C with pressure on 1019 mb. It was a sunny day, with cloudless sky and a very light E'ly wind, followed by a clear cold night with bright stars. There were 9.6 h of airfrost 00 - 00 GMT. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 4.5C; Min -2.2C; Grass -7.3C]
6th: There was more hoar frost deposited overnight. The sun rose at 0858 GMT behind cumulus clouds over the mountains giving broad upward sloping crepuscular rays that lasted for about 10 minutes. Pressure 1019 mb was unchanged. It was a sunny morning with good visibility in moderate smoke haze and a very light E'ly breeze. The snowline on the mountains was still lying around 1000 ft. The day was sunny and with the sun setting at 1555 GMT this gave nearly 7 h of sunshine. Another cold clear night but windier. There were 12.8 h of airfrost 00 - 00 GMT. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 4.1C; Min -1.5C; Grass -5.5C]
7th: With the SE'ly wind force 3 it was a cold start to the day with the temperature on -0.8C (dewpoint -5.0C, RH 73%). It was a drying wind and there had been no further deposition of frost. There were still patches to be seen in shady places where the sun of yesterday did not reach. The ground was frozen down to 5 cm depth (-0.8C) with the 10 cm not far behind at 0.5C. The leaves of some plants, including Hydrangea (deciduous but still has some), Rhododendron and broccoli on the vegetable plot, are already showing water stress (physiological drought due to the frozen soil). Birds too are seeking water and demand was high, when their water baths were replenished with lukewarm water, at feeding time soon after I finish the observations. They are used to the time and begin to gather when 0900 GMT arrives! Pressure was slightly higher at 1020 mb with high (1027 mb) off E Scotland and rapidly filling low (967 mb) W of Ireland. It had become windier with tighter isobars to the W. Low (993 mb) was over Italy with a lot of snow to the N with the really cold weather to the E of the Baltic. Cold too in Scotland where at Aviemore -18C was recorded overnight, only rising to -9C during the day, while Hawarden (Flintshire) saw -8C. Not quite as sunny here today as there were some small cumulus clouds being blown across the sky and rather more hanging over the mountains. Air temperature was above freezing for only 3.6 h with a maximum of 1.7C, the coldest of the month. The snowline was unchanged at 1000 ft but it was possible still to see patches as low as 500 ft. A mostly sunny day with the wind easing and becoming light and variable by dusk. A cold clear night with air and ground frost. Airfrost 00 - 00 GMT was 20.4 h. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 1.7C; Min -1.2C; Grass -5.0C]
8th: A slight deposition of hoar frost overnight with 11.5 h airfrost after midnight and an air minimum of -2.9C, the coldest of the month. The ground is now frozen (-1.0C at 5 cm; 0.0C at 10 cm) with bare soil looking dry on the surface. Blackbirds are searching for food turning over the layer of fallen leaves in the wood; food supplied in the garden being in great demand. Pressure 1020 mb is unchanged with the low still W of Ireland now (994 mb). Fronts kept to the SW but there were snow showers down the E coast and the SE of England. Heavy showers produced up to 5 cm of snow in London {Henley -1C lowest maximum} during the day. High pressure was unchanged at (1027 mb) but now N of Scotland. The morning was mostly weakly sunny with the temperature (-0.8C at 09 GMT) slow to rise to 2.0C during the day. With the ground frozen local farmers took advantage and were spreading manure on previously waterlogged fields too wet to work. Birds were on the fields too, on 1 a large flock of seagulls and another rooks. A few redwings were spotted along with starlings on yet another. Autumn sown barley was standing 15 cm tall and looking well in another field in Llansadwrn. A red sky at sunset and a cloudy night, until 01 GMT, with the temperature continuing to rise to it's maximum of 3.9C. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 3.9C; Min -2.9C; Grass -6.7C]
9th: The sky cleared after midnight and it got cooler again, reaching 0.0C on the grass, and no airfrost for the first night since the 3/4th. But the -3.1C at 09 GMT yesterday stood as the 24-h grass minimum for the day. By 0900 GMT it was cloudy (6/8) but the 3.3C temperature felt no warmer in the force 3 NE'ly wind. Pressure 1026 mb had risen as intensified high 1036 mb moved to W of the Outer Isles off Scotland. There were frequent wintry showers on the Pennines and a few in Snowdonia in the morning. Here was mostly cloudy with a light shower at 1300 GMT. Frequency of snow showers on the mountains increased in the afternoon; fresh sprinklings were seen as low as 800 ft across the range. Temperatures were warmer in the N of Scotland with {8C} at Sule Skerry and Foula, {7C}in Fair Isle {6C}Valley and Llanbedr while the coldest was {-1C}at Biggin Hill. [Rain trace; Max 5.0C; Min -1.3C; Grass -3.1C]
10th: A dull start to the day with a brighter look towards Conwy and Llandudno. The cloud was high over the mountaintops and visibility was good. Snow lying at 1500 ft, down to 900 ft in places in shaded valleys, was deeper on the Carneddau but was sparse on Snowdon. Pressure was 1032 mb with high (1035 mb) Donegal Bay expected to sink slowly S, through the weekend, bringing warmer temperatures to the S from the N! Showers were confined to the E coast of Scotland and England. The morning was overcast at first, with a NE'ly breeze making the 4.2C (dewpoint -1.9 RH 64%) feel on the cool side, but soon turned sunny with the temperature rising to 5.9C. Highest temperatures were in the W from {9C} at Barra, {7C} at Valley and Milford Haven and {9C} at Scilly. A patch of high cloud made early afternoon duller before it partially cleared giving a sunny end to the day. The night somewhat cloudy at first cleared with heavy dew freezing and later some hoar frost deposited. It has been very cold (<-30C in parts) for some weeks in NE Europe. The Gulfs of Bothnia and Finland together with Lake Ladoga are all but frozen over. There is also ice in the Baltic that was last frozen over in 1948. Several ships are caught in the ice and are awaiting ice breakers to free them. In Russia community heating systems have broken down freezing radiators and leaving hundreds of home without heating. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 5.9C; Min 3.3C; Grass 0.7C]
11th: After 03 GMT the temperature dipped below freezing giving 6.0 h airfrost by morning. A spectacular dawn with beautiful peach and pink colours, above the mountains and on high cirrus clouds overhead, from 0715 GMT 0815 GMT. Turning to gold the sun rose above the Carneddau Mountains now earlier at 0853 GMT and more to the E. The ground was white with frost and there was mist in the shallow valley near the source of the Afon Cadnant across fields just to the SE of here. With high 1037 mb Ireland and here 1036 mb the day was sunny with little or no wind. Visibility was moderate to good in smoke haze. Snow was reported overnight on the E Atlas Mountains in Algeria, N Africa. A cold day in England, with fog in places, Redhill {-3C}, Manston (Kent) and Pershore {-2C}; highest temperatures again in the N, Sumburgh Head (Shetland) {9C}, Aberdaron {8C} In the late afternoon, under almost clear sky with good visibility, smoke (pollution haze) could be seen from Malltraeth before the backdrop of the Snowdonia Mountains. As the sun set above the railway viaduct crossing the River Cefni at 1548 GMT the coloration was enhanced by the haze. Coolest around 1700 GMT (0.5C) with frost on the grass (-3.2C) then cloudier with rising temperature through the night reaching 5.2C by morning. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 5.7C; Min -1.8C; Grass -5.7C]
12th: A cloudy and dull start to the day; the cloud high at first becoming lower and thicker during the morning. There was a moderate (f4) W'ly breeze. Pressure had fallen 1033 mb as high Cornwall (1038 mb) sinks further S. Low (990 mb) E of Iceland had fronts over W Scotland and N Ireland where there was rain in the morning. The day remained overcast, with temperatures slowly increasing; there was light rain at 1630 GMT and a little more at 05 GMT as a weak front passed over. There are some new-born lambs in the field near the weather station, these are not the first in the area as I saw some nearby at the end of December. [Rain 0.7 mm; Max 8.5C; Min 0.0C; Grass -3.2C]
13th: The was a mild moist Atlantic airflow across the UK. Pressure 1029 mb had slowly declined with the moderate wind backing SW'ly. The high (1040 mb) had moved to be off Cape Finisterre and would lows S of Greenland to move towards Scotland. The cloud, a uniform status, was lying about 2000 ft on the mountains but visibility was good underneath. The temperature 8.5C was at its highest since 2 January. The morning remained dull and damp but by afternoon there were some breaks in the cloud giving a few glimpses of sunshine. A cloudy night with little change in temperature. [Rain trace; Max 9.5C; Min 5.2C; Grass 3.0C]
14th: A dull and misty start to the day with a little drizzle at 0900 GMT. Vigorous Atlantic-low (962 mb) SW of Iceland was on track towards Scotland while low (967 mb) Norwegian Sea was giving strong winds to the N. Pressure here 1024 mb had fallen and it was windier SW'ly f5. A warm front, associated with the lows, brought heavy rain to the NW Scotland. The day was dull the cloud, ahead of the cold front, thick enough giving light drizzle from time to time and keeping the hills shrouded in mist. Orographic waves formed in the lee of the Snowdonia Mountains, the Pennines (see satellite thermal image) and the Highlands of Scotland. Temperatures as low as -70C were seen at the top of the clouds. The wind freshened through the day and was near gale force 7 in the evening and touched gale force 8 just after midnight. The front passed over during the night giving moderate rain from 02 - 05 GMT. [Rain 6.2 mm; Max 9.5C; Min 8.5C; Grass 6.5C]
15th: A fresh start to the day with a minimum temperature of 6.5C at 0900 GMT. The sky was clearing leaving cumulus clouds being blown along on a moderate W'ly. Pressure was 1014 mb rising with the low (960 mb) between NW of Scotland and Iceland, the weakening front moving SE over the Midlands and the SW. The day was bright with a few sunny spells and was partly cloudy at night but remained dry. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 8.5C; Min 6.5C; Grass 3.6C]
16th: Pressure was 1023 mb but the next low (965 mb) was SW of Iceland. A warm front was to the N over Scotland and the morning was cloudy with mist on the mountains. The cloud and mist lifted later but the afternoon remained overcast; a clear view of the mountains for the first time in days revealed that all snow, even in N-facing gullies, had melted. The wind strengthened through the day and reached gale force 8 before midnight. [Rain 12.2 mm; Max 10.0C; Min 4.9C; Grass 0.8C]
17th: At midnight the still deepening twin lows (965 mb) were NW of Scotland The wind was gale force 9 from the S for after midnight and a strong gust removed a cowl from a chimney of the house. I found it at the back door when I went to do the morning observations. Lots of things in the garden blown around and pots of plants overturned. Much debris on the ground, mainly twigs broken off trees and beech-seed cases. The wind had been sustained gale-force from 23 - 06 GMT; mean wind speed in the garden was 11.3 mph over the 24-h. Pressure 1002 mb was lowest about 06 GMT when there was moderate to heavy rain and ice pellets that accumulated 12.2 mm by 0900 GMT, visibility was very poor but the wind veered W'ly and moderated force 3. Pressure 1004 mb had started rising with the front moving SE with a band of rain dying out stretching from Newcastle to Plymouth. Rain continued for a while then the day became dry but remained mainly cloudy. In the colder airstream after the front snow showers were seen on Carnedd Dafydd as the sky began to clear towards evening. The almost full moon shone for a while, with the temperature on the grass dipping to 0.7C with dew forming, before turning cloudy later. Rain 1.8 mm; Max 7.6C; Min 5.9C; Grass 5.1C]
18th: Overcast at dawn but some clearer patches of sky had developed by 0900 GMT. Snow was seen lying at 2900 ft on the Carneddau and Cwm Idwal near the cloudbase but Snowdon, as often, remained obscured. Pressure was 1008 mb with low (969 mb) W of Ireland. The morning was occasionally bright but we did catch a light shower of rain. The afternoon was cloudier and windier, as a front moved across from the Irish Sea, with rain from 1730 to 21 GMT. [Rain 2.7 mm; Max 9.0C; Min 4.6C; Grass 0.7C]
19th: A mist dawn then the cloud began to lift to give a bright morning, as the front and rain cleared eastwards. Cumulus clouds were left mainly over the mountains of Snowdonia. Pressure 993 mb at 0900 GMT had fallen with complex deep low-pressure (966 mb) still to the W of Ireland. But isobars over the UK were slack so the W'ly wind was light. This would change later as the low moved closer. The day was bright with some good sunny spells and improving visibility. Later in the afternoon there was a slight shower of rain, but not before I pruned the vines and cut back the chrysanthemums now that the last flowers have been cut. They have done very well this season keeping us in flowers for the house from October. During the night the temperature rose, from the minimum of 4.3C at 2030 GMT to a maximum of 10.1C near 08 GMT, as the low pressure introduced warm sector air. There was light rain from 03 GMT. [Rain 2.9 mm; Max 10.1C; Min 6.3C; Grass 4.0C]
20th: Pressure 975 mb had fallen with complex low pressure (966 mb) just to the W of Ireland. The wind was S'ly force 6 and was similar or stronger in the SW. There was intermittent light rain and visibility was poor with mist, a situation in common with most of the UK today. This cleared E in the morning giving a sunny day with a maximum of 9.9C. Temperatures were >10C in many parts including {12C} at Hawarden and the Scilly Isles. Cumulus clouds developed in the W in the afternoon to give some showers, mainly over Snowdonia and thunder off Pembrokeshire near midnight. The night was cloudy and mild. [Rain 1.6 mm; Max 9.9C; Min 4.3C; Grass 0.6C]
21st: Light showers from 04 GMT and a dull start to the day. Pressure was 974 mb with a complex low pressure system over the UK containing much cloud and numerous widespread showers. Overcast all day with just a glimpse of the sun setting with partial rainbow in one of the showers. The showers continued through the night. [Rain 6.9 mm; Max 7.1C; Min 6.1C; Grass 3.8C]
22nd: A light shower just after midnight with ice pellets. A showery start to the day with a few breaks appearing in the cloud just after 0900 GMT. Pressure 991 mb had risen with twin filling lows (984 mb) having crossed the UK positioned just off the E coast of Scotland and England. A dull morning with a light to moderate NW'ly wind. The afternoon remained cloudy with frequent slight showers of rain. Later in the night the sky cleared. [Rain 0.6 mm; Max 6.5C; Min 4.8C; Grass 1.1C]
23rd: An almost clear sky at dawn with white frost on the ground (-3.3C). Pressure 1025 mb had risen with a ridge extended from Iberian high (1031 mb). Lows were well to the N near Newfoundland and Greenland but an Atlantic-front was giving some rain to the N Scotland. The day was sunny with little or no wind the temperature rising to 7.1C; the sky was clear at first but there was a little thin high later in the afternoon. It was a sunny day over many parts of the UK; Valley {7.2 h} while Falmouth (Cornwall) had the most with {7.5 h}. Towards evening cloud associated with the approaching warm front was seen in the W. The cloud encroached by 1830 GMT when temperatures began to rise from the evening minimum of 3.7C to the day's maximum of 9.1C by morning. [Rain 0.8 mm; Max 9.1C; Min 1.0C; Grass -3.3C]
24th: After some heavy drizzle at 0430 GMT it was a dull start to the day. There was low cloud and mist around the coasts and Snowdonia Mountains. Pressure was steady on 1030 mb under the influence of intensified high (1040 mb) over Spain and France. Atlantic lows were, at the moment, being kept to the NW by the high pressure to the S. A warm front was over Wales and N England but, apart from the mist, it was dry with rain confined to NW Scotland. It was windier with a fresh (f5) to strong S'ly breeze. The day remained overcast with no sunshine. Rain on a developing frontal wave W of Ireland arrived just after midnight and gave moderate to heavy rain until 0630 GMT the 15.6 mm being the largest fall in the month. [Rain 15.6 mm; Max 9.6C; Min 1.5C; Grass -2.4C]
25th: The sky cleared briefly after 0630 GMT but soon after 0900 GMT it was cloudier with some blue patches remaining. Visibility was moderate, with mist and low cloud on the hills, and it was a mild 7.7C. Pressure 1026 mb was rising, after having fallen overnight, with lows (990 mb) S of Iceland and (957 mb) S of Greenland. Pressure was still high (1039 mb) to the S (Biscay/Iberia). From midmorning the day turned sunny with an almost clear sky over Anglesey early in the afternoon with a maximum of 10.0C. Later cloud encroached and there was intermittent rain on a warm front from 01 - 06 GMT. [Rain 2.5 mm; Max 10.0C; Min 7.2C; Grass 3.9C]
26th: A mist start to the day with moderate visibility under uniform stratus cloud. It was a mild 10.0C with 96% relative humidity in a warm Atlantic airflow. Pressure was 1029 mb with low (971 mb) SE of Greenland and high pressure (1043 mb) to the SW. The day remained dull until mid-afternoon when the cloud began to lift and break up to give a sunny end to the day. There was a maximum here of 12.1C, the warmest of the month, and Bangor Harbour saw 14C but the highest of the day was at Aboyne (Aberdeenshire, Scotland) where 18C was seen in a Föhn wind. After a vivid red sunset low cloud returned with mist by morning. [Rain trace; Max 12.1C; Min 5.5C; Grass 1.2C]
27th: A misty start with very poor visibility (100% RH) in low cloud. Pressure was more or less steady on 1029 mb with Atlantic-high (1047 mb) intensifying S of Greenland. Pressure was low (982 mb) near Iceland and this would later draw cold air down from the N soon bringing a return to wintry weather. The minimum of 8.8C was the warmest of the month. The day was dull and misty at first with a moderate to fresh SW'ly; the cloud began to lift at 1130 GMT but the sky did not clear until after dark. Some clear sky around 2200 GMT but it was cloudy again by morning. In southern parts it was a sunny and warm day with 17.1C seen at East Malling in Kent. Grass lawns were being cut! [Rain 1.7 mm; Max 10.0C; Min 8.8C; Grass 6.3C]
28th: The UK was between the large Atlantic-high (1055 mb) and another (1002 mb) over N Scandinavia. Pressure here was 1018 mb; isobars were tightening giving strong to gale-force NW'ly winds especially in the N and NE. The airflow was showery giving frequent light showers of rain that were wintry on the summits of Snowdonia. The day was occasionally bright in between the showers that were frequent after 1600 GMT. After a fall of ice pellets around 2200 GMT the night was dry. [Rain 2.4 mm; Max 6.5C; Min 4.5C; Grass 0.7C]
29th: With the sky almost clear it was a bright but windy start to the day. The wind had backed N'ly with the airflow coming directly from the North Pole. Although the temperature was 4.7C (dewpoint -1.0 RH 67%) it felt very cold in the force 6 wind. There was a light covering of snow above 2200 ft on the mountains that had cumulus clouds over them. Anglesey was almost clear of cloud with good but hazy visibility. The morning was bright and sunny with thin high cloud developing. The afternoon was cloudier but dry. A small earth tremor was heard and felt at 1725 GMT. [Rain 2.8 mm; Max 6.5C; Min 3.8C; Grass 1.3C]
30th: After midnight an area of precipitation on a cold front moved S and brought rain along the coast but snow pellets and snow here at 300 ft from 04 -06 GMT almost covering the ground before starting to melt. By 0900 GMT only a little was left on grass but it was lying generally at 800 ft and as low as 500 ft on the Snowdonia Mountains. Falls were light to moderate but the wind was blowing it off the slopes giving a little drifting in places. Snowfall was general over the high ground of Wales and SW England but was on some low ground too in the S. At Bracknell an average of 5 cm was reported where the maximum did not rise above {0C}. Snow was also affecting the E of Scotland (Dundee {1C}, N England and later London. Roads were badly affected (lack of gritting on the M11) and in London it was described as 'chaos'. Parts of the country were without electricity and many people took hours to walk home after abandoning their vehicles. A child was killed and several injured when a tree blew down at a school. Pressure was low (998 mb) off Norway and a low tracked down the North Sea and brought the snow to London and East Anglia. During the morning here the sky cleared giving some sunshine through the day; the N'ly wind at force 6 -7 was bitingly cold with the daytime temperature around 1C and a relative humidity of 60%. The day's maximum of 1.8C was at 0900 GMT, 2nd coldest of the month, (1.7C on the 7th). Several inland places, including Birmingham, did not rise above {1C}; others were colder with Capel Curig {0C} and Lake Vyrnwy {-2C}.. Only the SW saw warmer temperatures with {6C} at Plymouth and Is. Alderney, and Is. Scilly with the highest {9C}. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 1.8C; Min 0.4C; Grass 0.0C]
31st: It remained dry overnight with the wind moderating around midnight as a ridge of high pressure moved across from the W. At 0900 GMT with pressure on 1025 mb and a temperature 0.9C (dewpoint -5.2C) it felt much better in the light (f2) NE'ly breeze. It was a bright start with broken cloud and some sunny spells. The surface soil and water were frozen; soil, grass and concrete were also dry. The morning was sunny with the temperature reaching 3.1C but by 1400 GMT frontal cloud arrived from the NW and it became colder. Snow showers crossed SW Anglesey and on to the mountains around Llanberis. I saw some ice crystals falling near the Post Office in Gaerwen at 1400 GMT. The rest of the afternoon was dry but rain arrived on a warm front by 1800 GMT (snow on the mountains) and continued until 2230 GMT. The temperature had risen and reached 6.0C, the day's maximum, at 2200 GMT, and led to rapid thaw of lying snow. [Rain 7.2 mm; Max C; Min 0.0C; Grass -3.1C]

Top of page

Return to homepage

February 2003

1st: Overcast at dawn but then the sky started to clear and the temperature, that had been around 5C most of last night, stated to fall with the following cold front. This resulted in a temperature on the grass of -0.3C but it was warmer by 0900 GMT and no frost was seen (the 0.9C and -0.9C minimums were seen at 0900 GMT on the 31st January). It was misty, with only poor to moderate visibility towards the mountains, with a very light W'ly wind. Pressure 1014 mb had fallen but was steady. Pressure was high (1027 mb) to the SE over Europe and (1042 mb) in the Atlantic to the SW. Pressure continues to be low (968 mb) N of Iceland (between 65 - 70 deg N). The day was sunny at times (maximum 7.7C) with the sky clearing before sunset. After dark it was cool (4.8C and -0.2C on the grass) at first but warmed to 6.5C around midnight. After midnight a weak trough passed over with frequent showers of rain and ice pellets, some heavy 03 and 0518 GMT), until morning. [Rain 2.1 mm; Max 7.7C; Min 0.9C; Grass -0.9C]
2nd: A showery start to the day with mixtures of rain, ice pellets and sleet. Fresh snow was lying on the mountains at 2200 ft and was lower in places (Cwm Idwal 1500 ft). Pressure 1001 mb had fallen further with low pressure (968 mb) E of Iceland with frequent wintry showers being brought to Scotland, Northern Ireland and North Wales with the showery trough in the English Channel. Yesterday's front was lying N Spanish coast, central France to Sweden and bringing more snow to France, Germany, Scandinavia eastwards. It was a blustery and showery morning here with a strong W'ly wind. Most showers contained ice pellets and there was a heavy one at 1353 GMT that was the last until next morning. The afternoon was mainly cloudy; there were some clear spells at night. [Rain 2.3 mm; Max 1.6C; Min 3.8C; Grass -0.2C]
3rd: With cumulus clouds in the vicinity there were slight showers of <2 mm snow pellets from dawn. At 0900 GMT they were larger 2-3 mm but the fall was only slight. There was ice precipitation too (heavier) over the Snowdonia Mountains with fresh deposits seen at 1800 ft on the eastern Carneddau. Pressure was 993 mb with a light to moderate NW'ly wind. The morning was mainly sunny with a temperature of 2.4C (dewpoint -0.6C) and afternoon was bright. During the evening there was a shower of snow pellets but the amount of precipitation was very small. With low air pollution many lichens species can be found growing on trees and walls in Llansadwrn. Winter is a good time of year to look at lichens especially on trees. In the absence of leaves plenty of light and moisture reaches the lichens and they grow well. [Rain 0.3 mm; Max 6.7C; Min 1.6C; Grass -1.7C]
4th: Some clear spells at night with the temperature on the grass -3.0C. Snow pellets fell around 0130 GMT. A bright start to the day with cumulus clouds in the vicinity. Pressure was 1001 mb with low (977 mb) tracking down the North Sea. There were heavy snow showers in Scotland and along the east coast of England. The temperature at 0900 GMT was 2.2C (dewpoint -1.5C) and though the morning was sunny at times it felt cold in the moderate to fresh N'ly wind but did rise to 5.4C at noon. Despite spells of cold weather it has been warm enough for a white dwarf Rhododendron and purple hellebore Helleborus atrorubens to be in flower in the garden. I have been seeing primroses since the middle of January and the first leaves of bluebell have appeared in the wood. The afternoon was occasionally sunny but we caught showers of snow pellets at 1542 GMT and 1712 GMT. The latter was squally and ended with a flurry of snow. At 1620 GMT there was a boom resembling an earth tremor, lasting about 7 seconds that shook the house and made things rattle, the second within a week. This proved to be a sonic boom from the new Eurofighter aircraft being tested over the Irish Sea. Just before 22 GMT there was sleet and later a little more snow. [Rain 1.5 mm; Max 5.4C; Min 0.8C; Grass -3.0C]
5th: A shower of snow pellets at 0130 GMT were still lying frozen, after partial melting, on the ground at 0900 GMT. With the air temperature down to -1.4C it was the 7th airfrost this year equally the total number seen last year. Above the grass it was -5.2C. It was bright with a very light NW'ly wind. Pressure 1013 mb had risen but the morning was mainly cloudy with a showers of small ice pellets from 1045 GMT. By afternoon the sky had almost cleared over Anglesey and it was sunny {4.9C} with good views of the Snowdonia Mountains. At first at night it was calm and became cold with air and ground frost but became cloudier later, as a warm front approached from the Atlantic with the wind veering E then SE, the temperature rose to 5.5C by morning. [Rain 0.4 mm; Max 5.5C; Min -1.4C; Grass -5.2C]
6th: A grey uniform blanket of stratus cloud low enough to brush the mountaintops. A very fine drizzle at 0900 GMT but around the W coast there was light rain and drizzle since 04 GMT. A little snow fell early on at 1500 ft on the mountains where it was still just cold enough, but not for long as temperatures rose leading to rapid thaw. Low (959 mb) between Greenland and Iceland had an associated warm front over the W of the UK with a following cold front to the W of Ireland. Pressure was unchanged at 1013 mb with the temperature 5.5C (RH 84%) and the wind a light S'ly. With high pressure there was little rain on the front, just a little drizzle until a shower at 23 GMT giving the most. [Rain 1.3 mm; Max 8.6C; Min -1.5C; Grass -5.3C]
7th: A dull and damp start to the day but there was just a hint of blue sky showing through the cloud at 0900 GMT. Pressure 1017 mb had risen a little 1017 mb and we were still in the mild moist SSW'ly airflow. With the tail of a weak cold front over Snowdonia it was a mild morning at 7.3C. It remained cloudy and sunless here all day but, clearance in the lee of the mountains in Conwy, Llandudno and Colwyn Bay, it was sunny. Colwyn Bay reported the most sunshine with {4.8 h}. Penzance (Cornwall) was the warmest with {14C}. There was a little light rain here between 18 - 19 GMT with the night cloudy but windier. [Rain 1.2 mm; Max 9.4C; Min 5.5C; Grass 3.5C]
8th: After a little rain at 06 GMT it became brighter towards 0900 GMT with little blue sky in a minor lee-clearance in a fresh S'ly wind. There were cap clouds and cumulus over the mountaintops with some lee-waves clouds to the SE over the Menai Strait for about an hour. With deep low (954 mb) N of Iceland pressure here was 1014 mb. A cold front was to the NW and it was raining in the W Ireland and NW Scotland and this slowly moved towards us. The morning was dry but by afternoon there was some drizzle that preceded 12.5 h of moderate rain from 1600 GMT that accumulated 23.5 mm, the largest and only significant fall of the month. [Rain 23.5 mm; Max 9.1C; Min 7.0C; Grass 5.8C]
9th: After the rain there was a fast clearance leaving cloud and mist only over the mountains at 0900 GMT. The temperature had fallen to 3.8C and -0.4C above the grass. Pressure 1013 mb was rising with a ridge of high pressure over the Irish Sea. To come is Atlantic-low (960 mb) currently S of Greenland. The overnight rain had moved rapidly SE to London, East Anglia and the E coast to Scotland having already clearing the Midlands. It was a sunny morning with hardly any wind the chimney smoke drifting from the W. Later small cumulus clouds began to form overhead during the morning. The warmer weather has pushed in across Scandinavia and into Europe bringing respite to the very low temperatures there this winter. The afternoon was sunny on Anglesey {8.3 h} but there were towering cumulus clouds over the Snowdonia Mountains. As the wind was NW'ly some cloud also developed over Llansadwrn. Towards dusk the sky cleared and there was a frost on the grass -1.1C by 1700 GMT falling to -3.8C later. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 10.2C; Min 3.8C; Grass -0.4C]
10th: Cloudier after midnight and dawn produced a red sky over the eastern mountains towards Conwy between 0710 - 0745 GMT. Pressure 1016 mb had fallen a little with deepening low (952 mb) now SW of Iceland. Isobars were tight over Ireland and W Scotland and winds had strengthened; rain had already reached there on a warm front. Here the cloud was high and it was still dry (51% RH), with the S'ly wind force 5 - 6, until 1300 GMT. During the afternoon there was drizzle then light rain from 1430 - 1700 GMT. Later the frontal cloud cleared, and the wind dropped, giving a clear sky and mist by dawn with fog patches in low-lying places. The wettest place was Milford Haven (Pembrokeshire) with {23 mm}.[Rain 2.7 mm; Max 7.9C; Min 1.0C; Grass -3.8C]
11th: Pressure 1023 mb was rising with high pressure (1026 mb) building to the SW (FitzRoy and Biscay). Yesterday's low moved to the N and an occluded front was moving E through the Midlands to Brittany with rain in London. At 0900 GMT there was just a hint of a SW'ly wind and a temperature of 4.0C with 100% relative humidity. There was sunshine through the mist that made visibility only just moderate but soon cleared to give a sunny day. The rooks were noisy and busy inspecting their nests in nearby trees. But the greater spotted woodpeckers were feeding on peanuts in the garden and not this morning doing their usual drumming on resonant branches. Some cloud overhead during the early afternoon cleared before sunset. The west had the best of the sunshine with Valley reporting {7.7 h} and the Isle of Man the most with {8.2 h}. The warmth of the afternoon sunshine melted nearly all the snow on the summits of Snowdonia. After dark the sky remained clear at first with the temperature falling (-2.7C on the grass) and mist forming later. [Rain 0.1 mm (fr/fog); Max 9.1C; Min 3.7C; Grass -0.3C]
12th: Fog and little or no wind after midnight until morning. At 0900 GMT visibility was still very poor with 100% relative humidity at 4.1C but returned to fog (<200 m) by 1030 GMT. Fog and low cloud remained around some coastal areas most of the day where it was sunless but inland, including the mountains of Snowdonia and South Wales it was clear and sunny. Pressure 1030 mb had risen in the high pressure over the UK associated with high (1041 mb) E Europe. Inversion temperatures occurred with a maximum of 7.1C seen in Llanberis, 5.2C here in Llansadwrn with temperatures about 2C in the thicker fog. After dark the sky cleared and there was a heavy frost before fog closed in once more around midnight.[Rain tr/fr; Max 5.2C; Min 2.0C; Grass -2.7C]
13th: Thick radiation fog (<100 m) over heavy white frost (-5.6C on the grass) at dawn. Just before 0900 GMT it started to clear leaving shallow fog across the fields. With the sun filtering through the trees the temperature had risen to 0.0C (RH 100%). Pressure was still high at 1028 mb with high (1039 mb) Europe declining a little. Low (960 mb) was near SE Greenland. The morning was sunny and although the afternoon was cloudier it was bright with some sunshine. During the night the sky cleared. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 7.4C; Min -2.2C; Grass -5.6C]
14th: The temperature fell during the night and was coldest just before 0900 GMT. Just missing an airfrost it was cold enough on the grass for beads of silver frost to form. These are supercooled dewdrops that freeze as the temperature lowers; at -2.0C some of the water droplets were frozen. Pressure 1030 mb had risen keeping frontal cloud well to the W over Ireland giving the sunny start. Pressure (1036 mb) over Europe may decline with low (999 mb) S of St. Johns (Newfoundland) likely to move our way and deepen but be deflected by the blocking high pressure. The day was sunny through moderate smoke haze with just a little E'ly wind. The day's maximum was only 4.6C, the lowest of the month. The UK was almost cloudless, especially the S, I did not see any clouds overhead just a little on the horizon to the W in the afternoon (see satellite image and spiral of cloud off Dublin). At dusk with a clear sky the temperature was soon below freezing. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 4.6C; Min 0.0C; Grass -2.0C]
15th: A cold night with airfrost (-3.1C) was lowest of the month. With ground frost (-9.0C), joint lowest of the month, there was deposition of hoar frost. Aboyne saw an air minimum of -11C and Hawarden (Flintshire) -7C while Aberdeen (Dyce) saw -12C on the ground. At 0900 GMT pressure was steady on 1036 mb and the temperature -0.4 (dewpoint -6.5C with RH 63% falling to 38% by 1230 GMT). The ground surface was frozen hard although not at 5 cm depth where it was 0.5C. Another sunny morning with smoke haze in the Menai Strait to a height of 2500 ft with the mountaintops clear. Some fires were lit to burn gorse on the mountainsides in the afternoon, adding to the smoke haze. With most of the UK cloud-free, except the SE, it was sunshine all day with a maximum of 8.4C but it was chilly in the shade. A clear night followed. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 8.4C; Min -3.1C; Grass -9.0C]
16th: A calm start with silver frost and hoar frost on the ground. Visibility was good but smoke haze was moderate in the Strait and in Liverpool Bay. There was cirrostratus cloud to the SW, cirrus increased overhead during the morning and with thin cloud in the afternoon it was not as sunny. Pressure remained high at 1035 mb sending lows to the NW where there was a little rain, around the Outer Isles of Scotland (Barra {5.3 mm}). It was warmest in the Highlands (Altnaharra {8.7C} where the range was 17.3C having risen from a minimum of -8.6C. It was sunniest in Prestatyn {7.7 h}. During the evening the cloud was pushed away to the NW and it was another frosty night. At 22 GMT, as a result of the haze, there was a 22 deg halo around the full moon. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 6.0C; Min -1.8C; Grass -6.8C]
17th: A little red sky in the E at dawn. It was a sunny morning but smoke haze was thicker making visibility poor at ground level but it was good above with the mountaintops in the clear. With heavy silver and hoar frosts the ground was white. There were 2 -3 mm long ice crystals on the stem of the grass minimum thermometer. Pressure was keeping high at 1037 mb and it was a sunny morning with a very light NE drift of air. With a light SE'ly around noon the temperature rose to 8.8C and the relative humidity went down to 43% indicative of a Föhn effect. {Altnaharra, Highland, reported the highest maximum of 11.5C but it was cold in Buxton where it did not rise above -1C}. The afternoon remained sunny and Valley reported {8.6 h] sunshine {Morecambe, Lancashire had the most with 9.1 h}. It was a clear night. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 8.8C; Min -2.5C; Grass -7.9C]
18th: Cold again overnight with frost on the ground of -9.0C, joint lowest of the month, and air -3.0C almost equal to the lowest seen on the 15th. Pressure 1025 mb was falling with complex low pressure to the W of Ireland (992 mb wave-depression) and high (1039 mb) Oslo now declining. The day was sunny with a very light and variable breeze though again there was widespread smoke haze. With a lot of dead dry vegetation on the mountains there was a large fire behind Llanfairfechan with smoke drifting towards Llandudno. The relative humidity was down to 38% here with a maximum temperature of 10.0C but much lower RH values were seen in Scotland. At Altnaharra, in a temperature of 9.3C, an RH of only 2% was seen. The highest temperature of 12C was seen at Altbea also in the Highlands of Scotland. At dusk cloud on the front to the W could be seen and this spread across during the night. Another gorse fire occurred at Mynydd Llandegai near Bangor (Gwynedd) at 20 GMT. The fire required the attendance of 2 fire crews from Bangor. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 10.0C; Min -3.0C; Grass -9.0C]
19th: In a SE'ly wind orographic waves were formed in thin high cloud to the S of here at 1715 GMT. The cloud was coloured pink by the rising sun. At 0900 GMT the temperature was 3.0C with the dewpoint -8.0C giving an RH of 44% falling to 37% at 1300 GMT. The ground was frozen and dry making it difficult for the birds in the garden to find food. Pressure 1012 mb had fallen further with high (1033 mb) S Norway in decline. The wave low (991 mb) just to the NW of Ireland was moving N while another (998 mb) just off Brest would flirt with Cornwall during the day before moving N. Here it was bright, though hazy, with weak sunshine at times especially early in the afternoon. A maximum of 8.9C here with Altbea again topping the list with {10C}. After dark it was clear at first with frost before turning cloudy by morning. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 8.9C; Min -0.7C; Grass -5.2C]
20th: A murky start to the day with thick haze resulting in moderate visibility. Pressure was 1008 mb with filling low (998 mb) Lands End moving towards S Ireland with frontal cloud moving up through Wales. This was producing drizzle or light rain but it was cold enough for some flakes of snow on higher ground in the S. It was dry here, in a light variable wind, with some breaks in the cloud at 0945 GMT that later enlarged in a lee-clearance in a S'ly flow over the mountains. By the afternoon there was good sunshine along the Menai Strait, with lee-wave clouds, but NW Anglesey remained largely cloudy. Valley reported {1.7 h sunshine} but it was much sunnier here and in Caernarfon. The temperature here rose to 8.5C while in Llanberis it was 9.0C at 1415 GMT. Fires continue to be lit on the mountains, there was another large one just before 18 GMT that lit up the sky to the S. There were a few spots of rain in the night that damped the ground but left the raingauge bottle was dry. Rain trace; Max 8.5C; Min -0.5C; Grass -4.2C]
21st: A warmer (7.1C dewpoint 4.3C) but still murky start to the day with the smoke haze continuing to make visibility only moderate. Pressure 1017 mb had risen with lows (982 mb) S of Iceland and (980 mb) W of Iberia tracking N. Dull at first with a light S'ly breeze the morning soon became sunny with the temperature rising to 12.2C. Similar temperatures along the North Wales coast made it one of the best places to be, but London managed 14C the UK highest. In the afternoon developing cloud over Wales spread to SE Anglesey, and thickened over Snowdonia, but the NW of the island remained sunny until evening when the sky cleared everywhere. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max C; Min 2.2C; Grass -1.2C]
22nd: Some frost on the ground but it was a sunny morning with a moderate to fresh SE'ly wind. With low (980 mb) SW of Ireland pressure here was little changed at 1019 mb but isobars had tightened up against persistent high (1033 mb) over Norway. In the SE'ly wind the temperature had been rising since midnight and was 7.5C (62% RH) at 0900 GMT. With wall to wall sunshine it was a fine day with the temperature reaching 12.4C. It was warmer on the W coast and Valley reported the highest temperature of 13.5C across the UK. The night was clear at first; frontal cloud seen low in the W at dusk moved across before midnight giving the first frost-free night since the 7/8th. From 0230 GMT there were several light rain showers. [Rain 1.0 mm; Max 12.4C; Min 1.7C; Grass -2.5C]
23rd: The occluded front was just to the N at 06 GMT. Bright but showery first thing with a fresh (f5) blustery S'ly wind. Pressure 1015 mb had risen a little as the low (988 mb) to the W of Ireland continued to track N and fill. The main high pressure centre (1041 mb) is now near Krakóv (Poland) allowing lows to come closer. The morning remained bright with the afternoon cloudier. During the evening the sky started to clear and there was heavy dew followed by ground frost. [Rain tr/fr; Max 10.3C; Min 5.8C; Grass 1.3C]
24th: With the sun now rising just to the E of Foel-fras at 0733 GMT by 0900 GMT the heavy frosted dew was melting. The temperature in Llanberis was 7.3C and here it had risen from a minimum of 2.0C to 4.0C, that was to be the lowest of the next 24-h, before rising to a maximum of 13.3C. With the temperature inversion smoke haze was trapped in the Menai Strait as it has been for several mornings this month. Frontal cloud could be seen low to the S and W while cirrostratus and waves were above. Pressure was 1021 mb with another low (989 mb) SW of Lands End tracking N with high (1038 mb) over Europe persisting. The morning was sunny, with little or no wind, but the afternoon turned cloudier and remained so overnight. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 13.3C; Min 2.0C; Grass -2.4C]
25th: Clearer sky in the E led to pink and red colorations before a weak sunrise behind thin high cloud. Pressure was 1014 mb with the slow-moving low SW of Ireland. Pressure continued high over Europe, where there was freezing fog, with a ridge extending to S Scandinavia. It was a mostly cloudy morning with a slight ESE'ly wind with a patch of rain over the Irish Sea but it continued dry here although the cloud thickened. In Beaumaris the view up the Menai Strait was hazy but there was a patch of blue sky in a lee-clearance with orographic clouds above. The day remained mainly cloudy but dry until 2000 GMT when there was a shower of rain that contained a deposit of dark-grey coloured dust tinged with orange. Following trajectory analysis at NOAA Air Resources Laboratory (S. Burt, COL Bulletin No. 394, February 2003) it was shown that this dust originated from the Great Western Desert in Algeria. [Rain 0.3 mm; Max 12.4C; Min 4.0C; Grass 1.0C]
26th: Some spots of rain at times early on had left the ground damp by morning; there were the deposits of dark-grey coloured dust tinged with orange that fell yesterday. Pressure 1006 mb was steady but the high pressure over Europe (1034 mb) was declining and this would let low (964 mb) S of Greenland to track E. Warm frontal cloud over North Wales (overnight minimum 7.7C the highest of the month) and the Midlands is slow-moving and brought the first rain with a succession of cold fronts to follow. The wind was a light SE'ly at times and the cloud occasionally showed signs of breaking up when it became brighter. The afternoon was brighter as the cloud remained high and thinned with the maximum reaching a warm 14.9C the highest of the month; highest in the UK was London with 15.7C. The day's mean was 11.3C ranking 3rd warmest on record here. There was light rain from 2130 to 2315 GMT containing moderate to heavy amounts of this time dark-orange or reddish-brown dust. Preliminary indications, looking at the SKIRON model dust forecast done by the University of Athens, indicated dust in a narrow band from Algeria through the Pyrenees, W of France up to the Irish Sea. A later trajectory analysis (S. Burt, COL Bulletin No. 394, February 2003) confirmed that some of the dust originated this time from the Great Eastern Desert in Algeria. The amount of fall was equivalent that seen here on 14 October 2001. [Rain 1.6 mm; Max 14.9C; Min 7.7C; Grass 4.5C]
27th: A dull and wet start to the day with intermittent light rain. At 0900 GMT with pressure on 1008 mb there was little or no wind with a drift from the SE. Pressure was low (965 mb) S of Greenland with the near-continental high now much reduced (1015 mb). The morning remained murky with visibility moderate to good with a few spots of rain from time to time. The afternoon was similar except that it was dry with the sky clearing by 22 GMT but it was mild. [Rain 0.1 mm; Max 10.6C; Min 7.3C; Grass 5.6C]
28th: At dawn the sky was cloudier and it was a golden sunrise. Cloud continued to increase so that at 0900 GMT there were just a few breaks (7 oktas) to the S and NE. Pressure 1008 mb was falling quickly as a wave-depression associated with a large area of rain approached from the SW. It was a mild 10.3C with a slight S'ly breeze at first but soon increasing to force 3. The morning was cloudy with rain over Ireland, South Wales and SW England reaching here by 1115 GMT. Amounts were slight at first but there was a spell of moderate rain from 15 - 2030 GMT; the sky then cleared to give a starlit night. [Rain 7.1 mm; Max 11.8C; Min 6.6C; Grass 2.8C]

Top of page

Return to homepage

March 2003

1st: At dawn the sky was becoming cloudy with the approach of a trough from the SW. At 0900 GMT pressure was little changed at 1006 mb but the wind had strengthened to a fresh (f5) S'ly. There were some light showers before 1030 GMT then it was bright with a little sunshine. Another more active trough (with heavy rain showers and isolated thunder) was over S Ireland, Pembrokeshire and the Channel Islands and further showers reached here at 1350 GMT. Showers were heavy and prolonged in places and over Snowdonia {Capel Curig 20.8 mm} where, when it cleared at 1645 GMT, a sprinkling of snow was seen above 2800 ft across the range. Rainfall here in the lee of the mountains was only 3.3 mm and mainly in the period 1500 - 1700 GMT. [Rain 3.3 mm; Max 10.9C; Min 5.3C; Grass 2.5C]
2nd: After midnight under a clearing sky there was a touch of ground frost. At dawn there was shallow fog across the fields and a little cloud that soon cleared from Anglesey, but cumulus clouds continued to envelop the mountains of Snowdonia. Pressure 1010 mb was rising with a light SW'ly breeze. The day was sunny on Anglesey but lines of cumulus clouds, sometimes towering, persisted all day over Snowdonia. The night was clear, with heavy dew and a touch of ground frost, and lit by bright stars before it became overcast as cloud encroached from the W after 04 GMT. [Rain tr/dew; Max C; Min 2.5C; Grass -1.6C]
3rd: Some brightness in the E at sunrise. It was overcast with high cloud that was thin enough at times for the sun to be seen. Lower and thicker cloud to the W came across just after 09 GMT. The temperature was 5.5C and was the lowest of the next 24-h. There was a large area of mainly light rain or drizzle over S Ireland and the Irish Sea but heavier on a front Lands End to Cork. Pressure was steady on 1013 mb with ridge high pressure (1021 mb) France. Complex low pressure and plenty of fronts were in the Atlantic to the SW. The morning was overcast with little or no wind and it remained dry. Light drizzle moved on to the W coast at Malltraeth at 1600 GMT but did not reach here until dusk. [Rain 3.2 mm; Max 11.3C; Min 3.7C; Grass -0.7C]
4th: The band of drizzle and rain moved slowly N on warm fronts through the night with intermittent light rain from 0515 GMT. Pressure 1006 mb had fallen a little and we were in warm sector air giving a temperature of 10.1C at 0900 GMT. It was misty with moderate visibility and a fresh (f5) SW'ly wind. Pressure was low (990 mb) to the NW of Scotland, winds were strong to gale-force in the NE, while it was high (1026 mb) over Spain. The morning was dull with a little rain or drizzle at times with the afternoon drier and somewhat brighter. A mild and windy night (force 6/7) night at first but becoming cooler and less windy towards morning. [Rain 0.8 mm; Max 10.8C; Min 5.5C; Grass 4.7C]
5th: A little brightness following dawn but the mountains were obscured in low cloud and mist. The chart looked hardly changed with complex low pressure between Iceland and NW Scotland, but the high pressure (1024 mb) was centred over Algeria. Pressure here 1007 mb and it was cooler at 7.1C at 0900 GMT. Close to a front over the Midlands, with rain in the SW, the morning was mainly cloudy and occasionally bright. From noon there were some sunny spells here, and SW Anglesey including Malltraeth. It remained overcast around Holyhead with Valley reporting only {0.1 h} sunshine. The sky was cleared by 2200 GMT. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 9.4C; Min 5.9C; Grass 3.8C]
6th: Heavy overnight dew and a slight ground frost with silver frost on the grass by morning. A golden sunrise and only 3 oktas cloud cover, mainly cirrus and cirrostratus low to the SW, at 0900 GMT. Pressure 1014 mb was rising slowly with ridge from high (1025 mb) over Spain. Pressure remains low to the NW (986 mb) between Iceland and Scotland and frontal-waves forming W of Ireland keeping the weather unsettled. The day was sunny, with a light SW'ly breeze, and Valley reported {9.6 h} sunshine. It became cloudy overnight and with a strengthening wind but was dry until a few minutes before 09 GMT the next day. [Rain trace; Max 11.1C; Min 3.2C; Grass -0.8C]
7th: A cloudy start to the day with a fresh to strong (f5-6) S'ly wind. It was starting to rain (few spots to slight) before 0900 GMT as patchy rain moved in on an active cold front from the Irish Sea. Pressure 1004 mb was falling with a vortex of cloud (low 995 mb) just SW of Ireland. And low (970 mb) S of Greenland was deepening and would dominate the weather here over the next few days. It was a hazy outlook with cloud descending the slopes of the mountains. There was some rain before noon and it was cold enough to fall as snow on the mountains above 2500 ft. Then the sky cleared with some sunshine before it turned showery later with deep convective clouds over Anglesey, S and mid Wales. Pressure was lowest 999 mb between 15 - 18 GMT and it was blustery particularly at 1610 GMT when there was heavy rain and ice pellets. After a minor clearance in the W further frontal cloud encroached giving moderate to heavy rain between 04 - 08 GMT. [Rain 13.8 mm; Max 8.6C; Min 5.2C; Grass 3.5C]
8th: A grey, wet and windy start to the day, after the rain water there were pools of water on the fields. Pressure 1008 mb was falling with fronts and troughs in the W. Low (995 mb) was near Shetland but the low S of Greenland had deepened significantly (934 mb) and was tracking slowly NE; ships in the vicinity were reporting hurricane force winds (f12). Pressure was high (1029 mb) over Spain. The day was misty (poor visibility) with almost continuous light to moderate rain until 1900 GMT (12.5 mm). In the mountains it was very wet, rivers and streams burst their banks and roads were awash with runoff water making driving slow and difficult. Capel Curig reported {87.6 mm} including 80 mm 06 - 18 GMT. It was windy, SW'ly force 6 - 7 with strong gusts during the day. Around the coasts, including Aberdaron, and on high ground it was gale force 8, or more, most of the day. There were speed restrictions on the Britannia Bridge and fast ferries on the Irish Sea were curtailed. Here the wind rose to force 7 and reached gale force 8 by the evening. It was mild with the temperature range only 1.5C in the period from 09 - 09 GMT 8/9th. [Rain 12.5 mm; Max 9.5C; Min 3.4C; Grass 0.2C]
9th: A shade less windy after midnight but it was winding up again by 0900 GMT (SW'ly f7) and to gale force 8 with strong gusts by 1030 GMT. Pressure here 1008 mb was unchanged, deep Atlantic-low (946 mb) had moved nearer but was filling and tracking more N than E. Lows near this position can cause a tidal surges (see Diary: 2 February 2002) around our coasts but the spring passed safely on the 7th. The morning was dull, hazy and windy with a cold front to the W of Ireland. Dry in most places but there was heavy rain around Fort William and W Scotland most of the day {Lusa, Isle of Skye 41.9 mm}. Light rain reached here about 1400 GMT but the sky was brightening in the W at 1700 GMT and was clear at 2200 GMT. It was cloudier again later. [Rain 0.8 mm; Max 9.6C; Min 8.0C; Grass 6.9C]
10th: It was a grey, showery and still windy start to the day. Pressure 1010 mb had risen a touch with our low (966 mb) S of Iceland. Pressure was high (1030 mb) over France and Spain where it is sunny and warm with temperatures around 20C at noon. Moving E were heavy showers with thunder and lightning on a trough to the W, over Ireland to N England. The wind was SSW'ly force 5 - 6 but gusted to force 8 in a squall at 0920 GMT then subsided again. This was the pattern for the day as frequent squalls passed over especially in the afternoon when they were prolonged the wind reaching gale force at times, but there were a few bright spells and little in the way of precipitation. It was a different matter in Durham, N of England where, between 15 - 16 GMT, thunder and lightning, hail and sleet was reported. No thunder was heard here. The night continued blustery but dry. [Rain 0.4 mm; Max 10.7C; Min 8.0C; Grass 6.4C]
11th: The sky was clearing slowly from dawn but visibility remained poor in thick haze. Pressure was 1007 mb with the matured low pressure (987 mb) N of Scotland. Pressure was high (1030 mb) in the Mediterranean, and Atlantic, with a small shallow low near Biscay with a warm front bringing rain to N France and Belgium. Most of Anglesey had cleared of cloud but here, near the mountains, it was mostly sunny but there were cumulus clouds blowing along on the fresh (f5) SW'ly. These became more active during the day and Four Crosses, Menai Bridge, caught a heavy shower of rain at 1620 GMT, enough to leave water standing on the road, before tracking over the Strait to the mountains where it fell as snow. At the weather station we were on the edge of it and had little. The wind veered during the day, was WNW'ly at 17 GMT, becoming N'ly later. Partially cloudy at night but clearing by morning.[Rain 0.4 mm; Max 11.4C; Min 8.0C; Grass 6.8C]
12th: The sky was clearing to give a sunny morning. Cumulus clouds and thick haze were obscuring the mountains. Pressure 1033 mb had risen with high pressure (1037 mb) to the W of Ireland that promised dry and sunny, weather. Several plants and trees were showing green buds today. The buds on our earliest sycamore tree opened 3 days ago and this morning buds were green and bursting on hawthorn, willow, snowberry and elderberry. The large 'sticky buds' on horse chestnut were also breaking and on the ground fritillaries were beginning to flower. Spring seems to be on the way but with a maximum of 8.1C it was the coldest day of the month. It was a sunny day with Valley reporting {10.3 h} sunshine the highest in the UK. The air cleared late in the afternoon giving very good visibility. A clear night with a white frost on the ground by next morning. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 8.1C; Min 4.5C; Grass 2.1C]
13th: Pressure was 1039 mb with high (1043 mb) settled over N Britain. Some cloud could be seen low to the E and over the mountaintops there was a cap of rolling cumulus clouds. Anglesey was in the clear and it was another sunny day {Valley 10.7 h, highest in the UK}. But the smoke haze was back and was seen all day in Liverpool Bay and later to the W, against stratocumulus in the Irish Sea, after a peach coloured sunset. There was just a hint of a SE'ly wind through the day with the maximum reaching 11.2C. Many honey bees had been attracted out of their hives and were feeding on the Ericas that are in full flower on rockery banks in the garden. I have also seen some cluster flies about that have emerged from roof-spaces. A few were in the Stevenson screen where they gather between the louvers on cold night. There was quite a buzz about the garden for the first time this year. The night was clear and frosty and the cluster flies had returned to the screen.. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 11.2C; Min 0.9C; Grass -4.7C]
14th: A hard white frost on the ground (-7.0C) and an airfrost (-1.5C) both the lowest of the month. A sunny morning, with a light NE breeze, but the temperature at 0900 GMT had already risen to 3.7C. Pressure was 1035 mb with high pressure (1042 mb) over S Norway. With blue skies and the temperature rising to a Föhn-enhanced 15.3C when the wind turned SE'ly later (Valley reported 13C and was credited as the highest in the UK) it felt as if summer had arrived. The temperature range on the day was 16.8C the largest in over 5 years; 16.5C was seen on on 18 June 2000. Humidity values were low, 37% here, with some stations in England reporting values down to 25%. By nightfall there was thin cirrus cloud overhead and with a light SE'ly the temperature, after falling at first rose to 6.6C at 22 GMT. It did fall off later with a minimum of 1.1C and -5.0C on the grass. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 15.3C; Min -1.5C; Grass -7.0C]
15th: Another sunny start to the day with thin high cirrus cloud and smoke haze. Pressure was 1036 mb with high (1042 mb) well established S Norway to Denmark. The wind was variable through the day and was SE'ly for a time when the temperature reached 16.3C, this exceeded for the 2nd day the reported UK maximum of 15.2C at Lossiemouth, Scotland. With relative humidity of 42% it was indicative of a Föhn-effect. Clear at night with a ground frost. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 16.3C; Min 1.1C; Grass -5.0C]
16th: A very hazy but sunny morning and little or no wind. Pressure had crept up to 1040 mb as the high over Denmark and the North Sea intensified. The wind was a light NE'ly and this remained through the day and, as a result of the breeze off the sea from this direction, it was cooler with the maximum reaching 12.9C. Valley was warmer today with {14C and 10.4h sunshine} while Manchester (Hulme) saw the highest temperature of {15C}. A clear night with bright moon and stars with frost on the grass after moderate dew. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 12.9C; Min 1.0C; Grass -5.7C]
17th: High pressure still dominates the weather over the UK. Here 1038 mb and after a calm night another sunny day again with a very light NE'ly breeze. There was thick haze but above 2600 ft the mountaintops were clear with temperatures of 10C, or more. The maximum reached 15.4C in the afternoon but the warmest was Trawscoed with {19.4C}. Capel Curig and Rhyl also reported {18C} with Llanberis on 18.9C. But at Leuchars in Scotland the maximum was only {4.3C}, here and the E coast to the Wash was affected by sea fog and low cloud all day. It has been warm in Iceland too where, after the warmest winter on record, it was 15C. With a full moon at night it was clear and bright with a moderate dew and ground frost. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 15.4C; Min 2.5C; Grass -2.0C]
18th: A sunny start to the day here but around some of the coasts it was misty. It had been calm all night but at 0900 GMT there was just a light breeze from the S. It was 7.9C (69% RH) but Valley reported 5C with 100% RH. On Snowdon the temperature was 14C and with the temperature inversion there was thick haze across the Strait giving poor visibility. The day was sunny but with the cool wind off the sea the maximum temperature was 14.5C. At Altnaharra (Highland) the temperature rose from -8.3C to 17.9C during the day; a range of 26C and a record for the UK in March. The night was clear at first with a ground frost but after 02 GMT it became foggy. [Rain trace/fog; Max 14.5C; Min 2.3C; Grass -1.7C]
19th: Calm with fog early; it was dense (<100 m) at 06 GMT and was so until just before 0900 GMT when it began to disperse. The temperature inversion at 0900 GMT; on Snowdon summit it was 12.7C and here 4.7C. Fog remained in some low-lying parts including the Menai Strait between the Bridges and towards Bangor until noon. Pressure was 1033 mb with the high (1034 mb) centred near Gloucester. As the fog cleared the day became mostly sunny in the W, especially in Malltraeth, with a light NW'ly wind. The fog kept near to the coast along the N and E side of the island. Towards evening the fog returned making driving on the A55 across Anglesey difficult in low-lying areas. At night there was fog at times but in some clearer spells it was cold enough for ground frost. [Rain trace/fog; Max 11.3C; Min 2.3C; Grass -1.7C]
20th: With low cloud and mist visibility was very poor all day and it was sunless. Pressure 1031 remains high with frontal cloud to the W. North Wales, Cheshire and N England had low cloud and mist most of the day but other parts, especially in the S {Bristol 10.3 h}, were sunny. Here the cloud was thick enough for a little light drizzle at times in the afternoon with a maximum of 8.8C {Spadeadam, Cumbria 6C}. Ploughing for sowing of spring cereals is well underway around the village. The night was cloudy and frost-free. [Rain trace; Max 8.8C; Min 0.6C; Grass -2.2C]
21st: Cloud was high and visibility was good. At 0900 GMT with pressure 1028 mb there was little or no wind. Low (957 mb) was W of Iceland and it was windier to the NW. The morning was cloudy at first but then became mainly sunny as the cloud dispersed overhead. From 1810 - 1900 GMT a sun pillar was observed before and after the setting sun. There was a high golden pillar that was more colourful nearer the ground. Sun pillars are halo phenomenon and the result of reflection of the suns rays off one of the six faces of columnar ice crystals lying horizontally. The ice crystals are in cirrus clouds, seen in the photographs above lower clouds behind which the sun set. The colours are due mainly to pollutants and dust in the lower atmosphere; levels have been high in past days because of the long-lasting temperature inversion. It was a clear night with heavy dew and ground frost. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 14.5C; Min 4.2C; Grass 1.8C]
22nd: Unbelievably another sun pillar, pink coloured, observed briefly at 0620 GMT just before the sun rose at 0624 GMT. Pressure 1024 mb continues to decline slowly but the European high (1035 mb) has a ridge over the UK. A front to the NW of Ireland has a developing wave. A sunny, but hazy, day with poor visibility and a light NE'ly breeze off the sea kept the temperature down to 11.3C. A male chiffchaff arrived in the garden during the afternoon and was soon singing, the females will not be here for some days yet. No luck with the setting sun today, a deep orange colour but no pillar. Including the one this morning I have seen only 5 making it a rare event!. A clear night with light dew and frost on the ground by morning. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 11.3C; Min 1.7C; Grass -2.0C]
23rd: A clear hazy and calm dawn. Pressure 1023 mb was little changed. At 0900 GMT the temperature was 10.2C (dewpoint 2.2C;RH 58%) the warmest since the 4th. In the morning the RH soon fell to 41% and the maximum to 15.5C before the breeze off the sea prevented a further rise. It was sunny all day but by evening frontal cloud encroached from the W. The night was mostly cloudy and mild with a short shower of rain at 0320 GMT. [Rain 0.3 mm; Max 15.5C; Min 3.6C; Grass -1.9C]
24th: Fairly bright at first but by 0900 GMT it was cloudier and duller. By the afternoon it was sunnier but visibility was moderate in smoke haze. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 12.5C; Min 7.5C; Grass 2.8C]
25th: Pressure 1023 mb continues almost unchanged. A cloudy start to the day with poor visibility. It was sunnier in the afternoon but cloud returned by evening. Cloudy at night but clearing by morning. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 14.2C; Min 5.6C; Grass 1.2C]
26th: Heavy dew on the grass and with just a touch of frost. Pressure 1020 mb was maintained in a ridge from the slowly declining high (1024 mb) centred near the Gulf of Finland. A day of hazy sunshine with little or no wind. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 15.8C; Min 4.9C; Grass -0.1C]
27th: A sunny, but very hazy start to the day. The sky was covered with thin cirrus cloud and some contrails. Pressure 1018 mb had continued to decline slowly; it was a warm 11.7C at 0900 GMT with little or no wind. A thundery trough was affecting SW Ireland and SW England, associated with a low near the Iberian Peninsula, while there was a little rain on a weak front over N Scotland. The showers did not make much progress during the day; it remained sunny and warm here with a maximum of 16.0C. Daily mean temperatures over the last week have been running about 3C above average. The night was clear with dew on the grass. Rain 0.0 mm; Max 16.0C; Min 4.8C; Grass 0.8C]
28th: Cirrus and thickening cirrostratus clouds during the morning with hazy sunshine. A warm 12.0C (dewpoint 7.0C; RH 72%) and little or no wind at 0900 GMT. Pressure was 1013 mb with shallow complex lows (1007 mb) to the Bay of Biscay and patchy rain still to the SW. The morning was bright; the afternoon was duller as cloud thickened but the temperature reached 17.4C the warmest of the month and year here, so far. At Colwyn Bay (Conwy) it reached {18C} the highest in the UK on the day. By dusk it was very murky, but the rain dying out as it moved NE, gave a little at Milford Haven {2.0 mm} with just a few drops over Snowdonia after dark. Jersey had the most {13.7 mm} while we had none. The sky cleared briefly around 22 GMT but it was cloudy again by morning. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 17.4C; Min 5.9C; Grass 0.3C]
29th: Cloudy, with a weak cold front over the Irish Sea, but bright with some breaks appearing in the cloud at 0900 GMT. With an Atlantic-high (1022 mb) building with a ridge over Ireland pressure 1015 mb was rising. There was a light (f2) N breeze and, with clearer air, visibility (moderate to good) improved through the day giving clear views across Anglesey and the mountains. With fresher air from the N the day's maximum was only 11.0C, and without pollutants and dust, the sunset was golden. A clear night with ground frost. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 11.0C; Min 5.9C; Grass 2.5C]
30th: Becoming cloudy after dawn, with a golden sunrise, pressure 1020 mb was rising slowly with high (1024 mb) W of Ireland. The first flowers were seen on bluebells in the wood. Cumulus clouds hung around in the morning but by noon had dispersed over Anglesey and the afternoon was sunny. Hazier later but there was a golden sunset before another clear night with ground frost by morning. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 11.8C; Min 2.5C; Grass -2.3C]
31st: At midnight high (1027 mb) was centred over Ireland. Shallow fog in low-lying places early in the day soon began to clear with the sun rise. Pressure was 1025 mb but deepening low (984 mb) near Iceland brought windier weather and rain to the NW later. The day was sunny with a light SW'ly wind at first that had strengthened by the end of the afternoon. The evening remained clear although cumulus clouds had developed over Snowdonia. After midnight it was windy (force 6-7) and frontal cloud arrived and moderate rain from 0345 GMT giving 15.8 mm making it the wettest 24-h of the month. [Rain 15.8 mm; Max 13.5C; Min 2.2C; Grass -3.0C]

Top of page

Return to homepage

April 2003

1st: The dry spell was broken by rain from 0345 GMT. There was a heavy burst of rain and ice pellets at 0820 GMT, 6 mm in 10 minutes, that brought the 24-h total to 15.8 mm, this credited to the 31 March. Pressure 1007 mb had fallen overnight, as fronts moved SE across the NW, with low (973 mb) now NE Iceland. Pressure was high (1034 mb) mid-Atlantic. The morning was dull but there were some breaks in the cloud by 11 GMT; the afternoon was showery here and especially over Snowdonia where they were wintry. Another shower with ice pellets during the evening. [Rain 1.9 mm; Max 11.7C; Min 6.9C; Grass 6.0C]
2nd: A heavy shower of large ice pellets at 0545 GMT. A grey dawn but soon the sky was clearing leaving cumulus clouds passing by on the N'ly breeze. Pressure 1018 mb had risen as the Atlantic-high (1037 mb) approached the W. The morning was mainly sunny but wintry showers continued over Snowdonia with just a few drops of rain here. The afternoon was sunnier but it became cloudier again later when there was a good display of orographic wave clouds. [Rain 0.2 mm; Max 12.1C; Min 3.5C; Grass -0.4C]
3rd: With frontal cloud passing SE it was overcast with mist and heavy drizzle around dawn. Beginning to clear just before 09 GMT leaving cirrus and contrails in the sky overhead with cumulus clouds over the mountains of Snowdonia but soon to form 'streets' across Anglesey. Pressure had risen 1029 mb with high (0135 mb) just to the W of Ireland. The afternoon was sunnier, especially on the W coast of the island, but became overcast by nightfall. [Rain trace/fog; Max 12.6C; Min 5.0C; Grass 0.3C]
4th: Thick fog at dawn, with visibility <100 m, began to clear before 09 GMT as another weak front moved away SE. The sun was just appearing as the fog lifted leaving cumulus clouds overhead with visibility improving from moderate fog <500 m to poor (2 km). High (1036 mb) was near Dingle Bay (Ireland) and not far away here pressure was 1034 mb. The morning became sunny with the temperature rising to a maximum of 15.8C by noon. In the afternoon there was a light cooling NE'ly breeze off the sea. The night was clear with heavy dew. Indications were that the weather was set fair for the next week. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 15.8C; Min 6.3C; Grass 1.9C]
5th: A clear sky to start the day with low-lying mist on the fields, and sea fog around some coasts and estuaries, that soon cleared in the morning sunshine. Pressure was 1035 mb, with high (1037 mb) Donegal Bay (Ireland), and the wind remained light and mostly S-SW'ly through the day. A few contrails forming cirrus drifting from the NE otherwise wall-to-wall sunshine, Valley reported {12h}, the most in the UK. During the afternoon a cool sea mist came into Red Wharf Bay but, at 351 ft (107 m), we remained mostly in sunshine. A few small cumulus clouds formed as a sea breeze front started to develop, but these soon dispersed. Some fog came rolling across the fields, and up the valley to the S of here, at 1840 GMT but it cleared by dusk. A clear night with dew, and ground frost, but there was mist by morning. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 16.6C; Min 3.9C; Grass ]
6th: Early fog was clearing by 07 GMT and it was sunny by 09 GMT. Heavy dew plus, some fog deposition, on the grass amounting to 0.26 mm. Pressure was 1032 mb with high 1035 mb now in the Norwegian Sea. Frontal cloud was along the E coast of England but here it was sunny. Some cumulus to the S and cirrostratus to the NE, with contrails overhead. The morning was sunny but haze restricted visibility to poor. Much cloudier around noon then a return to clear hazy sunshine by 15 GMT. The sky was still clear at 21 GMT but soon became overcast. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 14.1C; Min 3.8C; Grass -1.0C]
7th: A dull and murky start to the day with very poor visibility. Pressure 1027 mb was still high but there was a lot of low cloud and sea fog to the W. High (1036 mb) was lying SE England to N Sweden with a small frontal low W of Ireland. There was a cool breeze from the N with a falling temperature of 7.5C at 0900 GMT. The day remained disappointingly murky and sunless with a maximum temperature of only 8.7C, elsewhere it was mostly sunny except around Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee. At dusk the sky began to clear and was totally clear and calm at 21 GMT. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 8.7C; Min 5.9C; Grass 2.8C]
8th: Moderate dew (0.18 mm) and ground frost (-2.7C) had whitened the grass but was soon melting in the sunshine. Inland there had been airfrost but not so here with the minimum 1.1C that would not damage hardened plants. Pressure almost unchanged on 1026 mb with high (1029 mb) S North Sea. The small developing low W of Ireland would move nearer to Shannon during the day. The day was cloudless and sunny with good visibility restricted only by moderate pollution smoke on all horizons. After a peach coloured sunset the night was clear at first with dew and ground frost. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 11.5C; Min 1.1C; Grass -2.7C]
9th: Cloud before dawn had