Llansadwrn (Anglesey) Weather Diary 2006

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Times are GMT (UTC, Z). Observations at this station [ ] are 24-h 09-09 GMT, some others { } occasionally refer to 24-h 18-18 GMT, extremes (first indications) are given in bold. When averages are referred to (.) compares with the last decade and [.] with the 30-y climatological average [currently 1971 - 2000]. All data are subject to verification and amendment.

January 2006

1st: A damp rather dismal beginning to the year but it is January after all. Pressure was low 994 mb over the North S and East Anglia. Persistent low cloud was thick enough to give drizzle through the day until just before sunset when the sky began to clear. Along the North Wales coast eastward, from Llandudno to Merseyside and northwards, the sky was clear and it was a mostly sunny day. {Capel Curig 28.2 mm}[Rain 5.5 mm; Max 7.7C; Min 5.6C; Grass 3.5C]
2nd: A ridge of high-pressure, from high 1035 mb W of Iberia, moved across from the W the morning that was bright after clearance of shallow fog across the fields. Fog lingered in the Menai Strait but elsewhere it was mostly sunny. As the cloud lifted off the Carneddau Mountains no trace of snow could be seen, Snowdon remained obscured in cloud. The afternoon turned cloudier as a low 962 mb E of Iceland brought fronts in from the NW by 18 GMT. The wind that was a light NW'ly at first backed S'ly and strengthened to force 4. There was some drizzle before midnight. . [Rain 5.5 mm; Max 9.5C; Min 3.9C; Grass -0.2C]
3rd: Spells of heavy drizzle after midnight and moderate rain from 0400 to 0830 GMT resulted in 5.5 mm rainfall. At 09 GMT it was calm with fine drizzle in a temperature was 9.1C (100% relative humidity); the moderate fog at 07 GMT was clearing and the soon eased. By afternoon the sky cleared over Anglesey leaving high cirrus clouds and weak 'winter' sunshine. A queen wasp was spotted buzzing along a S-facing hedgerow bank near the weather station! The number of confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis reached 225, after a slowing of the rate there were just a few more confirmed cases, see graph . A statement by the Outbreak Control Team (National Public Health Service for Wales) said that 'investigations to date support the view that water from the Cwellyn reservoir is the probable source of the outbreak. Water treatment continues to operate normally and within regulatory standards'. People still receiving water from the Cwellyn Reservoir and told to boil their water 'are advised to keep doing so'. Further investigations are continuing and the Boil Water Notice will be reviewed by 9th January . {Scilly Is. 11.7C, Cardiff MO 11.1C} [Rain 0.2 mm; Max 9.1C; Min 4.3C; Grass 1.6C]
4th: Clear with mist and fog in low-lying areas overnight. Water deposits had frozen white on grass with the minimum temperature -2.1C, but there was no airfrost. Pressure had risen to 1031 mb and we were in a slot between frontal cloud to the W and SE. It was a clear sunny and calm morning with just a little cloud seen over the Carneddau Mountains at 09 GMT. There was fog over Llyn Ogwen spilling over into the valley at Ogwen Cottage; smoke haze, slight at first, developed more strongly during the morning. By 11 GMT a solitary cloud had formed, possibly over Bethesda, at the lower end of the Nant Ffrancon Pass. The sun rose above the Carneddau at 0858 and set at 1558 GMT, 7 hours of bright sunshine. Sea fog off the Irish Sea moved across NW Anglesey forming cloud over land during the afternoon. The NOAA 18 satellite image shows the finger of cloud over NW Anglesey that moved in off the Irish Sea during the afternoon. There is a cold front to the W of Ireland and remnant layered frontal cloud to the SE. {Falmouth/Scilly 10C, Eskdalemuir 5.9h} [Rain 0.1/fr mm; Max 7.3C; Min 1.6C; Grass -2.1C] A statement issued today by the Cryptosporidium Outbreak Team confirmed another case brought the total to 226. They said '... new cases of illness are still being diagnosed and we cannot be confident that the risk of infection is no longer present. It is possible that lifting the Boil Water Notice now, could result in a resurgence of cryptosporidiosis cases. And '... has advised Welsh Water to reissue the Boil Water Notice when the current Notice runs out on 9th January. We anticipate that we will be able to lift the Notice within a few weeks'.
5th: The night was partly cloudy around midnight but cleared by dawn. Temperatures fell and reached -4.1C on the grass freezing dewdrops on the grass leaves, but the air temperature minimum was 0.1C at 09 GMT. Overhead the sky was almost clear, but over the mountains there was a deep flat-topped cap cloud obscuring the rising sun. During the morning cloud spilled over the mountains in the SE'ly breeze resulting in a mostly cloudy morning with a little drizzle at times. There were snow flurries across some of the mainland mountain summits during the day leaving slight deposits on the ground. During the afternoon while most of Anglesey was overcast here, in the lee of the mountains, there were holes in the cloud overhead and numerous crepuscular rays. The maximum temperature of 2.5C was lowest of the month. {Scilly Is. 8.5C, Capel Curig 1.3C, Lake Vyrnwy 0.6C}[Rain trace; Max 2.5C; Min 0.1C; Grass -4.1C]
6th: Enough clear sky in the night to allow the temperature on the grass to fall to -5.2C freezing water deposits. Another air frost too, but by 09 GMT the temperature had risen to 0.8C with the dewpoint on -0.9C. Pressure was 1022 mb in a col between Azores-high 1030 mb and large high 1042 mb E of the Baltic. The day was mostly cloudy with extensive stratiform cloud sheets covering most of Britain and much of Europe. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 3.0C; Min -1.2C; Grass -5.2C]
7th: A bright morning with clear sky to the W and dark cloud to the E. In a slight SE'ly wind altocumulus clouds that were overhead dispersed to give a sunny morning. A streak of clear sky (see satellite image) developed from Snowdon over Anglesey across the Irish Sea to Dundalk Bay, Ireland. The afternoon was a bit cloudier as the open streak closed over. In southern, south-west and central Britain a vortex of thick cloud in a pool of cold air brought sleet to many and 1-2 cm snow in places including the Cotswolds and Birmingham. A patch of thin cloud here in the evening did not produce any precipitation and the sky cleared again later. {Jersey 6.7 h, Valley 4 h, Scilly Is. 6.9C, Boulmer 3.8 mm, Hawarden 3.0 mm}} [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 5.8C; Min 0.7C; Grass -0.4C]
8th: With a clear sky after midnight temperatures fell to -2.2C in the air, lowest of the month, and -6.2C on the grass, 2nd lowest. Deposition of hoar frost was a net equivalent of 0.35 mm measured by lysimeter. It was a sunny day in an almost cloudless sky with RAF Valley reporting 6.1h. Moderate smoke haze in the morning thickened during the afternoon with reducing visibility. There were new-born lambs on nearby fields . The night was clear and frosty. {Valley 6.1 h, Barra (Outer Hebrides) 7.3C, Capel Curig -5.9, Swanage ( Dorset) 9.5 mm} [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 3.5C; Min -2.2C; Grass -6.2C]
9th: Another bright and frosty morning with a heavier 0.53 mm net deposition of dew and frost. Almost a clear sky at 09 GMT with a few lenticular clouds over and S the Snowdonia Mountains. But cirrostratus and stratiform low in the W, associated with frontal cloud over Ireland, was encroaching. Heavy rain moved into W Ireland and W Scotland by 11 GMT along with strengthening winds to the N. Pressure was 1026 mb with lows 962 mb Iceland and 1022 mb Brittany. Pressure was high over most of N and SE Europe. The morning here was sunny at first with amounts of cirrus increasing, it was calm at first then a light SSE/SSW wind set in later. The temperature at 11 GMT was 3.0C still in sunshine but 1300 GMT it was overcast with moderately high cloud. At 15 GMT the cloud was thicker and the temperature was 4.3C and thereafter began a further slow rise through to the night. There was a little light rain from about 22 GMT. The number of confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis reached 230, see graph . Many inhabitants in S Anglesey and parts of Gwynedd have been advised to continue boiling tap water. [Rain 13.0 mm; Max 8.9C; Min -2.0C; Grass -5.6C]
. 10th: There was continuous moderate to heavy rain with a rising temperature through to 8.9C at 09 GMT. The 18.6 mm 24-h 09-09 GMT rainfall was the highest of the month. Pressure 1012 mb was falling with Atlantic-low 976 mb W of Ireland. A frontal triple-point had passed over the Irish Sea and the rain continued through the morning. The SW'ly wind was force 6 to 7 at times and visibility was poor. The soil that had been near saturation point was quickly saturated and water was standing. Thick cloud persisted during the sunless day resulting in low solar radiation (only 0.3 mv h some 1/100th of that received in a day in summer)so it was a lights on day at the weather station. Rainfall for the 24-h 18-18 GMT was 21.5 mm but it was much wetter in Snowdonia with Capel Curig reporting 62.8 mm. It was drier in the evening, but windier the SW'ly reaching near gale 7 to gale-force 8 at times. The NOAA 18 satellite image shows the vigorous deepening low NW of Scotland with thick cloud enveloping the British Isles. {Capel Curig 62.8 mm, Machrihanish, Scotland 13.7C} [Rain 18.6 mm; Max 10.5C; Min -0.5C; Grass -3.5C]
11th: The sky started to clear at dawn and pressure 1016 mb was rising as a small ridge of high-pressure moved across from the W. Yesterday's low was 945 mb over the Norwegian Sea and the fronts were over the Baltic, Low Countries and France. Britain enjoyed almost unbroken sunshine although north-west Scotland had heavy showers generated from convective clouds moving in from the Atlantic. The night was clear at first but was cloudier and windier by midnight. {Tenby 11C, Fishguard 6.9h}[Rain trace; Max 9.1C; Min 4.4C; Grass 1.0C]
12th: A bright but windy morning with the S'ly near gale (force 7). A deep cap cloud hung over the Snowdonia Mountains with lenticular clouds in the lee SE of here over the Menai Strait, while overhead there were bands of cirrocumulus undulatus high above lower cloud layers. Pressure 1016 mb was falling slowly with the next low in line over Iceland at 952 mb. Isobars were packed tightly to the NW where winds were strongest; Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides reported 51 mph mean wind speed (force 9) between 12 and 13 GMT. Frontal cloud was edging in from the W and there was rain over W Ireland and NW Scotland by noon but we just had a few spots here. The afternoon became overcast with a few more spots of rain as the wind strengthened to gale force 8 soon after 1500 GMT. It was a windy night mostly pushing gale force 7. {Ballykelly 12.5C, Loch Glascarnoch 15.6 mm} [Rain trace; Max C; Min 3.8C; Grass 0.2C]
13th: Overcast but dry in the continuing near gale force 7 S'ly. Evaporation during the past 24-h from the Piche tube was 3.1 mm. At 09 GMT pressure was 1013 mb with low 971 mb Iceland with fronts in a trough W of Ireland. The temperature was 10.3C (dewpoint 5.8C and RH 73%) having just recorded a maximum of 10.8C, the highest of the month. There was heavy rain in central Scotland ongoing from yesterday on the slow-moving front and patchy light rain Ireland and Irish Sea SW of Anglesey. The wind was strongest around noon reaching gale force 8 before slowly moderating. With the front edging E rain got heavier in mid and S Wales during the afternoon but here, in the lee of the mountains, it was intermittently slight. There was light rain here from 1915 GMT through until 0400 GMT. {Aultbea 2.2C, Tulloch Bridge 26.2 mm} [Rain 7.3 mm; Max 10.8C; Min 7.2C; Grass 6.0C]
14th: After a little showery rain between 07 and 08 GMT the sky stated to clear quickly as a clear slot moved across from the W. Visibility was good although slightly misty with a line of stratocumulus clouds over Snowdonia and far out over the Irish Sea. After an absence of snow on the mountains for a few days there was a fresh fall seen at 3000 ft, but it did not last. Pressure 1017 mb was rising again in a transient ridge; high 1040 mb was still to the E while another Atlantic low 974 mb and fronts were moving in W of Ireland. The day was sunny with clear sky into the evening. The Meteosat MSG satellite image at noon shows western parts in a clear slot between frontal systems. There are some weak convective clouds over mountain parts of Wales, S Scotland and NW England and marine convection S of Ireland and Bristol Channel. . {Mumbles 10.3C, Bodmin 20.4 mm, Capel Curig 14.2 mm}[Rain 0.0 mm; Max 8.3C; Min 4.8C; Grass 2.2C]
15th: Progress of western fronts was slow up against high-pressure to the E. Patchy cloudy moved over after midnight but it was a bright dawn with some clear sky overhead and lenticular clouds in the lee of the mountains. At 09 GMT cloud cover was 6/8th with very good visibility in relatively dry air (64% RH) in a temperature of 7.2C. Pressure 1009 mb was falling with the twin lows 972 mb N and 990 mb S lying W of Ireland. Isobars were once again packing tight and as the sky became cloudier during the morning the S'ly wind strengthened from force 4 to force 6. There were a few spots of rain during the afternoon as cloud thickened this turning to slight showers during the evening. It was cold in the Scottish Highlands with snow on mountains and continued wet in SW England. {Scilly Is. 11.2C, Cairngorm Mountain -4.6C, Aboyne -3.6C; Bodmin 16.6 mm} [Rain 4.7 mm; Max 9.0C; Min 4.7C; Grass 1.3C]

Mid month the mean temperature was 5.0C -0.5 of average, with 4 air frosts and 8 ground frosts, the averages for the month are 5 and 13. Rainfall so far, 54.9 mm 57% of the month's average..

16th: There was a spell of moderate rain from 0500 GMT until 0800 GMT when it turned to drizzle. At 09 GMT the rain was dying out and the low stratus cloud was starting to lift. Visibility that had been poor (2 km) was moderate (4 km). Pressure 1005 mb was rising and there was little or no wind. Cloud thinned during the morning and by noon some holes appeared to give a bright and sunny afternoon. After 15 GMT frontal cloud encroached from the W associated with a frontal low 997 mb NW of Ireland. There was light rain from 1615 GMT which turned moderate to heavy before ceasing at 2000 GMT. At midnight the low 999 mb was near Valentia, SW Ireland tracking SE. {Bournemouth 10.7C, Stornoway 21.2 mm, Capel Curig 14.0 mm} [Rain 7.3 mm; Max 6.7C; Min 6.1C; Grass 5.5C]
17th: Light showers of rain and drizzle at 0230 and 0730 GMT. At 09 GMT pressure 1003 mb was rising and soon after the sky started to clear as the cloud mass associated with triple point frontal low 1001 mb near the Bristol Channel. The photograph shows the rear of the cloud mass moving SE having cleared the Menai Strait at Beaumaris. The morning was mostly sunny with a light NW'ly breeze. The afternoon was cloudier, with a slight shower at 1500 GMT and, although this soon passed and there was a glimpse of the sun as it was setting, it remained mostly cloudy. During the evening there was drizzle and light rain then moderate rain from 2000 to 0030 GMT that was not indicated on rainfall radar. {Valentia, SW Ireland 11.5, Cairngorm -6.0C, Fishguard 3.3h} [Rain 5.0 mm; Max 10.0C; Min 5.8C; Grass 4.2C]
18th: As the rain ceased at 02 GMT the temperature rose to 10C in warm sector air and hovered within a few points through until morning. A slow-moving warm front was lying over N Ireland, Anglesey to SW England and it was misty with moderate visibility under the low stratus cloud sheet. Pressure 1014 mb was rising; the morning had a little fine drizzle at first and although the afternoon was dry the day was sunless. The NOAA 18 visible spectrum image, in the Bay of Biscay and off the coast of the Iberian Peninsula and Gibraltar Strait, shows ship trails within the marine stratiform cloud layers. Ship trails (tracks) occur when particles are emitted in smoke from large ships running on diesel oil. The particles (aerosols) attract water molecules that act as seeds for cloud formation, it is called droplet nucleation, and become trapped within a moist stable layer. As the ships move across the sea they leave the trail that can be seen on visible and infra-red satellite images in air which is already cloudy . Slow ships tend to leave a wide track, faster ships leave a narrower track. The trail can be affected by wind and may not always correctly indicate the track of the ship but, under the right conditions as here, the trails are remarkably stable. Trails may also form in clear skies when the air is near saturation (with water vapour) in which case the trails can only be seen in the visible spectrum. {Great Malvern 13.9C, Malin Head 16.0 mm, Capel Curig 14.6 mm} [Rain 0.3 mm; Max 10.5C; Min 6.0C; Grass 3.5C]
19th: Overcast with low grey stratus. With pressure on 1016 mb the warm moist SW'ly airflow continued with temperatures within a few points of 10C for the past 48-h. The minimum temperature of 9.4C and the day's mean of 9.9C were highest of the month. A sunless day and brightness was low under the thick cloud. All stations reported sunless or <1 h of sunshine. With strengthening SW'ly wind there was slight rain and drizzle from 1630 GMT. The wind was gale force 8 each side of midnight. {Kinloss 13.9C, Isle of Skye 38.3 mm, Herne Bay, Kent 0.8h} [Rain 6.7 mm; Max 10.4C; Min 9.4C; Grass 8.6C]
20th: Pressure was lowest 1005 mb about 02 GMT and a cold front past over at 0300 GMT accompanied by heavy rain (5.5 mm) and a few small ice pellets. The temperature fell from 10.2C, close to the maximum, by 3C rapidly then more slowly to the minimum of 4.4C. With the weakening cold front over the Midlands and SW England the sky was clearing from 07 GMT and by 09 GMT was 2/8th covered with convective cumulus clouds. Pressure had risen to 1012 mb and the wind veered W'ly was force 5. There were wintry showers across the summits of the Snowdonia Mountains that were mostly obscured by cloud and mist. Some very low temperatures in E Europe and Russia were reported. Omyakyon in Siberia reported -54C and it was -35C in Moscow and Helsinki, Finland -16C. At 09 GMT it was 4.7C here rising to 7.0C at noon when, although a little cloudier, was mostly sunny. The afternoon in S Anglesey was mostly cloudy; the clear sky in the N of the island spread here in the evening giving a mostly clear night. {London MO 11.3C, Aultbea 26.6 mm, Valley 5.9h} [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 8.2C; Min 4.4C; Grass 1.8C]
21st: With the temperature on the grass falling to -1.5C deposits of water including dew had frozen by morning. Pressure 1029 mb was rising as as a ridge from Biscay high 1031 mb moved across from the W. Visibility was 3 km and the mountains were obscured. The day was mostly sunny with a light NW'ly breeze. At this time of year the water table is high in dune systems and close to the surface of many slacks. Pools of slightly brackish water can be seen in some low areas as here at Tywyn Aberffraw.{Swanage, Dorset 7.5h, Milford Haven 11.5C} [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 9.9C; Min 2.6C; Grass -1.5C]
22nd: After a mostly clear night there was a veil of thin high altostratus at 09 GMT. Dew had frozen white on the grass. Pressure was 1034 mb within a ridge from Baltic-high 1044 mb. There were fronts lying to the NW, it was raining in the far NW of Scotland but on this occasion did not reach here. The day here was bright with a little clear sunshine in the morning. In the afternoon the sun was mostly obscured by the thin cloud, but remained visible. There were no halos seen as it was the 'wrong type of cloud'. The night too was mostly overcast with thin cloud. {Isle of Skye 21.7 mm, Scilly Is 10.8C, Weymouth 6.7h, Valley 0.1h} [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 7.5C; Min 2.2C; Grass -1.4C]
23rd: Another bright morning with a slight ground frost. Pressure was 1035 mb and the temperature 2.5C at 09 GMT. The wind was a light SE'ly and many birds were singing in the wood including the early nesting mistle thrush and a great tit. It is too early to nest yet, but territories have to be established. The greater spotted woodpeckers were also heard drumming. The cloud dispersed during the middle of the day but it turned cloudier again later. {Prestatyn 4.8h, Machrihanish 10C} [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 6.7C; Min 1.9C; Grass -1.5C]
24th: A cloudy and calm morning. The cloud was drifting from the NE, but on the ground smoke was rising vertically, a useful indicator at this time of year there being no leaves on the trees to rustle. My 'heavy' cup counter anemometer is not a good indicator of calm conditions; it takes a reasonable amount of wind to set it turning. Being overcast there was no frost here overnight but it was frosty in central and S England with air temperatures between -4 and -6C. Pressure was 1031 mb with a ridge of high-pressure 1026 mb between Iceland and Scotland. Frontal cloud was lying over the N of Scotland and moderately high cloud affected the Irish Sea and North Wales resulting in a sunless day. {Guernsey 7.8h, Barra, Outer Hebrides 11C} [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 5.5C; Min 2.5C; Grass 0.0C]
25th: Pressure was high 1035 mb to the N over the Faeroes and but frontal cloud, associated with a low 1015 mb over the S Baltic, was lying from the Western Isles over the Irish Sea through to the Midlands over the North Sea. This moved S during the day mostly clearing Anglesey in the afternoon. The wind was NE'ly and showers of rain were being blown on to the E coast of England. Here in the W it kept dry and with some good sunshine the temperature rose to 7.1C. The night had some clear spells. The Meteosat MSG image (c) EUMETSAT shows the frontal cloud over southern Britain at noon with the shallow low over Denmark and Germany, where there was snow, and convective showers of rain off the North Sea affected E England. . {Newquay, Cornwall 8.3h, Barra 9C, Redhill -9C, Valley 4.3h} [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 7.1C; Min 1.7C; Grass -0.5C]
26th: With the sky clearing from dawn the temperature on the grass dropped to -3.3C but the air temperature kept just above zero. Pressure was 1029 mb with high 1034 mb N Scotland to S Norway. The day was sunny in Anglesey with a light to moderate E'ly wind. Cloud kept to the E and persisted over the mountains of Snowdonia where there were snow showers across the summits. A sprinkling of snow was seen lying above 2750 ft early in the afternoon. Sunny until evening with the sky turning a beautiful dark-peach and azure blue colour after sunset. Later cloud returned. {Newquay 8.2h, Valley 6.6h, Hawarden -3.3C min} [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 6.6C; Min 0.3C; Grass -3.3C]
27th: It was mostly cloudy overnight with a minimum air temperature of 1.8C. At 09 GMT pressure was unchanged with high 1035 mb centred over the Western Isles NW of here. Initially it was dry with very good visibility, later showers were driven off Liverpool Bay on to the North Wales coast on the NNE'ly wind. Anglesey had slight rain showers but the mountaintops of Snowdonia had snow flurries, light snow showers and displays of crepuscular rays. Sprinklings of snow were lying above 2900 ft on the eastern Carneddau Mountains and around Snowdon. Showers continued through the night. The first flowers of the common sallow (pussy willow) were seen opening along the A5025 near Four Crosses. In years' past this might have been thought early, but now with rising temperatures occurs more often. {Valley 7.2C} [Rain 0.3 mm; Max 6.1C; Min 1.1C; Grass -1.2C]
28th: Mostly cloudy overnight with spells of drizzle or light rain, and a little snow on the mountaintops, with a weak cold front moving unusually W across Wales. But the sky cleared at dawn and the temperature on the grass dropped to -0.3C, not low enough to give silver frost with dew drops being supercooled but unfrozen. Pressure was steady on 1029 mb with the Scottish high 1033 mb to the N. The day was sunny with good visibility obscured by smoke haze with the highest summits of Snowdonia just in the clear. Valley reported 7.8 h of sunshine. It was a clear night with bright stars. With insignificant rainfall since the 20th soil moisture was 65% (dry mass), just 5% below the saturated water percentage for the soil. There has been little evapotranspiration this month, significant dew and frost depositions more than balanced any losses. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 5.4C; Min 2.5C; Grass -0.3C]
29th: With clear skies it was a sunny morning after the sun rose over the Carneddau Mountains at 0828 GMT. There was slight hoar frost with the grass minimum down to -2.5C. At 09 GMT the temperature was 0.8C but on the summit of Snowdon the AWS was indicating 3.8C, the temperature inversion resulting in the mountaintops above 2000 ft being clearer out of the smoke haze. It was sunny all day; the sun set at 1650 GMT and the now increasing amounts of solar radiation 599 mv h. Valley reported another 7.8 h sunshine, the highest of the month . It was a clear frosty night. The MODIS AQUA visible spectrum satellite image shows Wales on the almost clear afternoon. The greyish haze seen over water is pollution 'smoke' that reduced visibility on the ground during the day. The tan coloration in the Bristol Channel, Severn, Dee and Mersey Estuaries is a combination of sediment washed down the rivers and microscopic marine organisms.{Tenby 8.2h, Valley 7.8h}[Rain 0.0 mm; Max 6.6C; Min 0.4C; Grass -2.5C]
30th: Air frost of -1.8C and on the grass down to -6.5C, lowest of the month. There had been a deposition of hoar frost (water equivalent 0.29 mm) the crystals evident on fallen tree leaves and plants. The temperature inversion was stronger with the Snowdon summit AWS reporting 6.8C at 09 GMT, it was -1.2C here and -2.2C in Llanberis (readings courtesy of First Hydro). The summit station reported a maximum of 7.8C during the day. There was moderate smoke haze and some fog and cloud was forming in the Menai Strait. Pressure was 1032 mb with the anticyclone 1035 mb just offshore at Newcastle. It was a sunny morning the frost lingering in areas not receiving direct sunlight. By the afternoon cloud had enveloped Anglesey and was joined to Ireland by a rope-like cloud (see satellite image), the mainland remained in the clear. During the evening the sky cleared and there was frost. After reaching a total of 231 confirmed cases of Cryptosporidiosis in parts of Gwynedd and Anglesey with water supplied from the Cwellyn Reservoir the Boil Water Notice has been withdrawn. Although the exact source of the infection has not been identified with certainty, new equipment using ultraviolet light to kill the organisms has been installed at the reservoir. Householders received a cheque for £25 in compensation for the extra cost of water boiling. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 6.7C; Min -1.8C; Grass -6.5C]
31st: Cloud returned after midnight and by morning the temperature had risen to 2.2C and there was no trace of last evening's frost. On the mountains there had been a hard frost. The AWS at Llyn Ogwen (993 ft), courtesy of OVMRO, recorded temperatures of -5.9C with frost still on the ground at 09 GMT. Pressure 1028 mb had fallen a little the anticyclone 1030 mb centred over the Wash had up-anchored and was moving S. The morning was calm and overcast with visibility just moderate in haze. The afternoon too was cloudy, but there was a light SE'ly breeze. The temperature inversion was still in place, the Snowdon AWS reported 5.8C at 09 GMT rising to a maximum of 9.4C in the afternoon with the summit in clear sunshine most if not all of the day (see webcam image taken the Elidir Fach webcam courtesy of First Hydro). The day was sunless on Anglesey with a maximum temperature of 3.8C, 3rd lowest of the month; the sky kept overcast into the night. The radiosonde ascent at 1200 GMT at Albemarle, near Newcastle (see graphic), shows the temperature inversion together with noon, maximum and minimum temperatures recorded at some local stations courtesy of OVMRO, CCW and Keith Ledson (RWB). The temperatures on the summit of Snowdon, including the minimum, exceeded those at other stations shown. Temperatures shown at the stations at different altitude closely follow the inversion recorded by the radiosonde. The maximum temperature of 9.2C on Great Dun Fell, Cumbria, was similar to that on Snowdon. {Snowdon, summit 9.4C; Fishguard, Pembrokeshire 7.9h} [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 3.8C; Min -1.2C; Grass -4.7C]

Rainfall for the month totalled 74.6 mm (78%) of average and there were 15 dry days (+7). Temperatures finished a little below the 10-y average with the mean 5.1C (-0.5), but it was a little above [+0.2] based on the 1971-2000 climatological average.

February 2006

1st: A blanket of cloud overnight ensured that the temperatures did not fall below zero. Pressure 1023 mb had fallen a little as the high 1030 mb moved slowly SE over Europe. The wind was a light SE'ly and visibility was mostly poor in the haze through the day, that again was sunless. The day's maximum of 4.1C was the lowest of the month. {Scilly Is. 9.9C, Altnaharra -10.6C, Kinloss 6.7h} [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 4.1C; Min 1.0C; Grass 0.5C]
2nd: With the persistent cloud cover the temperature range was small and there was no frost again here. Where the cloud cleared in parts of Scotland and England some low temperatures were recorded. Pressure 1022 mb remains steady with the anticyclone over Britain and Europe little changed keeping the Atlantic lows well to the W. With cloud trapped within the high the day was overcast, with an almost featureless grey stratus; visibility was moderate in thick haze. It was sunless here but a bright patch did appear under a hole in the cloud on the N flank of the Carneddau Mountains and persisted during the afternoon. A few flakes of snow were reported in central London, small flakes in Wallingford and ice needles 400 ft up SW of the Wash. Otherwise not a lot of interest in the anticyclonic gloom in the S; Scotland seemed to have interesting extremes {Aberdeen 6.2h, Macrihanish 11.0C, Glenlivet -9.2. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 5.5C; Min 1.6C; Grass 1.4C]
3rd: Another cloudy day but the cloud had more structure visible overhead. Nevertheless it was 8/8th again at the weather station all day and sunless. Pressure was 1026 mb in the high centred over the Irish Sea. During the day some holes appeared in the cloud over Snowdonia where there were some bright spells with glimpses of sunshine. Anglesey remained enveloped in cloud through into the night. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 6.7C; Min 2.4C; Grass 2.1C]
4th: A clearer spell had allowed the temperature on the grass to fall to -2.0C, but there was no white frost at dawn. A somewhat brighter morning with broken stratocumulus cloud (7/8 cover) at 09 GMT. Visibility was good in that the tops of the mountains could just be seen. Haze thickened just below 3000 ft and there was fog in the Menai Strait. Pressure had risen to 1031 mb with the high still anchored over the Irish Sea. The morning was bright but there was no sunshine; the afternoon was duller with the cloud sheet closing over again.[Rain trace; Max 6.8C; Min 2.0C; Grass -2.0C]
5th: The sky was back to a low uniform grey stratus at 09 GMT with slight fine drizzle and mist visibility was poor (2 km). Pressure had risen a little more to 1034 mb highest of the month, but the centre (10-35 mb) had moved to be over the Bristol Channel. The wind direction had changed and was a light SW'ly, the first morning with a westerly component since the 21st January. It was another sunless day, the 6th in succession. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 6.6C; Min 3.5C; Grass 3.9C]
6th: Pressure 1030 mb was falling slowly with the high 1034 mb centred off Lands End. Again there had been no frost overnight; the grass was dry except for some drops of water at leaf tips due to guttation, there was no dew recorded. The wind was light WSW'ly and the temperature at 09 GMT 6.1C (dewpoint 4.7C). The day was overcast and sunless. The wind strengthened during the night. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 7.7C; Min 3.9C; Grass 3.4C]
7th: By 06 GMT the high was over the Bay of Biscay 1031 mb. Pressure had fallen to 1022 mb and the WNW'ly wind was force 5. Frontal cloud was lying to the N of Britain and rain was affecting NW Scotland. Here it was still dry, the last significant rain was on the 19th January. The morning beginning the 8th sunless day in succession was overcast, the slightly hazy visibility good, with the cloudbase touching the snowless Snowdonia mountaintops. By noon the cloud had lowered and there was a little rain as the wind backed SW'ly force 6. At 1800 GMT the weak cold front passed over with a short burst of heavy rain that soon eased. There was moderate to heavy precipitation over Snowdonia and Cumbria that later turned icy on the summits. By 22 GMT there was some open sky above the weather station. [Rain 3.1 mm; Max 8.1C; Min 6.1C; Grass 5.5C]
8th: The was a touch of ground frost under clearing skies overnight. At 09 GMT pressure was 1012 mb with low 983 mb S tip of Norway. The cold front was over N France and Britain was in a cool NW'ly airstream. It kept dry and mostly sunny here but the Snowdonia Mountains were cloud covered with some ice precipitation at times. The night was mostly cloudy with clear spells. {Capel Curig 11.6 mm, Great Malvern 10.2C, Valley 5.5h} [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 8.2C; Min 3.1C; Grass -0.7C]
9th: The temperature on the grass went down to -1.2C overnight, but there was no dew or frost deposition in the moderate N'ly breeze. It was a bright morning with very good visibility and a sprinkling of snow on the highest peaks in Snowdonia. Pressure 1020 mb was rising between high 1024 mb to the W of Ireland and low 984 mb S Baltic. N'ly winds were still strong on the North Sea while here it was force 4/5. A showery trough was worked it's way S from Scotland along the E coastline of England producing some snow flurries in places. A mostly sunny day here with cloud diminishing during the afternoon. Some cloud at times during the night, but there were clear spells with frost. [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 5.2C; Min 3.0C; Grass -1.2C]
10th: A hard frost overnight, the air minimum was -1.6C and the -5.6C on the grass were lowest of the month, and the soil surface was frozen. With a low dewpoint (-3.4C at 09 GMT) there was little in the way of frost deposition (frost-pad 0.09 mm) and zero net change with lysimeters. There was silver frost; frozen drops of water at the tips of grass leaves the result of dew formation at dusk or possibly guttation. The morning was sunny and calm with 5/8 cover of cirrus and altostratus clouds, with a few contrails overhead. Visibility was good (>10 km) and there was a little smoke haze in the Menai Strait denser at the eastern end. Pressure was 1026 mb within the anticyclone centred over Britain. The day was mostly sunny with the sky almost clear in the morning, a partial right hand sundog was seen briefly at 1010 GMT. The afternoon was cloudier with frontal cloud low in the west. By 2200 GMT there was frost on the ground and with a veil of cirrostratus cloud (RAF Valley reported overcast cloudbase at 17000 ft) there there was a complete 22 degree halo around the almost (98%) full moon. At it's strongest up to 2300 GMT there was a bright 3 degree band of milky white light, diffuse outwards, but sharply edged inside with slight reddish coloration. The halo was caused by refraction of moonlight through ice crystals in the cloud. A bright star could be seen within the inner dark ring, a folklore sign said to indicate how many days it will be before rain. There was rain after midnight so it was right! (Snowdrops have been flowering well since the 1st, a few crocus appeared on the 6th and some have opened in today's sunshine. By the 8th last year bluebell leaves in the wood were 5 cm tall and the first primrose and cowslip flowers were out, not so this year).[Rain trace; Max 7.8C; Min -1.6C; Grass -5.6C]
11th: As frontal cloud moved across there was a little showery rain between 02 and 06 GMT but the amount was so small it just left a drop in the bottom of the raingauge bottle. This was unmeasurable and was recorded as a trace. At 09 GMT the cloud was clearing to give a mostly sunny morning. Pressure was 1024 mb with the high transferred to Normandy. Visibility was poor in persistent haze and the S'ly wind force 5. The afternoon became cloudier and there was some drizzle or occasional light rain from 1400 GMT with moderate to heavy rain from 2315 GMT. [Rain 13.8 mm; Max 8.6C; Min -0.6C; Grass -4.2C]
12th: Continuous moderate rain until 1500 GMT before turning to drizzle. At 09 GMT visibility was very poor in the rain and mist. Pressure 1018 mb was falling with low 956 mb mid-Atlantic SE Greenland. Although the later afternoon was drier it kept overcast. The thick layer of cloud all day allowed only a low level of solar radiation (0.8 mv h). After a few slight showers in the evening the night although overcast was dry. An Anglesey family travelling eastbound on the A55 headland near Penmaenmawr escaped injury, but their car was damaged, when they collided with 2 large rocks that fell from the cliff overhanging the road. The weather is likely to blame as freezing and thawing slowly loosens and splits off rocks from the cliff faces. It is a natural process, water finds it's way into cracks and in freezing expands splitting the rock; it occurs frequently in rocky North Wales. {Capel Curig 43.8 mm, Llansadwrn 22.2 mm} [Rain 8.9 mm; Max 8.6C; Min 4.2C; Grass 3.6C]
13th: Overnight the minimum was 8.0C, the highest of the month. It was overcast and misty with a few slight showers around 09 GMT and later during the morning. Pressure 1015 mb was falling only slowly with complex low-pressure 978 mb lying to the NW and frontal cloud in the vicinity. The wind was S'ly force 4 to 5 and the day on Anglesey was overcast with occasional spots of rain. The eastern end of the Snowdonia Mountains from Llanfairfechan was mostly dry and, with lee-breaks in the cloud, had some sunshine. The maximum temperature was 10.0C and the mean of 9.0C was highest of the month. The night was overcast and dry until after midnight. [Rain 3.3 mm; Max 10.0C; Min 8.0C; Grass 7.2C]
14th: Intermittent light to moderate rain from 0130 GMT on a cold front had ceased by 0830 GMT. At 09 GMT pressure 1006 mb was rising; the sky was clearing to showery cumulus clouds, but visibility towards the mountains was moderate. There was the chance of some ice precipitation over the Snowdonia summits, persistently cloud covered, as temperatures hovered near zero. The day was mostly sunny on Anglesey with the maximum reaching 10.6C, the highest of the month. By mid afternoon frontal cloud edged into the W. During the evening there was moderate to heavy rain as the S'ly wind reached gale force 8 around 22 GMT with gusts up to 60 mph with pressure falling to 992 mb. The wind moderated before midnight. {Valley 5.9h} [Rain 18.0 mm; Max 10.6C; Min 6.0C; Grass 5.6C]

15th: With a frontal triple point over Wales the heavy rain continued until 0100 GMT, accumulating 18 mm, and by dawn the sky was mostly clear. Pressure at 09 GMT was 999 mb and the morning was mostly sunny. The rain band continued SE over England giving significant rainfall in parts that have had little through the winter so far. The amounts were insufficient, however, to do much to improve water reserves that are low in the SE. As pressure began to fall again the afternoon turned cloudier with a light shower of rain, but the night was dry with some clear spells. {Capel Curig 36.2 mm} [Rain trace; Max 8.5C; Min 5.8C; Grass 3.8C]
16th: It was a bright sunny morning, but pressure 978 mb continued to fall to 974 mb, lowest of the month, with complex low-pressure to the NW near Rockall. The SW'ly wind continued moderate to fresh f4/5 as it has been for the last 5 mornings. Visibility was moderate the haze preventing a clear view of the Snowdonia Mountains where temperatures continue to hover around freezing point on the tops. The morning was mostly sunny on Anglesey, the mountains were cloudier and a sprinkling of snow was seen on the summit of Carnedd Llywelyn at noon. Later in the afternoon a band of cloud moved across giving rain with ice pellets around 18 GMT and rain showers either side of midnight. {Shap Fell 14.2 mm, Milford Haven 11.6 mm} [Rain 1.7 mm; Max 9.5C; Min 4.5C; Grass 2.1C]
17th: Some clear spells developed before dawn and this was sufficient to allow the temperature on the grass to fall to -3.1C freezing deposits of water. At 09 GMT pressure 983 mb was rising and it was a mostly sunny morning although cloud had increased by 11 GMT. There was much bird activity on the fine morning; there were territorial disputes between mistle thrushes and rooks were attending their nests but I have not yet seen them carrying twigs. The afternoon was mostly cloudy although there was some weak sunshine at times. The evening saw more cloud and there was a light shower around 23 GMT. [Rain 0.1 mm; Max 9.1C; Min 0.9C; Grass -3.1C]
18th: A calm and mostly sunny morning. At 09 GMT pressure was steady on 990 mb within complex low-pressure over the British Isles (987 mb North Sea). There was a mid level inversion mist and cloud between 1000 and 2000 ft with the mountaintops (a little snow seen) and low level clear. Visibility at ground level was >20 km. There was overnight ground frost but earlier frozen deposits had mostly melted. It was a mostly sunny morning with cirrus and altocumulus clouds overhead. The afternoon was cloudier but it was high enough to keep the mountaintops in the clear. The night was mostly clear with some mist patches forming in low-lying places across the island.[Rain 0.1 mm; Max 9.8C; Min 1.5C; Grass -2.2C]
19th: Although 6 oktas of cloud were recorded it was high cirrostratus with a few cumulus clouds mainly over Snowdonia. So it was a bright sunny morning although visibility was poor in haze; overnight frost on the grass was beginning to melt. The dew-pad recorded 0.32 mm of dew that had frozen white, there was no hoar. At 09 GMT pressure was steady on 999 mb as an Atlantic-low moved in across Brittany (990 mb at noon); we were in an easterly flow of air. It was a mostly sunny day with long clear spells giving the most solar radiation of the year so far (10.3 mv h). It started to cloud here over just before sunset giving some red banded orographic clouds in the west. The night was thereafter overcast. {Valley 8.6h, Liverpool, Crosby 8.9C} [Rain trace/dew; Max 6.8C; Min 1.8C; Grass -1.0C]
20th: With the overcast sky there was no frost on the ground (grass minimum +0.5C) this morning. In contrast to yesterday the dew-pad recorded only 0.04 mm and the grass was dry. Pressure was 1018 mb the slow-moving occluding low 997 mb centred near the Cherbourg Peninsular, N France. The NOAA 18 thermal image, courtesy of Bernard Burton, shows the depression over N France with the cloud retreating SW of Anglesey part of the rotating swirl. To the W can be seen following closed convective marine cells. Cumulonimbus cells (with cloudtop temperatures < -40C) developed on the periphery along W Iberia and the Mediterranean giving thunderstorms through the day . It was a mostly sunny morning with the early stratocumulus, altocumulus topped by some cirrus and a few contrails clearing over Anglesey that retained some fair-weather cumulus in the N blowing along on the fresh NE'ly wind. But Snowdonia kept cloudy with, at times, a line of stratocumulus clouds across the range. The sprinkling of snow on the N-slopes of C. Dafydd was still there with the freezing level over about 2000 ft. The temperature rose to 7.3C but the wind felt cold. It was a clear sunset with good pink to light peach colours developing later against the azure blue sky. Bluebell leaves have emerged in the micro-climate of the wood; some are 5 cm tall. At the same stage they are 12 days later than in 2005. The first 3 primrose flowers were spotted on S-facing rockery banks in the garden, last year there were some out on the 3rd January with plenty seen on the 8th February. {Aultbea 9.7C, Crosby 9.4C, Tiree, Outer Hebrides 8.5h, Hastings 31 mm} [Rain 0.0 mm; Max 7.4C; Min 2.5C; Grass 0.5C]
21st: The night was cloudy at times and with the few clear spells and constant wind off the sea it was frost-free. At 09 GMT pressure had risen to 1026 mb as high-pressure off NW Scotland built to 1024 mb. Other centres were over the Azores (1029 mb) and Norway (1033 mb). With complex large low-pressure over the Mediterranean this was giving us a strong NE'ly flow of air from N Europe. There were snow flurries across the mountaintops and a shower with bright crepuscular rays was seen heading up the Nant Ffrancon Pass. But amounts of precipitation were small. The morning was mostly dull with cloud being driven in off Liverpool Bay on the fresh NE'ly wind. Flocks of redwings were working over fields SW of the weather station sheltered from the NE'ly. The afternoon saw some sunshine, but a large dark cumulonimbus cloud off Liverpool Bay crossed S Anglesey and the Menai Strait and headed for Caernarfon on the mainland. At 1515 GMT there was a moderate shower of ice pellets that covered the ground. There were ice pellets and rain at Caernarfon from 1520 GMT. The night was mostly cloudy but dry. {Tiree 9.1h} [Rain 0.5 mm; Max 6.6C; Min 3.7C; Grass 2.2C]
22nd: The morning was bright with a little sunshine between cumulus clouds scudding along on the fresh (f4/5) ENE'ly wind. Pressure 1029 mb was rising with high 1037 mb N Scotland to S Norway. Clear and mostly sunny to the N; here there was a fresh ENE'ly wind with moderate visibility in haze. The temperature was 2.8C (dewpoint 0.1C) but no frost on the grass, it had been down to 0.0C with a slight dew. By afternoon it was cloudier with several showers of slight rain but not enough to get into the raingauge bottle! The night saw some clear spells before becoming overcast later. [Rain trace; Max 5.7C; Min 2.0C; Grass 0.0C]
23rd: Overcast with a little rain commencing just before 09 GMT. Pressure was 1031 mb with the high 1039 mb over the Faeroes. Complex shallow low-pressure 1018 mb over the Baltic, and to the E, had associated fronts moving S over the North Sea and Britain. These brought light snow to higher ground and low ground in the SE during the morning. At 09 GMT the temperature here at 330 ft was 2.8C with a wet bulb temperature of 2.3C (dewpoint 1.5C) rising to about 4C. So it was unlikely, the temperature being more than +2C, that snowflakes would reach the ground here. The sea surface temperature in Liverpool Bay is relatively warm at between 8 to 9C and warming the air before it reaches here. On the mountains the temperature indicated by the Snowdon summit AWS (courtesy of First Hydro) was -4.7C, and had been as low as -6.8C. The light to moderate rain continued through the day with the warm front moving unusually SW; the precipitation falling as snow on the mountains upwards from about 1000 ft. By 15 GMT 8 mm had fallen here this reaching 14 mm by 18 GMT. Rainfall was intermittent into the night. With weather systems moving in from the E the usual rainfall gradient, with W'ly systems, was reversed with Hawarden, usually one of the the driest reporting stations, turning out the wettest. The 24-h (09-09) rainfall total of 20.5 mm was the largest of the month. In the Mediterranean an anticyclone over Tunisia had whipped up Saharan dust from the several point sources in deserts of Algeria and Libya. The plume of dust, seen on the AQUA MODIS satellite visible spectrum image, is blowing out across the Gulf of Sirte towards Malta, east and north towards the British Isles. The mountains of the Tassili n’Ajjer National Park (World Heritage Site), seen bottom left, has caves in which paintings depict changes in habitation and climate over several thousand years. The dust arrived over southern Britain on the morning of the 25th. . {Hawarden 15.2 mm, Llansadwrn 14.0 mm, Rhyl 10.8 mm, Valley 6.5 mm} [Rain 20.5 mm; Max 5.1C; Min 0.5C; Grass -2.1C]
24th: Intermittent rain but moderate rain between 0130 and 0245 GMT with some ice pellets. At 09 GMT there were squally winds, generally ENE'ly force 6 for about 30 minutes, as a cold front passed and some small snow pellets. Snow was lying as low as 1200 ft on the Snowdonia Mountains with the tops of the Carneddau looking moderately covered on the northern aspect. With the wind soon moderating the morning saw some bright spells. There was a further slight shower of snow pellets around 1330 GMT as another group of showers moved across SE Anglesey but there was a little more sunshine later. Both ice showers produced only a trace of liquid water. The night was partially cloudy. [Rain trace; Max 4.5C; Min 2.5C; Grass 1.8C]

25th: With some clear spells overnight the air temperature had fallen to 0.5C and on the grass -1.6C. But there was no sign of frost and the grass was dry. The E'ly force 6 wind was roaring in the trees, but the morning was bright and sunny. Pressure was 1025 mb with high 1047 mb Iceland to Greenland. Low 1001 mb over the Bay of Biscay had associated frontal cloud lying in a curl W of Ireland to N Scotland. This, and an accompanying cold front, moved S during the day but did not arrive before late afternoon. There was light rain from 1800 GMT and the very weak cold front cleared soon after midnight. [Rain 0.5 mm; Max 6.7C; Min 0.5C; Grass -1.6C]
26th: After midnight there were slight showers of small snow pellets but these had cleared away before 09 GMT. The wind had moderated a little overnight and was NE'ly force 5. The sky was almost clear with diminishing altocumulus overhead and some cumulus over the Snowdonia Mountains and Irish Sea to the W. The morning was sunny at first, but soon large shower clouds moved in off the sea and at 1050 GMT there was a shower of sleet. The afternoon was mostly cloudy with some precipitation seen over the mountaintops. The first daffodils of the season were spotted on a sheltered S-facing bank in Llansadwrn. They are just over a month later than last year (23 January 2005) but about average.[Rain 0.4 mm; Max 6.0C; Min 3.2C; Grass 1.8C]
27th: It was overcast at 09 GMT with pressure 1025 mb falling as a shallow but deepening low moved into the North Sea. The much moderated wind was N'ly force 2 and soon the sky almost cleared giving a sunny morning. The temperature rising to 8.6C opening the crocus flowers that had been tightly closed for several days. It was not warm enough, however, for the mistle thrushes to resume singing! A cold front, associated with the North Sea low, moved S over Scotland and brought some snow to the Highlands during the morning. Cloud encroached from the N after noon and there was a shower of rain at 1350 GMT. The rest of the afternoon was dry but rain reached here at 1915 GMT with a spell of moderate rain around 2000 GMT that fell as snow over the mountaintops. [Rain 1.4 mm; Max 8.6C; Min 2.2C; Grass -0.1C]
28th: We were in a cold shower-packed N'ly airflow from the Arctic and there were early showers of snow pellets and at 09 GMT moderately large snow flakes falling from a cumulonimbus cloud. The temperature was 1.8C (dry bulb), with the wet bulb on 1.0C (dewpoint was -0.4C), that fell to 1.0C (minimum) and -0.1C on the grass within 20 minutes. Pressure was 1013 mb with the low 990 mb off the southern tip of Norway over the Skagerrak. A mixture of snow pellets and snow covered the ground in Gaerwen at 0900 GMT. There were further light showers of snow pellets and snow during the morning with 1 cm diameter snow pellets reported in Llanfairfechan at 1026 GMT. The temperature had risen to 2.9C by 1030 GMT here in a bright spell before more wintry showers were driven in off the sea on a freshening force 5 wind. The mountains were looking increasingly white from the succession of showers that led to moderate accumulations on the flatter tops of the Carneddau. Showers became less frequent later in the afternoon, but there were more of snow pellets before midnight. The NOAA 18 satellite image shows the low (988 mb) over the Skagerrak with it's associated frontal cloud stretching over Denmark, the Netherlands to central France. Another low (994 mb) can be seen in the Eastern Mediterranean and Adriatic that raised the duststorm over Libya on the 23rd (see above). The British Isles is in an Arctic airflow with well-developed convective clouds over the North Sea and Norwegian Sea while there are convective marine open cells to the W and N. [Rain 8.1 mm; Max 4.9C; Min 1.8C; Grass -0.3C]