Air from the Azores
Post categories: weather
| 15:24 UK time, Wednesday, 21 December 2011
It's certainly feeling milder out there today compared to recent days.
Temperatures 10 to 13 Celsius, 14 Celsius, 57 Fahrenheit in Flintshire. Incidentally, 14 is 5 degrees above the seasonal average and the highest since December 8.
Mind you, it's been even warmer in the past. On December 18, 1972, the temperature at Abergwyngregyn in Gwynedd soared to 18 Celsius, 64 Fahrenheit.
The air over us today has come all the way to Wales from the Azores but as it crosses the sea it cools forming cloud, mist and drizzle.
Some places will stay dull and damp today but others dry and even bright because down wind of the mountains the air tends to dry out, the cloud lifts and breaks with a little sunshine e.g. in Wrexham and Welshpool.
The mild conditions will continue into Thursday but on Friday a cold front will bring a spell of rain followed by brighter weather and showers.
On Friday into Saturday the air will be cold enough for a slight frost, especially in Powys and Monmouthshire where temperatures will fall close to zero, but the cold snap will be short-lived.
December last year was the coldest in a century. On December 25 the temperature at Llysdinam near Newbridge on Wye in Powys didn't rise above minus 7.8 Celsius but it will be .
Temperatures on Christmas Day will be well above freezing, typically 9 to 11 Celsius.
A little rain and drizzle is likely as well and most of the rain will be on the hills in the west and north west, the Cambrian and Snowdonia mountains.
Meanwhile the south and east of the country may stay largely dry. The wind will turn into the south west and pick-up, becoming fresh to strong with gales in north west Wales and through the Irish Sea on Christmas Day.
So, the weather is not very festive this Christmas - turning milder and becoming windy but at least people will be able to get around easily without fear of slipping over on the ice.
Derek
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