FAIR ISLE
JANUARY
Station Number
Elevation (Barometer)
Elevation (Raingauge)
Daily Weather Diary
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2002
03.008
61.0
56.7
metres
metres
Grid ref
HZ 210712
Lat.
Long.
59° 31.61' North
1° 37.74' West
59.527° North
1.629° West
Cloudy day with variable amounts of CU/SC and AS overcast gradually thinning, to give a partly
cloudy evening. Showers in the morning period dying out during the afternoon.
Dry, sunny day. Wind, backing S'ly overnight then SSE'ly, steadily increasing to reach gale F8
2335-2345z
A dry, hazy day with little low cloud but extensive CI during the morning, thickening to AS/AC by
afternoon, enough to prevent any sunshine. S'ly F7 increasing gale F8 at times resulting in heavy
salt deposits on all surfaces - even north-facing windows.
Another dry, hazy day with a continuing F7 S'ly wind. Extensive CI/AC/AS clearing from the west
late afternoon but returning again during the evening.
Extensive AS/AC overnight, F7 S'ly wind easing F5. ST rapidly spreading in after 0800z as S to
SSW'ly wind veered WSW'ly. Rain and drizzle from 0820z soon turning to rain. Becoming dry
after 1100z with ST breaking to SC which soon dissipated to leave a sunny end to the afternoon,
the earlier 10km visibility improving to 30km. Cloudless for a time during the evening, ST
developing later
A dry day with extensive AC/AS/CI cloud. F4-5 WSW'ly wind steadily backing S'ly.
A dry day with good visibility and a F4 SSW'ly wind gradually veering SW'ly and easing F3 by
evening. Extensive AC overnight, SC remainder of day.
Cloudy night, periods mainly light rain. Patchy light rain/rain and drizzle with ST to 50ft dying out
0925z as F4 SSW'ly veered F3 NW with clearance of the rain, ST then breaking to bc. Dry
afternoon with variable amounts of CU/SC and extensive CI. Lower cloud clearing to leave
extensive CI for evening as wind fell calm.
Dry night, thin CI and calm allowing grass minimum to fall sharply to give an overnight frost - first
of the month. Light drizzle between 0700-1100z as extensive overnight AS/CI replaced by ST/SC
brought in by a freshening S'ly wind increasing F4. Cloudy, dry afternoon and evening.
Dry day, F4 SSW'ly wind. Variable amounts CH morning period, extensive SC afternoon and
early evening - breaking to reveal moderate aurora glow 1930z, and again 2350z.
Mainly clear overnight. Variable amounts SC and thickening AC during morning with light rain
midmorning. Some brightness mid afternoon, extensive SC later with light rain from 1710z.
Further patchy light rain during evening. Another mild day with F5 SSW'ly wind.
Some rain overnight, dry by morning with well broken cloud. Extensive CI thickening during
morning to AS by afternoon with intermittent light rain after 1300z as SC became extensive, the
F4 SSW'ly wind backing S'ly and increasing F6. Dry evening, cloud becoming broken.
A cloudy, hazy, mild and dry day. Variable, generally small, amounts of SC with extensive AS/AC
and CI. F7 S'ly wind increasing gale F8 at times from 0330z until 0610z. Wind then veering
SSW'ly and easing to be F4 by evening.
Skies clearing early hours but SC/ST overcast by dawn. Rain, soon turning moderate from
1122z. Visibility falling to 4000m during in moderate rain during afternoon as ST cloud base fell
to 400ft. Brief glimpse of sun, with rainbow, as sun dropped below NS edge low above SW
horizon at about 1545z. Precipitation, generally light and intermittent during evening, dying out
with skies clearing by midnight. F5-6 S'ly wind veering SW'ly during the evening.
Dry overnight and during the morning with variable, generally small, amounts of SC and later CU.
Despite small amounts of cloud no sunshine recorded. Light showers developing during
afternoon as S'ly F5 wind veered SW'ly and increased F6. AS, thickening during afternoon, killing
off convective cloud with light rain from low AS at 1800z becoming moderate during early
evening. Showers developing after 2100z as wind veered W'ly, easing F4-5 by midnight.
Light showers, continuing overnight, dying out to be replaced by intermittent rain or drizzle from
midmorning as thickening AS replaced by extensive SC/ST cloud. At same time F3 WNW'ly wind
backing SSW'ly. Becoming misty during the afternoon with ST base falling to <100ft at times in
moderate drizzle or rain and drizzle. SSW'ly wind, increasing F5 during afternoon, veering SW to
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WSW'ly early evening. Precipitation dying out after 2100z with skies beginning to clear by
midnight.
A mostly cloudy day, variable amounts of SC overnight with SC/ST during the morning, the ST
developing into CU during the afternoon. At same time thickening AS resulted in patchy light rain
from 0900 to 1400z. AS breaking to the west midmorning with CUCON developing on western
horizon. CU/CB developing later in afternoon as SSW to SW'ly F4 wind veered WSW'ly bringing
some showers - moderate at times - by 1800z. Showers continuing during the evening, but clear
skies between revealing strong aurora glow 2350z.
Variable amounts of cloud overnight - with strong aurora persisting until 0600z. Sound of heavy
swell on southwest shore 0700z. Cloud becoming well broken during the morning as showers die
out with a dry afternoon following. CU/CB gradually being replaced by CU/SC during afternoon
as thickening AS became extensive. At same time F3 W'ly winds, backing SSE to SE'ly, increase
F6-7. Light rain, commencing 1900z, becoming moderate at times during the evening.
Overnight rain dying out by morning as F7 S'ly wind veers SSW'ly and eases F4. A dry, sunny
start to the morning as the SC sheet breaks up, before showers develop late morning, the SSW'ly
wind increasing F5-6. Showers becoming moderate and frequent during the afternoon but lighter
and less frequent during the evening. Strong aurora glow visible 2342z.
Early showers, ST overcast by dawn with moderate continuous rain. F6 SSW'ly wind, backing
SE and increasing F7 overnight, veering S'ly during morning and WSW'ly F6 by midday.
Moderate precipitation, becoming light 1415z, ceased 1430z. ST breaking to SC/AS from
southwest 1500z. Showers, developing during the afternoon as wind veers W'ly and later
WNW'ly, dying out during the evening as skies clear.
A dry night, the F4 WNW'ly falling light and variable, becoming ESE'ly by morning - by which time
clear skies had been replaced by extensive low ST (visibility remaining good). Light rain after
0800z, soon becoming continuous and moderate, persisting all afternoon. ESE'ly wind backing
E'ly and increasing F7 by 1700z and increasing gale F8 1800-1815z. Moderate rain, easing off
during the evening, dying out after 2100z as wind eases and veers SW'ly F4.
Fine, dry night with well broken cloud, F4 SW'ly wind backing SSW'ly. Light rain from midday
becoming moderate rain or rain and drizzle during the afternoon. ST base falling to 100ft with
visibility 800m at 1305z as fog rolled over south end of isle. Wind backing E and easing F1 by
1500z backing NNE and increasing F7 by 1800z, backing N'ly and easing F3 by midnight.
Becoming dry early evening with cloud breaking after 2100z.
Turning cooler overnight with well broken cloud. Dry until early afternoon, then drizzle turning to
rain and snow as NE'ly wind freshens F4-5 and temperatures fall further. Beginning of first wintry
spell of what, so far, has been a very mild month.
Mostly cloudy with wintry showers of small hail, rain and snow and snow - some moderate. As
temperatures fall snow beginning to lie from 1800z. F4 NNE'ly winds backing NNW'ly and
increasing F6 by midday. Visibility generally 12-20km, falling to 5000m in showers.
Cold, dry bright night with well broken cloud. AS thickening during morning as F3-4 NW'ly wind
eases F2-3 and backs E'ly. Light snow from 1535z turning to rain and snow by 1800z as E'ly
wind, increasing F6 lifts the temperature from just above freezing to around 3° Celsius. Moderate
rain or rain and drizzle during the evening, the E'ly wind increasing F7. Visibility, 15-25km at first,
falling to 2000m in snow.
Rain becoming moderate 0015 - light rain 0045 - moderate rain 0200 - light rain 0230 moderate/heavy rain 0445 - light rain 0640 - 0735z. Further intermittent light rain during the
morning becoming moderate and showery in nature at times mid afternoon - with a spot of watery
sunshine 1500z! CB9 observed 16-1700z as cloud cover broke. A few showers during the
evening dying out by midnight. F7 E'ly wind, easing F4 by dawn, veering SSW'ly and easing F3
during the morning. Wind light variable or calm during the afternoon increasing NE'ly F6 after
1800z.
A dry night with variable amounts of SC/CU1, the F6 NE'ly wind easing F3 - the grass minimum
not quite down to zero. AS thickening during morning followed by SC cover as the wind veered
ESE'ly. Outbreaks of rain or rain and drizzle during the afternoon becoming moderate and
persistent during the early evening as the SE'ly wind increased F6. Rain easing and turning
intermittent later, the wind veering S'ly and increasing F7.
Intermittent rain, becoming persistent and heavier during the early afternoon, turning showery
after 1300z. The S'ly F7, increasing gale F8 0900-0910, 1050-1100, easing F4 and veering W to
NW'ly soon after midday before increasing NW gale F8 1415z. Blustery showers, wind gusting
53kt, turning wintry with small hail, rain and snow late afternoon as the temperature fell from 7°
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Celsius at 1300z to 1.8° Celsius by 1800z. Squally hail shower 1930z leaving a thin covering on
the ground, the W'ly wind then easing F7.
Variable amounts of cloud overnight with an occasional light shower, wintry at times. The F7 W'ly
wind veering NW'ly and easing F4 by morning. A dry morning with thickening AS. Light snow
from 1505z as AS thickens to NS the wind, becoming a F2-3 NE'ly during the morning settling
into the E and freshening F4. Visibility falling from 25km to 2000m with the onset of the snow
which, by 1700z had left a <0.5cm snow cover. Visibility improving to 15km during the evening
as, with rising temperatures the snow turned first to rain and snow and subsequently rain.
(thawing the snow-cover).
Some rain overnight becoming dry by morning as F4 SE'ly wind veers S'ly and increases F5. AS
thickening during the morning with SC/ST producing light drizzle by 1100z. A wet afternoon with
rain, often moderate, persisting until 1600z when, with the wind veering SW to WSW'ly, the SC
clearing from the southwest there was a brief glimpse of the setting sun through the AS as the
rain stopped. Visibility generally 15-20km, but falling to 3500m in moderate rain. Some further
rain during the early evening, but dry after 2100z with the cloud becoming broken by midnight.
A few scattered showers during the morning period with variable amounts of cloud and F5
WSW'ly winds. Afternoon sunshine gradually blocked by increasing CI and later thickening AS,
the wind backing SE'ly and, after initially easing F4, increasing F6 during the evening. Rain from
1915z, occasionally moderate but generally intermittent in nature. After 2100z the wind eased
and veered to be a F4 SSW'ly by midnight.
Dave Wheeler