FAIR ISLE
APRIL
Station Number
Elevation (Barometer)
Elevation (Rain-gauge)
Daily Weather Diary
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2002
03.008
61
56.7
metres
metres
Grid ref
HZ 210712
Lat.
Long.
59° 31.61' North
1° 37.74' West
59.527° North
1.629° West
Generally cloudy with some light rain from 1520z, becoming moderate at times, persisting
until late evening. 1015z wind variable 170°-270°, then settling into 220°. 1822z veer 180° to
270° but backing 220°-249° later.
Clear overnight then mostly cloudy with AC clearing to CI/CS with moderate/slight halo during
late morning.
Rather hazy with some sunshine limited at times by variable amounts of AC3/CI1,2 during the
morning and CI1, 2 during the afternoon. Steadily freshening SE'ly wind gusting 43kt late
evening.
Well-broken cloud with CI until 0600z, 7 okta ST by 0700z and then overcast morning,
afternoon and early evening - the ST breaking later. A dry, hazy day with a F5, easing F4,
SE'ly wind. Visibility varying 2000-4500m, but improving slightly during the evening to 8km
by midnight.
A mostly sunny day, less hazy than previously. A little orographic ST developing 1000-1300z
and somewhat more extensive from 1500z. Feeling rather chilly despite the sunshine in the
F5-6 SE'ly wind.
Mostly clear at midnight but extensive SC by dawn. Visibility better at 20km (40km to east) in
drier air. Some brightness late afternoon as temporary breaks appeared in SC sheet. A cold
day, F4SE'ly wind Backing E/ESE'ly and easing F1 by midnight. A quiet anticyclonic day.
A cloudy, dry anticyclonic day with 30km visibility. SC cloud sheet, breaking from the east for
a time after 1800z. A F1 E to NE'ly wind, becoming a F1-2 S to SE'ly late afternoon, veering
S'ly and increasing F3 during the evening.
The settled anticyclonic spell continuing - a weak front bringing some mist, rain and drizzle
and low cloud for a time 0640-0830z. Early AS cloud sheet soon hidden by SC cloud with
visibility down to 2000m and patchy ST at 500ft by 0705z. ST becoming more extensive by
0715z with visibility falling to 1500m as ST cloud base fell to 200ft on Ward Hill. S to SSW'ly
F3-4 wind veering W'ly at 0840z and W to NNW'ly later in the morning. Lower SC cloud
breaking during the morning, with AS/AC/CI amounts decreasing to leave a sunny and
pleasantly mild afternoon. SC cloud more extensive again by evening.
A dry morning period, CU/SC well broken, more extensive AC/CI breaking to a sunny
morning. The F3 WNW to NW'ly wind, falling calm 0700 and WSW'ly F1 by 0800z, steadily
backing and slowly freshening to be S'ly F5 by the end of the day. Visibility, 30-50km during
the morning, falling to 25km in the precipitation. AS becoming more extensive and thickening
during the afternoon with light, intermittent rain from 1520z dying out by 2100z.
A mild, cloudy night followed by a cloudy/overcast day with extensive SC for much of the time
breaking during the afternoon at times to reveal AS/AC overcast. A little light drizzle late
morning with broken ST down to 100ft on the hills and the visibility falling from 25km to
2000m. Visibility recovering to 25km during the afternoon but falling again later in light drizzle
and low ST late evening. Wind S to SSW'ly, initially F5, gradually easing F3 by evening.
A cloudy. Misty morning with visibility 1000m to 6000m together with extensive low ST. Rain
or rain and drizzle, moderate at times, overnight, continuing through the afternoon, a F3
SSW'ly wind backing S'ly by morning veering SSW to SW'ly late morning. Little change at
first during the early afternoon but becoming brighter after 1620z as wind, increasing F4 early
afternoon, veered W'ly. Rain ceased 1720z, ST then lifting, visibility improving to 30km and
cloud breaking early evening as wind veered NW'ly. A few light showers early evening.
Almost cloudless by midnight, with strong aurora observed.
Well broken cloud overnight with a few showers - wintry with moderate small hail 06000610z. Sunny morning with small CB9s - tops to about 8000ft - and a F4 NW to N'ly wind.
Very little cloud late morning/early afternoon, but CU/small CB9/SC developing to leave a
mainly cloudy late afternoon with several very light showers as F4 N'ly wind veered NNE to
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NE'ly. Showers reducing the 50km visibility to 25km at times. Cloudy but dry evening with
SC and small amounts of CU.
A fine, dry and mostly cloudy night with a F2-3 NNE'ly wind. SC sheet breaking during the
morning to give a sunny afternoon and mostly clear evening. NNE to NE'ly wind easing F1-2
during the afternoon and becoming rather variable in direction after 1550z, swinging between
320° through east to 210° before falling calm late evening. Despite the sunshine a cold day
with a maximum of only 5.9, Celsius. Visibility excellent, in excess of 100km. During the
afternoon, from the top of Ward Hill, Ronas Hill on northwest mainland Shetland - 120km
distant - was visible. Strong aurora glow and low arch visible at 2350z.
A fine, dry night. Calm at first - leading to quite a hard ground frost, with a freshening S'ly
wind bringing increasing amounts of SC in by dawn. F2 S'ly wind backing SE'ly and
increasing F4 by midday. SC overcast early afternoon with a small amount of high ST.
Period light rain 1005-1700z reducing earlier exceptional visibility of 100km+ to 25km. 1237z
wind veer 150° to 200°, 1515z 200° to 240° and 1645-17-5z 230° to 340°, the F4 wind easing
F1-2. SC breaking during the evening with visibility improving to 40km.
Becoming clear and calm overnight with a moderate frost developing. A sunny, almost
cloudless day. Winds, calm or light and variable at first, freshening F1-2 ESE during the
morning and F3 by the end of the afternoon and F4 by the end of the evening - by which time
a ST sheet at 1200ft had spread in. Visibility very good at 50km to 80km.
A cool day - feeling rather chilly in a F4 SE to ESE'ly wind. After a period of rain from
sometime before 0600z to shortly after 0700z it was a dry, cloudy day with variable amounts
of ST and an extensive SC sheet. By late afternoon the SC cloud was beginning to break
with the cloud edge visible to the SW at 1600z. However, after a couple of brief glimpses of
the sun the SC cloud sheet soon became extensive again. Becoming a slightly hazy day with
the early 40km visibility falling to 20km by morning and 15km through the afternoon.
Cloudy overnight with some very light rain. F4 SE'ly wind increasing F5. A dry morning,
becoming bright for a while with some sun late morning as high ST lifted and broke. Cloudy,
dry afternoon and evening with extensive low SC, the visibility improving from 15km to 25km,
the F5 SE'ly wind easing F4. SC cloud sheet breaking late evening to reveal a strong aurora
glow.
A dry, mostly cloudy night. Some intermittent light rain 0700-1100z with scattered ST base
down to 200ft and 15km visibility. Dry, mostly cloudy afternoon and evening. Visibility
generally good at 20km to 25km except in precipitation. F4-5 SE to ESE wind, backing ESE
to E'ly during the morning, easing F3 by afternoon.
Cloudy night with some mostly light rain or drizzle. ST on Hill and headlands down to 100ft
with visibility reduced to 1200m. Precipitation dying out 0700z with visibility improving to
15km as ST base lifted. Remainder of day dry. Cloud breaking during the morning, with
extensive SC sheet returning early afternoon, visibility gradually reducing to 6km in haze.
Cloud again breaking early evening with just 2 okta ST at 400ft on Hill by 1930z. FF2-3 SE'ly
wind increasing F4-5 during the evening.
Clouding over overnight with some patchy light drizzle. A dry day, the ST cloud breaking for
a time around the middle of the day before returning early afternoon. The F4-5 SE'ly wind,
increasing F5 through the morning, maintaining the hazy conditions with visibility around 6km
to 8km falling to 2500m during the afternoon.
Low cloud tending to break overnight to reveal AC7 overcast. Dry overnight with a F4 S to
SSE'ly wind and 3500m visibility in haze. Light rain 0610-0615z. A bright, hazy morning
becoming dry after a little further light rain shortly after 0900z. Further intermittent light rain
during the afternoon, but also bright at times with a little weak sunshine through the AC7, the
visibility improving to 10km to 12km. Outbreaks of somewhat heavier rain during the
evening, the wind veering SSW'ly and easing F4 by midnight.
A mild, cloudy - mostly AS/AC - night with a little very light rain, becoming dry after 0700z.
AS breaking to CI2 during the morning as S'ly F4 wind veered SSW'ly and increased F5.
Medium level cloud thickening and lowering late morning with a period of rain, moderate at
times, from 1122z to sometime after 1300z. The visibility, generally 15km to 25km, falling to
4000m for a time in the precipitation. Cloud rapidly dissipating mid-afternoon to leave just 2
okta SC, CU, CB with CI2 receding to NE by 1600z - the wind veering WSW'ly and increasing
F6. A dry evening, though with increasing SC later, the F5-6 WSW'ly continuing.
A cloudy night, dry at first but with patchy drizzle by 0600z. Precipitation becoming heavier
with moderate rain and drizzle by 0710z - the visibility falling from 10km to 5000m with fog
from 0725z as extensive ST base lowered to station level. Moderate rain from 0820z, the F5
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WSW'ly wind backing SW'ly and easing F4. Rain becoming light after 0900z, the visibility
improving to 2200m by 0944z. Wind veering WSW'ly and increasing F6 early afternoon, the
ain, mist and low ST persisting through to late afternoon. ST breaking to SC and AC after
1700z. A dry, breezy evening with the visibility improving to 20km.
A cloudy night with some light rain, the F5-6 WSW'ly wind backing SSW'ly and easing F3-4
by 0600z and backing SSE'ly during the morning and SE'ly by afternoon. SC breaking during
the morning to give a pleasantly warm, sunny day. Visibility, improving to 40km, falling
quickly during the late afternoon to 5000m by 1800z, with ST developing on the Hill. Turning
misty during the evening with Hill ST becoming more extensive. Some mainly light rain
during the evening, the wind veering SW'ly and increasing F5 by midnight - visibility
improving to 15km by same time.
Overnight rain clearing to showers then becoming dry by 0600z, the F5 SW'ly wind veering
W'ly. A mostly dry day with well broken CU/SC giving one light shower 1530-1540z. The
W'ly wind, easing F4, backing WSW'ly during the morning and SSW'ly through the afternoon
with CI thickening to CS (moderate halo noon) with SC/CU becoming more extensive late
afternoon. Wind backing S to SSE'ly during the evening, with further showers 1825-1832,
1930-1935z, then dry with an AS overcast.
Cloudy overnight with some mainly light rain. Precipitation, becoming intermittent by 0600z
with some blue sky visible to southwest by 0715z, ceased mid-morning. The S'ly wind,
increasing F6 overnight, veering SW'ly late morning the 20km visibility improving to 25km.
SC/ST cloud breaking early afternoon as the wind veered WSW'ly. Dry at first but showers,
developing after 1400z, soon becoming frequent with the wind increasing gale F8 1530z.
Mild at first, the temperature quickly fell from 8° Celsius to 4° Celsius with the onset of the
showers. WSW'ly gale increased F9 1615-1735z with maximum 10 minute mean of 46kt
1715-1725z. Visibility falling to 4000m as showers turned wintry with rain, small hail and
snow after 1600z. Heavy wintry showers of rain, small hail and snow continued all evening
with temperatures down around 2° Celsius. The gale, veering W'ly, increasing F9 at times
and gusting to 61 kt before 2100z and to 68 kt after 2100z.
Frequent wintry showers of rain, snow and small hail continue overnight - though tending to
become less frequent by dawn. The W'ly gale, gusting 58kts, easing F7 at 0430z. Several
further moderate wintry showers (reducing 10km to 20km visibility to 600-800m) leaving a
thin <50% covering on the ground at times. Wintry showers gradually dying out during the
morning with the extensive CU/CB/ST breaking to give some weak sunshine from 1210z,
though with a high wind-chill. W'ly wind easing F5 through the afternoon with the cloud
becoming well broken and the visibility improving to 50km as the relative humidity fell to the
low 50s. A fine, dry evening, the W'ly wind backing WSW'ly and easing F3.
A fine, dry night with well broken cloud and excellent visibility of 80km, the WSW F3 wind
backing ESE by 0600z. CS cloud increasing through the morning, the wind backing E'ly and
increasing F4 by midday with the visibility falling to 35km. Light rain showers 1320-1340,
1450-1500z, the CS then quickly thickening to AS as the wind backed E'ly and increased F5.
Rain and drizzle from 1700z becoming moderate during the evening, the wind backing ENE'ly
and the visibility falling to 8km.
Light rain dying out overnight to leave a bright, clear morning with the E'ly F5 wind easing F23. Apart from an isolated shower a dry morning, though becoming cloudy as SC/CU
increased as the E'ly wind backed NNE'ly and increased F4. A wet afternoon with rain from
1215z - becoming moderate from 1230z, the 30km visibility falling to 6km. The wind, veering
010° to 050° at 1245z, veering E'ly and easing F2 for a while veering ESE'ly and increasing
F4 after 1500z. Becoming dry soon after 1800z with the visibility improving to 40km by late
evening, by which time the cloud had become well-broken revealing a strong aurora glow.
Some early TCU/CB9 at first as overnight scattered light showers die out to leave a dry day
apart from a light shower early evening. Cloud, well broken during the morning and early
afternoon, increasing late afternoon although the SC sheet remained fairly thin and open with
occasional sunshine. F3 winds, generally between E and N at first, veering ESE'ly and
easing F2 during the afternoon backing NNE then NNW'ly through the evening. Visibility
excellent at 50km to 80km.
Dave Wheeler