Transactions of RHASS Volume 1940 - Page 105
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| Year | 1940 |
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198 THE WEATHER or SCOTLAND IN 1939. to 27 th over the whole country. It was reported on sixteen days in all. There was a thundery spell from 5th to 8th, and storms occurred on the 7th in all parts of West Scotland. They were very severe in places, and half-inch hailstones were reported. Thunder occurred also on the 24th. Sunshine was above normal at numerous stations, especially in the west. In the east the amount was, on the whole, below normal. There was, however, no very large excess or deficiency. Totals were smallest in the hill districts, and the monthly amounts ranged from between 128 and 123 hours at Troon. Carluke, Nairn, Dumfries, and Stornoway to 85 hours at Eskdalemuir and 78 at Strathy (Sutherland). APRIL. The month was sunny on the whole. Between the 9th and the 21st—i.e., about Easter—the weather was warm at times, and especially so on the 11th. Generally speaking, rainfall was deficient. Except in the extreme north, where the month opened fair and at some places sunny, unsettled weather prevailed during the first few days. Quiet, warm conditions set in after the 7th, and these lasted until the 13th, from which date to the 17th weather was again unsettled, with gales in most parts. Further fine spells occurred from 18th to 20th and 27th to 31st, with an intervening period of cool showery weather from 21st to 27th. The number of days of gale fell to ten, and the total duration of gales to 6 hours at Bell Rock, 4 at Lerwick, and 3 at Stornoway. The 16th and 17th were the stormiest days, gusts of 65 miles per hour occurring at Stornoway and 60 at Bell Rock. The mean temperature was about normal or slightly above it, the greatest excess amounting to rather more than 1° F. in Renfrewshire and Ayrshire. The only notable cold spells were from 5th to 7th and 27th to 30th. On the warmest day of the month, the 11th, the shade temperature reached 72° F. at Ruthwell, and 70° F. at many other places in the south-west. The lowest shade temperatures were registered during the early cold spell, the coldest day being the 7th, with 19° F. at Dalwhinnie and 20° F. at Braemar and West Linton. The 30th was also cold, West Linton again having 20° F. Ground frosts occurred at one place or another every day except on the 10th and from 13th to 16th inclusive. They were most marked at Dalwhinnie, where the temperature on exposed ground fell to 8° F. on the 7th, 9° F. on the 30th, and 10° F. on the 29th. Balmoral had 11° F. on the 7th. Rainfall was below normal in most parts, but normal or slightly above in the Clyde district and parts of the West THE WEATHER OF SCOTLAND IN 1939. 199 Highlands. The driest area was along the east coast, where Aberdeen and Montrose had less than half their usual rainfall. Monthly totals ranged from 7 '73 inches at anlochquoich to 133 inch at Rothiemurchus. Daily falls exceeding an inch were fairly numerous in the west from 13th to 16th and 21st to 23rd. The largest daily fall was 1'50 inch at Kinlochquoich on the 14th. Snowfall was reported on sixteen days in all. It was Widespread but not heavy in North and Central Scot- land on the 25th-26th. Reports of hail were received on sixteen days, and of thunder on seven days. Thunderstorms were numerous in the south from the 11th to the 13th. The coast stations had, on the whole, more than the normal amount of sunshine, while inland stations had less than the normal. The excess was greatest in Shetland, where Lerwick had 37 hours more than its normal 127. The totals varied from between 179 and 170 hours at Dunbar, Stornoway, Turnberry, and Arbroath to 103 and 106 hours at Dalwhinnie and Benmore respectively. MAY. The weather. of May was markedly dry, and the last week exceptionally warm locally and- unusually sunny in most nuts. I The month opened with fine, sunny weather, except in the extreme north, though this fine spell was accompanied by cold north and north-east winds. Milder, showery weather followed for several days between the 4th and the 11th, on which day cold northerly winds again set in and persisted for about a week. The 22nd introduced a warmer period, and except for the 26th the last week was bright and warm generally, daily amounts of sunshine reaching 15 hours in several places. Gales were reported on four days, but even at Stornoway the total duration for the month was only one hour. Mean temperatures for the month were above the average in all districts, the excess being due mainly to the warmth of the last ten days. In Edinburgh and at Fortrose the excess was about 25° F. The highest temperatures were registered at the end of the month, on the 30th and 31st, when many stations had their highest temperatures for several years at this season. Outstanding readings were 80° F. at Forres and 79° F. at Nairn on the 30th, and 80° F. at Newton Stewart on the 31st, while Dalwhinnie had a day temperature of 72° F. on the 30th, followed by a night temperature of 33° F. The cold spell of the first week was unusually intense for May, the night temperature on the 3rd falling to 26° F. at. Glenlee, 27° F. at Balmoral and Braemar, and 28° F. at Kllmarnock. Ground frosts were reported at many places |
| Title | Transactions of RHASS Volume 1940 - Page 105 |
