Max (Celsius)

Min (Celsius)

Rainfall (mm)

AIRHEAD

28.7

22.1

1.0

TRAVELLERS

29.0

20.7

4.1

RESIDENCY

25.1

16.9

16.5

ST. HELENA

21.9

15.1

8.2

UK (Brize Norton)

7.2

-6.1

0.4

UK

Winter high pressure in the north Atlantic dominated the UK weather. Snow in the northern half of the UK to start the week, with persistent fog, mist and low cloud affecting southern parts.

Falklands

Unseasonably cold with strong winds throughout the week. Generally dry with sunny spells to start the week, but showers, sleet over higher ground affected the islands during the second half.

Ascension

Bright and sunny with scattered cloud for much of the week. Saturday night however brought widespread showers, the only significant rain to affect the airhead all week.

St. Helena

Cloudy with scattered showers, heavy on Wednesday, becoming dry and bright with scattered cloud through the latter part of the week.

I arrived on Ascension 15 months ago to what was billed a tropical paradise. Having been told I wouldn’t need more than a thin cardigan at night I was somewhat disappointed to need a jumper and jeans in the evenings. However those chilly J nights gave way to a beautiful summer. The long, cold and snowy winter the UK suffered was all the more sweeter with me basking in hot, sunny days spent out collecting the islands letterboxes, on the beach and more recently as a semi-permanent resident at the Travellers Hill pool. Even an Icelandic volcano didn’t put a dampener on the sunshine. Into the southern winter and the endless sunshine gave way to showers (frequent and heavy at times – again I don’t remember those being mentioned prior to me coming out here). On more than one occasion I returned from a walk looking like a drowned rat, and was often laughed at by ATC, bundled up in my waterproof on night shifts. The weather did break for one beautiful week though, perfectly timed for my sun loving sister and sun loathing Dad’s holiday a few weeks ago. So it’s time I signed off from my final MetChat and headed to the beach, because the sun is out and there’s panic tanning to be done, before I head north to the deep freeze of foggy Benson this weekend, snow permitting!