Local weather watcher says Wick ‘sizzled’ on Christmas Eve with record temperatures
Wick witnessed record-breaking warmth for December on Christmas Eve, says local weather watcher Keith Banks.
Mr Banks said that during the late evening of December 24, the Foehn effect caused the temperature in the town to hit a “sizzling” 14.3C (57.7F).
He continued: “The previous record for the highest air temperature in the burgh for December was 14.2C (57.6F), recorded on December 7, 2016.
“The average maximum temperature for December in the town is 6.8C (44.2F).
“The remarkable warmth experienced for the time of the year was caused by a broad west-south-westerly airflow, created between a large anticyclone located over the continent and low pressure centred to the south of Iceland. This pattern sourced an exceptionally mild, and very moist subtropical air mass from the regions south of the Azores.”
He added that Christmas Day was less mild but, nevertheless, a maximum of 11.6C (52.9F) logged in Wick was still very notable for the time of the year, and this value proved to be the town's third-highest temperature for any Christmas Day since 1910.
Mr Banks previously noted how a fierce polar maritime wind lashed Caithness last weekend.
Mr Banks said: “The spell of stormy pre-festive weather was caused by a deep Atlantic depression that swept north-eastwards past Orkney towards Norway during Saturday.”
The weather expert predicted there would be no white Christmas due to the mild subtropical air engulfing Caithness on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.