WEATHER WATCH: Wet month for Wick as temperatures rise
Hail is a form of solid precipitation that is a product of the vigorous convective processes that occur within the structures of mature cumulonimbus clouds.
Hailstones are particles that typically consist of alternating tiers of clear ice and opaque ice. These are deposited in layers of air that have significantly dissimilar temperatures at different altitudes in the troposphere.
The opaque layers form when the supercooled water droplets freeze immediately upon impact with the ice particles. Supercooled water is water that may exist in a liquid state despite being below its usual freezing point of 0C (32F).
When this happens the air is suddenly trapped between the molecules giving this particular coating of ice its hallmark blurred appearance. However, the clear layers occur when the water droplets that are not supercooled flow around the ice particles before gradually freezing.
Hailstone diameters are usually in the range 5mm-50mm (0.2 of an inch to 2 inches). They are typically spherical but can become distorted when they spin about within the turbulent air currents.
Other common forms of solid precipitation include: snowflakes, ice pellets, snow pellets, (that are also known as soft hail or graupel), together with small hail.
A review of Wick’s historic record for mean air temperature for April showed that April 2024 was the mildest since that of 2019, and that it is currently the 21st equal most mild in a series commencing from 1910. The mean air temperature was identical in April 2017.
In terms of precipitation, April 2024 was the wettest since that of 2012. A closer look at the town’s archive for rainfall for a series of Aprils stretching back to 1910, confirmed that it is presently the 10th most wet.
Wick’s mean air temperature for April 2024 was 7.15C (44.87F). The long-term average for April, in terms of the averaging period 1991-2020 is 6.94C (44.49F).
Wick’s average daytime maximum air temperature for April 2024 was 10.14C (50.25F).
The current long-term average value for April for this parameter is 9.97C (49.95F).
The highest maximum was 17.1C (62.8F), recorded on April 11. Lowest maximum was 5.3C (41.5F), noted on April 4.
Wick’s average overnight minimum air temperature for the month was 4.15C (39.47F). The long-term average for April, in terms of the current 30-year averaging period, is 3.90C (39.02F). Highest overnight minimum was 10.1C (50.2F), recorded on April 12.
There was one air frost. The lowest air temperature was minus 0.7C (30.7F), witnessed on April 5.
The temperature fell to 0.0C (32.0F) or lower at 5cm over the grass on seven dates. The lowest temperature noted over the grass was minus 4.2C (24.4F), observed on April 5.
Precipitation was measurable on 28 dates. The total for the month was 78.4mm (3.09 inches), and 165.1 per cent of the current long-term average for April in Wick.
Wettest day was April 28. The amount recorded for the 24-hour period commencing 9am (GMT) was 13.4mm (0.53 of an inch).
April 2024 hosted no “days of gale”. However, wind velocities reached or surpassed gale force 8 (39.0mph/33.9 knots on nine dates.
The strongest wind velocity occurred during the hour ending 2pm (GMT), on April 13, when a force 7 westerly wind gusted up to 50.8mph/44.2 knots, severe gale force 9 on the Beaufort scale.