The Times - UK - 04.12.2021

the times | Saturday December 4 2021 81

We a t h e r

Channel Islands

NORTH

SEA

CHANNEL

IRISH

SEA

ATLANTIC

OCEAN

Aberdeen

Glasgow Edinburgh

Carlisle

Newcastle

York

Manchester

Liverpool

Hull

Llandudno

Shrewsbury Nottingham

Sheffield

Norwich

Cambridge

Oxford

Bristol

Swansea

Cardiff

Plymouth

Exeter

Southampton

Brighton

London

Londonderry

Belfast

Galway

Dublin

Cork

Birmingham

CELTIC

SEA

Orkney Shetland

31

Tuesday

9

4

7

11

Aberdeen

Aberporth

Anglesey

Aviemore

Barnstaple

Bedford

Belfast

Birmingham

Bournemouth

Bridlington

Bristol

Camborne

Cardiff

Edinburgh

Eskdalemuir

Glasgow

Hereford

Herstmonceux

Ipswich

Isle of Man

Isle of Wight

Jersey

Keswick

Kinloss

Leeds

Lerwick

Leuchars

Lincoln

Liverpool

London

Lyneham

Manchester

Margate

Milford Haven

Newcastle

Nottingham

Orkney

Oxford

Plymouth

Portland

Scilly, St Mary’s

Shoreham

Shrewsbury

Snowdonia

Southend

South Uist

Stornoway

Tiree

Whitehaven

Wick

Yeovilton

Around Britain

Key: b=bright, c=cloud, d=drizzle, pc=partly cloudy

du=dull, f=fair, fg=fog, h=hail, m=mist, r=rain,

sh=showers, sl=sleet, sn=snow, s=sun, t=thunder

*=previous day **=data not available

Temp C Rain mm Sun hr*

midday yesterday 24 hrs to 5pm yesterday

Noon today

7 S 0.8 0.0

9 DU 6.6 4.9

9 PC 12.6 5.3

** ** 2.3 0.0

12 PC 7.4 **

8 C 0.6 **

7 C 8.2 2.5

8 C 1.2 **

12 PC 5.4 6.4

6 PC 0.8 **

9 C 3.6 6.6

11 D 13.6 0.6

10 C 12.6 6.2

7 PC 0.6 1.5

5 B 4.2 2.7

7 PC 1.0 0.0

9 DU 1.0 **

11 M 2.2 0.0

6 DU 1.2 3.8

9 PC 6.4 4.4

10 B 1.2 **

12 DU 13.8 4.0

8 C 0.6 **

7 PC 0.4 0.0

6 S 1.2 **

5 PC 3.2 0.6

6 S 0.2 1.9

6 PC 0.8 4.9

9 M 3.0 **

9 DU 0.6 5.4

9 C 3.8 0.0

9 PC 2.0 5.0

8 DU 1.0 1.6

9 PC 9.2 **

6 S 0.2 **

6 M 1.4 5.3

5 PC 3.8 0.0

9 B 1.0 **

11 C 12.4 **

11 B 8.6 **

11 DU 8.2 **

9 M 1.2 5.4

8 PC 3.8 4.5

7 C 8.4 **

8 DU 1.2 6.1

8 PC 17.6 **

7 PC 9.0 0.0

9 PC 6.8 0.1

7 C 0.4 3.9

5 S 3.2 **

11 PC 4.2 6.1

The world

All readings local midday yesterday

Alicante

Amsterdam

Athens

Auckland

Bahrain

Bangkok

Barbados

Barcelona

Beijing

Beirut

Belgrade

Berlin

Bermuda

Bordeaux

Brussels

Bucharest

Budapest

Buenos Aires

Cairo

Calcutta

Canberra

Cape Town

Chicago

Copenhagen

Corfu

Delhi

Dubai

Dublin

Faro

Florence

Frankfurt

Geneva

Gibraltar

Helsinki

Hong Kong

Honolulu

Istanbul

Jerusalem

Johannesburg

Kuala Lumpur

Kyiv

Lanzarote

Las Palmas

Lima

Lisbon

Los Angeles

Luxor

Madeira

Madrid

Malaga

Mallorca

Malta

Melbourne

Mexico City

Miami

Milan

Mombasa

Montreal

Moscow

Mumbai

Munich

Nairobi

Naples

New Orleans

New York

Nice

Nicosia

Oslo

Paris

Perth

Prague

Reykjavik

Riga

Rio de Janeiro

Riyadh

Rome

San Francisco

Santiago

São Paulo

Seoul

Seychelles

Singapore

St Petersburg

Stockholm

Sydney

Tel Aviv

Tenerife

Tokyo

Vancouver

Venice

Vienna

Warsaw

Washington

Zurich

16 S

4 B

19 PC

23 B

25 PC

27 PC

30 PC

12 PC

11 S

20 PC

4 R

3 S

22 C

8 DU

5 PC

11 S

5 S

24 PC

22 PC

29 S

29 S

23 PC

14 B

3 D

14 T

18 FG

29 PC

7 B

16 S

12 PC

2 B

3 PC

16 S

-12 SN

20 S

27 B

17 PC

22 S

27 S

30 PC

3 B

19 PC

22 B

18 DU

15 S

16 S

22 S

19 PC

11 S

17 S

15 PC

16 PC

18 PC

22 S

27 PC

10 S

31 PC

3 R

2 PC

29 S

2 PC

21 B

12 C

20 S

12 C

15 S

20 PC

-11 PC

3 D

28 S

0 PC

0 SH

-2 SN

28 PC

19 S

14 PC

16 S

26 S

25 PC

4 S

30 PC

30 B

-7 PC

-6 SN

21 B

22 S

22 PC

12 PC

7 PC

9 S

5 PC

3 PC

17 B

2 PC

The Times weather

page is provided

by Weatherquest

Five days ahead

Fairly unsettled and

breezy with showers or

spells of rain, as well as

some drier interludes

Today Bright and breezy with scattered showers once early rain clears eastern Britain. Max 10C (50F), min -4C (25F)

Tides

Tidal predictions.

Heights in metres

Today Ht Ht

Aberdeen

Avonmouth

Belfast

Cardiff

Devonport

Dover

Dublin

Falmouth

Greenock

Harwich

Holyhead

Hull

Leith

Liverpool

London Bridge

Lowestoft

Milford Haven

Morecambe

Newhaven

Newquay

Oban

Penzance

Portsmouth

Shoreham

Southampton

Swansea

Tees

Weymouth

00:32 4.5 12:59 4.5

06:46 13.6 19:09 13.7

10:34 3.6 22:58 3.8

06:33 12.5 18:56 12.7

05:17 5.6 17:40 5.6

10:25 7.0 22:50 6.9

10:56 4.3 23:21 4.3

04:41 5.2 17:05 5.2

12:09 3.6 --:-- --

11:11 4.2 23:41 4.2

09:49 5.9 22:10 6.0

05:35 7.8 18:03 7.8

01:49 5.8 14:13 5.8

10:37 9.6 22:59 9.7

01:03 7.1 13:24 7.3

08:42 2.7 21:20 2.6

05:40 7.2 18:03 7.3

10:48 9.8 23:09 9.8

10:34 7.0 23:00 6.9

04:32 7.2 16:54 7.3

05:11 4.1 17:30 4.2

04:03 5.7 16:26 5.7

10:49 5.0 23:12 4.9

10:42 6.6 23:09 6.5

10:02 4.8 22:48 4.8

05:48 9.7 18:11 9.8

02:50 5.7 15:20 5.7

06:16 2.3 18:34 2.2

Synoptic situation

A frontal system will bring

cloud and rain to parts of

eastern Britain at fi rst, clearing

to leave a bright day across

the British Isles with blustery

showers, perhaps turning heavy

or wintry with the odd rumble

of thunder in places. Some

areas of rain may persist in

northern or eastern Scotland,

perhaps spreading back into

eastern England overnight.

Highs and lows

24hrs to 5pm yesterday

Warmest: Guernsey, 12.3C

Coldest: Cairnwell,

Aberdeenshire, -5.9C

Wettest: Culdrose,

Cornwall, 23.8mm

Sunniest: Wisley, 7.2hrs*

Sun and moon

For Greenwich

Sun rises:

Sun sets:

Moon rises:

Moon sets:

First quarter: December 11

Hours of darkness

Aberdeen

Belfast

Birmingham

Cardiff

Exeter

Glasgow

Liverpool

London

Manchester

Newcastle

Norwich

Penzance

Sheffi eld

15:59-07:59

16:30-07:58

16:25-07:31

16:35-07:31

16:40-07:29

16:16-07:59

16:25-07:40

16:23-07:19

16:21-07:37

16:11-07:43

16:12-07:19

16:51-07:34

16:19-07:34

General situation: Cloud and rain

clearing in the east to leave a bright,

breezy day with sunshine and showers.

Channel Is, Cen S Eng, SE Eng, London,

E Anglia, E Mids, E Eng: A murky

start as cloud and rain gradually clear

eastwards, allowing brighter conditions

to follow from the west, as well as a

few showers. Some coastal areas may

stay on the cloudy side. Light west to

southwesterly winds will soon freshen,

becoming northwesterly. Maximum

10C (50F), minimum -1C (30F).

SW Eng, Wales, W Mids, Cen N Eng,

NW Eng, Lake District, IoM: A bright

day with a mixture of variable cloud,

sunny spells and scattered showers,

most frequent near northern and

western facing coastlines and turning

wintry at times. Moderate to fresh

west to northwesterly winds, strong

at the coast. Maximum 9C (48F),

minimum -2C (28F).

N Ireland, Republic of Ireland: Bright

and breezy with variable cloud, sunny

spells and scattered showers, most

frequent in the northwest and wintry

in places. Moderate to fresh west to

northwesterly winds. Maximum

7C (45F), minimum -1C (30F).

Scotland, NE Eng: Early cloud and rain

in the east, but otherwise bright with

changeable cloud cover and showers,

wintry at times and most likely in

the west. Some longer spells of rain

possible in the north and east. Light to

moderate west to northwesterly winds,

fresh or strong in places. Maximum

6C (43F), minimum -4C (25F).

Tomorrow

7

4

6

5

Monday

6

4

7

8

Wednesday

8

6

6

9

Thursday

8

6

7

9

28

Wales W Mids

33 31

25

oooo

29

25

30

27

30

neyney Sh

5

15

6

7

5

5

3

4

2

5

5 5

6

6

8

8

4

5

5

6

4

10

r

ih

L

k

F

95

86

77

68

59

50

41

32

23

14

5

C

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

-5

-10

-15

Wind speed

(mph)

Temperature

28 (degrees C)

34

Sea state

Calm

Slight

Moderate

Rough

Flood alerts and warnings

At 17:00 on Friday there were 17 fl ood

alerts in England, one fl ood alert in

Wales and no fl ood alerts or warnings

in Scotland.

For further information and updates

in England visit fl ood-warning-

information.service.gov.uk, for Wales

naturalresources.wales/fl ooding and

for Scotland SEPA.org.uk

Cold front

Warm front

Occluded front

Trough

LOW LOW

LOW

HIGH

HIGH

HIGH

1032

1024

1016

1016

1016

1016

1016

1016

1008

1008

1008

1008

1000

1000

1000

1000

992

992

984

976

968

960

A cold and frosty start for many

areas before cloud and rain spread

northeastwards across Britain, heavy

at times and occasionally turning

wintry. Becoming rather windy too.

Max 11C, min -1C

Spells of rain possible over eastern

areas, turning wintry in places, while

elsewhere the odd coastal shower is

possible but many places will stay dry

with variable cloud and sunshine.

Max 9C, min -5C

Rain will spread eastwards, turning

to sleet or snow at times, especially

over high ground. Brighter conditions

following from the west, as well as

scattered wintry showers.

Max 10C, min -6C

Remaining unsettled with further

showers or longer spells of rain, once

again turning wintry in places with

some brighter intervals possible too.

Max 9C, min -4C

Rain will gradually clear eastwards

to leave a drier and brighter interlude

across much of Britain before another

band of rain spreads into western

areas later.

Max 10C, min -3C

07.47

15.52

08.02

15.51

4

O

n Tuesday Nasa

launched a rocket in the

north of Norway that

painted the night sky

with coloured lights. As

it flew upwards it flung out canisters

that burst open to release coloured

tracers, rather like an immense

firework display. A time-lapse video

of the light show can be seen at

https://bit.ly/2ZOorJF.

The mission was to study a part of

the atmosphere called the polar

cusp where passing spacecraft slow

down. “At around 250 miles above

Earth, spacecraft feel more drag,

sort of like they’ve hit a speed

bump,” explained Mark Conde,

physics professor at the University of

Alaska Fairbanks. This is because

air in the polar cusp is much denser

than the surrounding atmosphere

at the same altitude, but no one

knows why.

At about noon each day the polar

cusp also opens up a hole in the

magnetic field in the polar regions,

allowing charged particles from the

sun to penetrate the atmosphere.

This may explain why radio signals

and GPS signals behave strangely

when they pass through this zone.

Normally the Earth’s magnetic field

protects us from this onslaught of

electrically charged particles in the

solar wind, so the noonday hole

raises questions of whether it causes

other disturbances in the upper

atmosphere.

As for the strange density of the

polar cusp, one explanation is that it

involves electric and magnetic

effects in the ionosphere, the layer

of Earth’s upper atmosphere that is

electrically charged by the sun. This

may make the air denser, or it may

cause heating that generates vertical

winds, keeping dense air aloft.

Another explanation is that the air

throughout the entire height of the

cusp is denser than its surroundings.

This would be expected to generate

winds blowing horizontally or in a

vortex. These theories can be tested

in Nasa’s experiment, and

preliminary reports indicate that the

rocket launch was successful and

the cans of tracers performed as

planned, with good data received.

The results are being assessed.

Weather Eye

Paul Simons