Too cool for school?
Post categories: weather
| 14:40 UK time, Friday, 30 October 2009
It's felt mild if not warm this week and Paul Harris from Cwmllynfell, Swansea has been in touch.
He wants to know "what the extent of 'mild', is in the context of weather reporting.
We hear of mild, very mild and even extremely mild (surely an oxymoron) but when does mild become warm or even cool?
Well Paul, the use of the word 'mild' is a subjective description, normally used in winter but it creeps into forecasts at other times of the year too, and there is a rule of thumb which forecasters like myself try to follow.
In Wales the average maximum temperature in October is about 13 Celsius.
A temperature 2 or 3 degrees above this should be descibed as mild. 4 or 5 degrees above is very mild and 6 degrees or more above is exceptionally mild if not warm.
Of course, temperature is a personal thing and it also depends on humidity and the wind speed. A temperature of 15 Celsius could feel cool if the humidity is low and there is a strong wind blowing. In winter, we sometimes use the word wind-chill in forecasts.
Yesterday temperatures on Anglesey reached 19 Celsius making it exceptionally mild for the time of year but there is a big change on the way.
Derek
Comments Post your comment