COLONSAY'S WEATHER 2011-2012 [Link to 2010-11 records]

Wind in knots at 9.00 am; temperature in Celsius; rain in mm
Best max = highest temperature this week; G = days of Gale
Ave min = AIR temperature

COLONSAY WEEKLY WEATHER SUMMARY 2011 (SUMMER)

Week to

Ave wind Ave dir. Ave. max Best max Ave min Ave sun Max sun Total rain Max fall G
27 Mar
5.8
150
10.9
12.0
04.4
04.1hr
08.2hr
00.8
00.4
-
3 Apr
11.6
200
12.5
15.8
06.3
02.5hr
06.3hr
26.0
10.9
-
10 Apr
14.0
220
12.7
17.1
07.5
03.3hr
08.7hr
29.9
09.8
-
17 Apr
8.1
245
13.0
16.8
06.6
04.2hr
11.0hr
12.3
05.3
-
24 Apr
7.6
200
17.1
20.1
07.2
07.1hr
10.3hr
02.4
01.0
-
01 May
11.3
125
16.0
19.8
06.7
09.9hr
13.5hr
00.2
00.2
-
08 May
11.0
145
17.6
19.6
08.8
08.9hr
14.2hr
15.0
09.8
-
15 May
15.3
240
14.2
15.7
08.3
06.6hr
11.0hr
30.6
08.3
-
22 May
16.0
255
12.2
12.9
07.9
03.5hr
10.3hr
63.8
16.3
-
29 May
21.0
215
11.9
12.7
07.9
04.6hr
08.5hr
41.5
12.8
4
05 Jun
09.3
250
14.7
18.6
08.7
05.4hr
12.3hr
02.9
01.1
-
12 Jun
08.4
150
13.3
14.3
06.4
07.4hr
14.1hr
42.9
19.2
-
19 Jun
10.2
220
15.4
16.8
09.6
04.5hr
08.9hr
37.5
30.3
-
26 Jun
08.6
180
14.7
16.6
09.1
03.2hr
09.5hr
25.0
16.6
-
03 Jul
06.7
265
16.2
19.0
09.4
05.8hr
10.6hr
09.6
05.3
-
10 Jul
09.0
180
18.9
20.2
11.1
04.9hr
07.8hr
05.9
02.6
-
17 Jul
08.0
165
17.6
19.9
10.6
08.1hr
14.0hr
14.9
11.5
-
24 Jul
07.0
270
16.0
16.9
10.2
07.8hr
14.8hr
9.1
9.1
-
31 Jul
06.9
220
18.5
21.1
10.0
10.0hr
12.1hr
3.3
2.3
-
07 Aug
04.7
175
18.5
20.8
10.9
02.9hr
07.8hr
4.9
3.4
-
14 Aug
14.3
225
15.8
17.2
11.3
03.3hr
08.4hr
66.8
31.1
-
21 Aug
6.9
200
16.2
18.9
09.6
07.1hr
10.2hr
12.0
4.6
-
28 Aug
8.0
210
16.7
17.4
10.3
06.9hr
10.6hr
8.3
6.5
-
04 Sep
9.8
260
15.1
17.0
10.6
02.8hr
05.2hr
22.7
11.5
-
11 Sep
18.6
245
16.1
18.8
11.7
04.0hr
07.2hr
30.7
9.1
2
18 Sep
18.3
200
17.0
18.4
09.1
03.6hr
10.0hr
49.1
13.6
3
25 Sep
19.1
210
15.5
16.5
10.8
04.7hr
08.7hr
19.7
7.3
-
02 Oct
14.1
240
16.8
18.7
12.3
02.9hr
09.3hr
45.2
14.5
-
09 Oct
17.0
270
14.5
15.2
10.0
02.3hr
05.8hr
70.9
35.1
-
16 Oct
13.4
235
14.1
16.4
10.1
01.4hr
03.3hr
77.2
28.3
-

COLONSAY WEEKLY WEATHER SUMMARY 2011/12 (WINTER)

Week to

Ave wind Ave dir. Ave. max Best max Ave min Ave sun Max sun Total rain Max fall G
23 Oct
20.0
250
12.6
13.0
07.3
01.7hr
04.9hr
58.3
14.6
1
30 Oct
14.0
180
13.8
14.9
09.5
02.2hr
06.6hr
73.1
35.7
1
06 Nov
18.1
185
13.9
15.4
09.7
03.0hr
07.3hr
15.4
6.0
1
13 Nov
12.9
140
12.8
14.0
09.1
03.6hr
06.7hr
5.8
4.7
1
20 Nov
11.3
135
13.1
14.0
08.7
02.2hr
05.3hr
31.9
13.8
-
27 Nov
21.0
225
12.2
13.1
06.4
01.6hr
05.5hr
43.9
8.7
3
04 Dec
21.0
255
10.1
11.3
04.8
00.7hr
02.8hr
55.6
18.1
2
11 Dec
14.7
260
08.4
10.7
01.3
00.7hr
02.7hr
80.1
18.6
3
18 Dec
16.0
230
07.4
08.7
01.1
00.7hr
02.8hr
74.0
26.2
-
25 Dec
14.4
220
09.9
12.0
05.3
00.2hr
01.3hr
37.8
07.4
3
01 Jan
19.8
230
10.2
12.5
03.8
00.0hr
00.0hr
60.2
16.0
2
08 Jan
14.1
270
09.1
10.2
03.3
00.5hr
00.3hr
67.1
19.7
-
15 Jan
08.4
230
09.3
10.3
05.5
00.9hr
03.0hr
07.4
03.7
-
22 Jan
17.7
260
08.7
10.0
03.5
01.0hr
02.5hr
39.9
17.6
1
29 Jan
10.6
230
08.8
10.4
03.6
01.8hr
05.3hr
34.4
15.2
1
05 Feb
8.6
190
05.7
07.9
02.1
02.5hr
04.3hr
17.4
9.3
-
12 Feb
8.2
135
08.1
09.0
04.7
01.3hr
06.1hr
30.7
18.2
-
19 Feb
15.3
260
08.5
09.6
04.9
01.7hr
03.7hr
12.3
8.4
2

Highest temperature on record: 27.7 (June 1995) - Highest temperature 2010: 20.8 on 25 June & 20 August
Highest temp in 2011: 21.1 on 27th July
Most sunshine 2010: 14.3hrs on 22 July; Most in 2011: 14.8hr on 23 July
Greatest rainfall on record 46.7 (Jan 1992) - Greatest rainfall 2010: 25.5 mm on 16 August; 2011: 35.7 mm on 24 Oct
Gales: see righthand column above; Lowest temp 2010: - 11.8 C. GRASS min. 24 Dec.
Snow: 4.5cm on 17th Dec 2010, increased to 10.7cm on 18th, down to 8.9cm on 19th.

Here is some information about weather in this area

and here is a table of weather 1971 - 2000 for our nearest official site

COLONSAY NATURE CALENDAR SUMMER 2011

Date Observation
MAR  
26 Tawny Mining Bee and Slow-worm both seen at Longfield
APR  
3 Opp. leaved Golden Saxifrage and Cuckoo Flower both in bloom; primary school saw 2 Red Kites near Old Mill.
10 Violets; large numbers hairy caterpillars; no sign of bracken yet. Celandine everywhere. Hawthorn leaves on lower branches. Scurvy grass in flower, also some sea-pink.
14 Corncrake heard at Homefield.
19 Corncrake seen at Homefield; cuckoo heard at Glebe; Blackthorn in brilliant bloom.
MAY  
02 An accidental heathfire affected an extensive area in Central Massif; regrowth will be of interest... heather beetle had infested much of the growth, but there must be implications for bees etc. Corncrakes not affected; SpringFest has started, Day 1 included an excellent sighting of two adult otters at play, close quarters.
08 Butterwort in flower, may in blossom along roadside Kiloran, dragon and damsel flies widespread, heath-spotted orchid appearing, still some fine early purple; mountain avens reported. Corncrake visible in still-short grass; chough plentiful and greylag geese very touchy in the hills, must be protecting nests.
15 Dull weather. Eider ducklings,Arctic terns, Hen harrier, Buzzard fledglings, Mountain everlasting, May in full flower now. Slow-worms plentiful.
22 Coldest, wettest week since March; grass recovering quickly across muir-burn, with rich scattering of golfballs stolen by ravens and regurgitated on the hill; shelducklings at Port Mor; bog-cotton thriving.
29 Extreme weather – 4 days of gale in one week of May, with gusts in excess of 80mph on 23rd . Trees stripped of leaves, almost all pollen lost, even the bracken has turned black. How does this affect the bees? Greylag goslings plentiful. Young ravens testing their wings.
JUN  
05 Slightly more seasonal weather this week. Some regrowth on old wood (fuchsia), but it seems that this season's leaves etc. will not recover from last week's storm. Seems to be a poor season for orchids so far, but there has been a rapid recovery of grass where the hill was burnt on May 1 st . Bracken cover has been heavily reduced by the storm and will probably not recover its vigour this year.
12 Dramatic improvement in weather towards end of week, but temperatures still low in northerly light airs. Recovery of some trees and flowers is patchy, although late-flowering plants seem normal. Vegetables and general growth seem late.
19 30.3mm rain on 17th ; mild but dull weather. Hen harriers thriving; saw kestrel in hover being edged away by lapwing. Hill walking exceptionally easy as the bracken has not recovered from storm on 23rd May. Arctic terns fighting non-stop to defend young from gull predation. Yellow vetchling flowering on Rumaich na Caillich
26 Yellow rattle and Bog Asphodel both noticed in flower Rumaich na Caillich; Fragrant Orchid in Kilchattan – great sweeps of Heath Spotted in Baleromin. Royal Fern recovering from the 23 May storm, e.g. at Muileann Dubh (which has deteriorated markedly in recent years, apparently due to flood damage – some sort of conservation work may be desirable before it is too late...)
JUL  
03 Bog Asphodel and Meadowsweet in flower, carpets of Heath-spotted orchids in many places, roadside between Screadan and the School is at peak, rich variety of flowers. Large areas of heather looking lifeless (heather beetle?). Terns seem to have thriven.
10 This was warmest week of the year to date; 10 dolphins besporting themselves in shallows of Kiloran Bay. A' Choille Mhor normally impassable by now with towering bracken, this year mostly only 6ft high and much less dense, effect of storm on 23 May. Terns have done well on east coast, but bird cliffs seem a bit subdued.
17 Seems to be a good year for all types of orchid; the distinctive male hen harrier has been seen regularly between Scalasaig and Machrins. Bog Asphodel prolific, no sign of Grass of Parnassus yet. Honeysuckle not quite as rampant as usual where it was caught by the May 23 storm, elsewhere is thriving. Three bullocks from RSPB (Oronsay) were delivered to the Glebe on 15th and should help the bracken control project.
24 Golden Eagle soaring over Meall an Atha; tiny turtle found Ardskenish (see photo Friends of Colonsay on FaceBook); most trees have regained a covering of leaves, but (for example) the May on Kiloran Bay road is still black following May 23 storm. Large areas of heather-beetle attack are very obvious.
31

Montbretia in flower; greylag, mallard and oystercatchers all behaving as if protecting nests? Terns missing from some haunts. Irish Ladies' Tresses orchid in flower. Butterflies, dragonflies (and clegs) plentiful on 30th .
AUG  
07 Corncrake tragedy? Hen and her chicks in Homefield vegetable plot and got confused – some chicks fell off the bridge into (dry) burn, others got out onto the roadside. Hen was noticed making very gentle and attractive mewing call as she tried to recover the situation. She seemed to get most of them together and back into the field – one straggler in the road was isolated by the burn, was recovered (without touching) in a plastic container and returned to correct side of burn.
14 Corncrake chick noticed at Baleromindubh... are they a bit late?
21 Devil's Bit Scabious prolific, also purple loosestrife and montbretia of both types. Saw pair of Hen Harriers hunting and excellent 10 minute view of a dark-coloured eagle with very prominent white bar across tail and a white blob on either wing when viewed from above. Perfect view of vivid yellow beak and sturdy legs. It was mostly hopping about on some inland rocks, a warm day – perhaps eating dragonflies? Less than 100 metres away, about 50 metres below me.
28 Dead (sperm?) whale found by David Binnie, Port Mor. It begins to look as if the bramble crop will be sparse.
SEP  
04 Lawyer's Inkcap fungi in many places; in fact, lots of varieties of fungi doing very well. No nuts on Uragaig hazel. Very few berries on rowan.
11 Definitely the year of the fungi. Wet, very warm week has helped.
18 Gales have hastened autumnal look. Very little heather bloom, presumably due to gale on 23 May and earlier heather-beetle attack. No nuts on Uragaig hazel. Dragonflies still to be seen; myriad puffballs. Very few seals throughout this year at Traigh an Tobair Fhuair or off Garbh Chladach, or even at Eilean Mhartain.
25 Pink Purslane in flower. Mild weather, sharp showers, great rainbows. Canada Geese in west flank field.
OCT  
02 Milkwort, tormentil etc. in flower. Very few haws. 1 st October very muggy and thick with midges. Saw otter at Rubha Geidh, also seal pups at Port na Cuilce
16 Very wet fortnight – 31.5mm on 9 October (one-day record was 46.7 in Jan 1992); total 148.1mm in a fortnight, with 119.3mm in just 7 days (about 7”).
23 More rain – a quagmire.
30 The weekly average rainfall has been 49.6mm for the last 9 weeks (all of September and October). On 8 th October it totalled 35.1mm and on 24 th it was 35.7mm. The Deabhach has been under 4 inches of water, and the crannogs in Loch Fada (normally lost in encroaching meadow) have been neatly restored to visibility.
NOV  
6 Drier weather, mild but one gale. Raptors prominent and active – kill sites everywhere. Kestrel has adopted glebe meadow. Some greylag flocks of ca. 100, smaller flocks of barnacles. Rats moving up from the shoreline, mice into the houses (we caught seven in a week, humane device).
13 Kestrel still at glebe, benefit of bracken control. Initial coppicing seems a success, next coupe due in February.
20 Excellent weather for archaeological fieldwork; possible crannog at Loch Raonabuilg not rejected. Otter at Bealach nan Sac; greylag, white-fronted and Canada geese in East Park, c. 300. Heron has settled at An Deabhach.
27 Still fairly mild, despite 3 days gale at end of week. Swans on Loch Fada.
DEC  
04 Colder, sharp wintry showers with hail, 2 days gale. Large numbers barnacle geese in Pairc fields. Flock of ca. 20 Greater black-back gulls, Ardskenish. Shelduck Port Mor.
11 Wild weather this week; power off for 24hrs following storm reaching ca. 80 knots; violent hail showers, big seas then 2 days calm at weekend.
18 Mild. Wet.
25 Mild temperatures. Gales. (KB away)
Jan  
01 Mild temperatures. Severe westerly gale, some damage. No sunshine at all this week, repeat of last winter, same week. (KB away).
08 Mild. Wet. 250 Barnacle geese at Machrins. (KB away).
15 Unseasonably mild, dry, calm. Dolphins at Scalasaig. Barnacle geese more noticeable than others this year, but small groups of greylag here and there.
22 Week-old kid in A' Choille Mhor; some oaks in bud; only three woodcock in 8 mile walk, sitting very tight, few birds in strong gale. Herons plentiful this year.
29 Two wet weeks – ground saturated. At least 8 herons to be seen at Cnoc an Tigh Samhraidh, perhaps intending to nest. Snowdrops; camellia.
Feb  
05 About 2 acres in se corner of A' Choille Mhor are engulfed by ponticum and there are isolated clumps throughout the SSSI; also at least six sheep. Widespread dung shows that cattle have had the run of the place. Gates and fences in poor condition. Crocus. ca 1000 Banacle geese.
12 KB away; mild, damp week. Ferry troubled on Friday by east wind.
19 About 1000 barnacle geese in one flock, East Park; croci in flower everywhere, narcissi have been in full flower all week, daffodils at Homefield are in fully-fleshed bud and on point of flowering.