Expect more settled weather in Aylesbury Vale this week with threat of rain returning by the weekend

Last week was a turbulent one across the Aylesbury Vale, with the unsettled spring conditions persisting. Unseasonably strong winds and heavy rain announced the arrival of Storm Noa, an area of deep low pressure from the Atlantic, last Tuesday night and into Wednesday.

Storm Noa was named by the French Meteorological Agency, and up until now there has only been one other named Atlantic storm this season. Although the Met Office-derived naming system only began back in 2015, usually there are between five and 10 named storms in any one season, showing that this year really has fallen short.

Winds gusting up to 50mph swept through the region, and the highest mean wind speed reached around 27mph. The average wind speed in the Vale for April, using the nearest official climate station based in High Wycombe, is between 7mph and 8mph (6.5 knots) in the 1991-2020 period, so the 27mph mean wind speed is nearly four times greater than the mean. However, 70mph was recorded along the south coasts of England and Wales.

Heavy showers also formed as a result of Storm Noa, bringing gusty winds and hail too. Some even gave us some rumbles of thunder, resulting in brief power cuts for some in the area. Shower clouds also gave us a display of mammatus clouds along their back edge, with glorious bulges hanging down from the back of the anvils.

High pressure will dominate for much of this week and bring largely settled conditions, before the threat of rain returns this weekend. Temperatures will be a touch below normal with the odd chilly night possible.