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Atmospheric pressure peaked at 1050.5 mbar in Mumbles Head, Wales early this morning. Around 1050 mbar now over Benelux, the upper 1040s in central Europe and rising

Numerous stations have recorded around 1050 mbar across southern England and Wales overnight, almost up to 1049 mbar in southeast Ireland. Atmospheric pressure continues rising across central Europe and the Balkans where 1047-1049 mbar has been reported this morning. Very high near record-breaking values also across Benelux!

Here are the night peak pressure readings:

Ireland:

Apparently, the highest surface pressure in Ireland peaked at 1048.7 mbar in Johnstown Castle in the extreme southeast part of the country. The highest atmospheric pressure ever recorded in Ireland is 1051.9 mbar in Valentia, Co. Kerry.

United Kingdom:

According to the Met Office, the station in Mumbles Head, Wales has recorded the highest pressure of 1050.5 mbar last night, just shy below the record of the 1050.9 mbar recorded at Benbecula on Jan 16th, 1957. The UK record is held at 1053.6 mbar in Aberdeen (Scotland) on Jan 31st, 1902!

The high-pressure system is now expanding and still strengthening across central Europe and the Balkans, resulting already in around 1047-1049 mbar over Germany, around 1050 mbar over Benelux! Based on the statistical records, they may have been broken over Benelux – we are awaiting final confirmations throughout this week.


Here are some of the highest values ever recorded in west and central European countries:

Belgium: 1048 mbar in Uccle on Jan 27th, 1932
Luxemburg: 1047.2 mbar at the Luxembourg Findel Airport on Dec 27/28th, 2016
Netherlands: 1050.0 mbar in De Bilt, Utrecht on Jan 26th, 1932
France: 1048.9 mbar in Pointe de Chémoulin, Saint-Nazaire Loire-Atlantique on Mar 3rd, 1990
Germany: 1060.8 mbar in Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on Jan 23rd, 1907
Austria: 1050.5 mbar in Vienna on Jan 16th, 1882
Czechia: 1050.3 mbar in Brno on Jan 23rd, 1907

For the whole European continent, the highest observed air pressure record is held at 1067.1 mbar, observed at two locations (Pärnu, Estonia and Riga, Latvia) on 22nd–23rd January 1907!

The surface pressure has peaked over western Europe and is now is gradually weakening trend while pressure readings continue to rise over central Europe and the Balkans. There, it will peak tonight and could locally push the highest records into 1048-1050 mbar range as well:

See the previous discussions:

*Violent* windstorm unfolding across the North Atlantic – several stations in the Faroe Islands reporting 180-220 km/h (110-140 mph) gusts


UPDATE: A powerful upper ridge strengthening over the North Atlantic and western Europe – an extreme near 1050 mbar surface high-pressure system is expected