The thermometer soared to 19.1C at 14.21 on Thursday producing a lovely warm, bright day being 5C above my 40-year average. The clearer overnight skies produced a chilly night with a low of 7.9C just after dawn at 06.36, which was 4.2C above the average.
It was a dry day with the UV level peaking at 5.2, which was mid-point in the ‘High’ category.
The anticyclone centred over France, is producing the ridge of high pressure over the UK. The barometric pressure at 08.00 read 1029.6mb, the highest pressure since the 2nd of February (1031.4mb). As a result Friday initially dawned with muted sunshine thanks to thin cloud over the eastern horizon but shortly before 08.00 gained in strength as it rose above the cloud, that had lifted the thermometer to 9.6C at 08.00. The high pressure looks as if it will stay around for a day or two so dry days will be welcome in drying out the ground as well as lifting the soil temperature, which at 08.00 at a depth of 5cm read 10.6C.
The anticyclone will decline late Friday and early Saturday as a depression to the north takes control of our weather. As a result the wind is likely to veer into the west with the temperature dropping a few degrees on Sunday.
