Once again on Wednesday the mass of humid and hot air pushed the thermometer very high to reach a maxim of 34.1C, exactly the same as on Tuesday, but a little earlier in the afternoon at 15.55. Thereafter cloud began to build in the east as an approaching storm threatened rain. However, as on several previous occasions, it veered around this area without producing any rain, but reformed to the west shortly afterwards. At 17.15 several claps of thunder were heard and the wind gusted to 24mph, the strongest since 27th July.
The heat was slow to dissipate overnight due to the cloud cover so that we almost experienced a tropical night (minimum 20C) but not quite, as the thermometer dropped to a low of 19.4C at 07.05 Thursday. This was the second warmest night my station has recorded since set up in 1984, the record being set on 20th July 2016 when a minimum of 20.2C was recorded, a true Tropical Night.
Thursday arrived with total cloud cover and a few spots of rain at 07.20, but not measurable, which immediately evaporated. The air was almost still at 08.00, just the occasional movement, variable in direction as yesterday but principally from the north east. The charts show these conditions are due to a long ‘trough’ of low-pressure, stretching west to east, across central Southern England rather than the centre of a depression, which is over France.
Update on Thursday at 18.30: cloud during morning and late afternoon limited heat to a maximum of 25.5C at 14.43. No measurable rain, just a few spots
