Saturday 13th June
The persistent drizzle on Friday morning eventually ceased as the cloud began to thin in the early afternoon and the sun to break through to lift the temperature, which resulted in a maximum of 18.6C at 16.02. This high was still 2.1C below the June average but the warmest day since the 3rd. At least the overnight minimum of 11.8C was above average (+1.6C) with a low of 11.8C at 05.33, just after sunrise in Marlborough at 04.50. The significant meteorological feature was the peak UV level of 8, which meant the ultra violet light was ‘Very High’ logged at 14.00.
Saturday revealed a new day with light, variable clouds scudding across the sky with bursts of sunshine through the gaps. The temperature had recovered to 14.2C by 08.00 with the prospect of a warm, sunny day ahead.
An indication that our weather is slowly recovering from the cold spell are the readings from the ground thermometer at a depth of 5cm read at 08.00, with 11.3C, 14.9C and 15.9C respectively over the last three days. This will please gardeners with flowers and vegetables beginning to develop strongly after the recent rainfall.
The headlines of a possible heatwave a couple of days ago were rather premature as it will not materialise. The high pressure is not quite in the optimum position to feed warmth from a very warm Continent. It is a little too far west, expanding northwards towards Iceland, that will result in a westerly component today and tomorrow. Maximum temperatures for the next few days will hover around the June average with variable cloud and little rain.
It is reported that the monks at Abbotsbury Swannery farmed the swans to produce food for their lavish Dorset banquets. St Peter’s monastery was destroyed in 1539, during the dissolution.