Although Sunday started dry, very heavy rain fell after 13.00. However, between approximately 01.00 and 02.00 Monday morning the rain was intense and prolonged, at one point the rain was falling at a rate of 136mm/hour. The total rain amounted to 49.7mm.
Monday arrived with misty conditions with a temperature of 13.8C at 08.00. The high pressure of the past week has disappeared to be replaced with unsettled conditions as a sequence of rain bands and intense showers cross the country.
The breakdown in the heatwave arrived on Sunday. The morning was noticeable for the variable cloud cover as shower activity drifted in from the south with occasional light rain, especially just before midday but only amounting to 0.8mm. The thermometer rose to a maximum of 25.2C in the afternoon sunshine being 6.3C above average and the lower maximum since the 2nd.
The past night was very mild with the thermometer not dropping below 17.0C this was the warmest night since 11th August (17.2C) being 7.9C above the average.
Monday revealed a cloudy start to the day with occasional bright intervals.
The thermometer soared to 31.0C on Saturday at 15.34 making it the hottest day of the year and the hottest day since 19th July 2022 being a significant 12.1C above the average. There was very little wind, just the occasional burst to 10mph and from the southwest. The UV level was at the top end of Moderate.
The past night has been very warm with the thermometer not sinking below 16.2C, logged at 04.27 Sunday. This was 6.9C above average.
Sunday revealed more cloud and occasional weak sunshine to start the day. In fact large areas of thick cloud, with light rain, have been moving northwards just to the west of our area.
The thermometer at 08.00 read 20.1C making it the warmest start to a day at that time since 8th July. This is partly due to the cloud cover but particularly the residual warmth in the ground as at 08.00 the ground thermometer at a depth of 5cm read 20.4C.
Update: first rain this month began to fall at 09.02. However, the rain radar indicates more substantial showers are approaching from the south, that could hit us later in the morning, unless the wind direction changes from south at the moment.
The thermometer reached 30.2C at 15.38 on Thursday making it the second hottest day this year (30.3C on 6th) being 11.3C above the 39-year average. The UV level has been slowly declining over the last few days and on Friday it was at the top end pf Moderate, following the run of days when it was well into the High category.
The overnight minimum of 14.4C was 5.3C above the average. The considerable heat stored in the ground meant minimalloss overnight with the ground temperature at a depth of 5cm not dropping below 19.9C by 08.00.
Saturday arrived with muted sunshine to start the day due to misty conditions but half an hour after the sun had risen above the horizon it was shining strongly that lifted the temperature to 17.9C at 08.00.
Update at 13.10: 30C threshold passed at 13.05 and rising, much earlier than previous days.
Peak of 31.0C logged at 15.34 being the hottest day of the year.
The arrival of thin cloud late afternoon on Thursday meant a maximum of 29.8C was just below the peak of Wednesday, even so it was 10.9C above the 39-year average. The residual warmth in the ground from the heat of the day and cloud cover meant another very warm night with a minimum of 15.C being 5.7C above average.
The last few days have been memorable for not only the heat but very calm conditions. Many days have seen air movement and a peak gust in single figures. For much of the past night the anemometers have been stationary. During these periods thin threads of gossamer have floated in the air and wrapped themselves around at least one anemometer. It took a very long fibre glass extending pole to reach the anemometer, three metres above ridge height, and free up that instrument as it takes a surprisingly strong gust for the instrument to break free.
Friday began with weak sunshine due to high, thin cloud. The air movement is forecast to veer into the southwest today, not seen since last month, and continue very light as the anticyclone begins to move away. The barometric pressure has dropped 10mb since its peak on Saturday.
Update at 17.15: thermometer rose above 30C again with a maximum of 30.2C at 15.38, fractionally down on the record high of 30.3C on Wednesday.